Dora-Heita

	Rating: 4 out of 5 Release Date: 2000 Director: Kon Ichikawa Netflix Link IMDb Link

Something in the opening credits caught my eye: screenplay by Akira Kurosawa, Keisuke Kinoshita, Kon Ichikawa and Masaki Kobayashi. Four of Japan’s greatest and most prolific directors collaborated on a single screenplay and the story does not disappoint.

It is an elaborate tale of corruption and double-crosses, with a little bit of fighting and a whole lot of intrigue. Dora-Heita, expertly played by Koji Yakusho, is pitted between corrupt officials and corrupt yakuza bosses, all of whom would like nothing better than for him to go away by any means necessary. The character of Dora-Heita actually reminds me a little bit of Kurosawa’s character, Yojimbo, in the sense that he is blustery and gruff, places little value on authority, and will get the job done how he wants to, not how they tell him to. The samurai in this film are not the typical variety you see in jidaigeki who go about fighting in wars or slashing up bad guys, but rather, they are officials. Dora-Heita is a magistrate, akin to a police officer and a judge rolled into one, brought in to clean up a certain troublesome neighborhood.

That being said, in typical Ichikawa fashion, the film does drag a bit in spots and it’s not altogether as tight as it could have been. Still, this is a pretty entertaining story, made even more so by Koji Yakusho’s performance. Recommended to fans of the samurai genre.

Red Sun

	Rating: 3 out of 5 Original Title: Soleil Rouge Release Date: 1971 Director: Terence Young Netflix Link IMDb Link

I avoided this movie for forever. I am really not a fan of westerns (without Clint Eastwood), but Red Sun happens to be one of the last readily-available Toshiro Mifune movies I hadn’t seen. I bit the bullet only to find out that, as an added bonus, Red Sun also stars Alain Delon. Wait, What?! Toshiro Mifune, Charles Bronson and Alain Delon in the same movie? A French version of a spaghetti western with Comanche indians, samurai and Charles Bronson? How the hell did that happen? Seriously, how did this movie ever get made? Anyway, I’m glad it did since it’s not half as bad as I was expecting. It has an unusual story, loosely based on historical fact, but I wouldn’t exactly call it historical. If nothing else, it’s certainly entertaining to see Mifune traipsing through the American west in full samurai gear next to Bronson in search of Delon. I also enjoyed watching Mifune kick Bronson’s ass. It’s a mindfuck to see Delon and Mifune speaking English (and not too badly either). Because of my adoration of Mifune, I have waded through more mediocre to terrible films than I thought possible, especially films from his later years (e.g. The Bushido Blade), but Red Sun is better than most.

Bushido: The Cruel Code of The Samurai

	Rating: 4 out of 5 Original Title: Bushidô zankoku monogatari Japanese: 武士道残酷物語 Release Date: 1963 Director: Tadashi Imai Netflix Link IMDb Link

Bushido: The Cruel Code of The Samurai should really be called Daimyo: The Cruel Code of The Lords since this film is about at least five generations of samurai from the same clan getting fucked (literally and figuratively) by their lord, with each successive generation receiving a worse fate than the last. It’s a strange film narrated by and also starring (as each and every generation of samurai) Kinnosuke Nakamura, who is so supremely awesome that at first you don’t recognize him as each of the characters. Bushido boasts a rather unusual storyline for a jidaigeki, especially since it starts off in modern times. In fact, at first, I thought I was watching the wrong film. Recommended mainly for fans of the samurai genre.

47 Ronin

	Rating: 3 out of 5 Original Title: Shijushichinin No Shikaku Japanese: 四十七人の刺客 Release Date: 1994 Director: Kon Ichikawa Netflix Link IMDb Link

47 Ronin features one of the most commonly-used historical plots in all of samurai cinema. You see this in everything from Mizoguchi’s 47 Ronin to Inagaki’s Chushingura to Fukasaku’s Swords Of Vengeance, which are all far superior films. This version was made on the 100th anniversary of the play, Chushingura, and it seems as if it was made specifically as a marketing ploy. 47 Ronin distinguishes itself from the pack by casting a rather unsympathetic light on the ronin. There are no heroes here, only samurai doing what they think is right according to the Bushido code. Whether they are righteous or not is debatable. While this version is not a bad film and worth watching if you are familiar with and like the story, I would recommend the aforementioned versions instead.

When The Last Sword Is Drawn

	Rating: 4 out of 5 Original Title: Mibu gishi den Japanese: 壬生義士伝 Release Date: 2003 Director: Yôjirô Takita Netflix Link IMDb Link

When the Last Sword Is Drawn is what samurai films are all about. Set during the commonly used period at end of the Tokugawa era when the Emperor and the Shogun were each vying for control, this period in history also marks the end of the samurai class. With the Shogun system gone, the noble samurai were no longer necessary. With historical context as a backdrop, this film is essentially a human drama about duty, loyalty and class structure with some social commentary in the mix. Just like his samurai class, the protagonist is a man caught in the middle. Unable to make enough money to support his family as a retainer, he leaves his clan in order to find more lucrative employment elsewhere. Every decision he makes revolves around making the most money for his family, while still remaining a loyal samurai, above all else. As the narrator puts it, Yoshimura is a true samurai. When the Last Sword Is Drawn is a must-see for fans of the samurai genre.

Sure Death Revenge

	Rating: 4 out of 5 Original Title: Hissatsu 4: Urami harashimasu Release Date: 1987 Director: Kinji Fukasaku Netflix Link IMDb Link

Sure Death Revenge is number four in a five-part series. It is Japanese exploitation at its finest if, by fine, you actually mean pretty terrible. However, in addition to being helmed by my favorite Japanese exploitation director, it also has Sonny Chiba sporting a 70′s mustache. And, as if that wasn’t enough, the story is actually fairly badass and quite unusual for the genre. It’s a murder mystery, whodunnit jidaigeki (period film) that was actually pretty enjoyable, with a lot of slo-mo sword-fighting scenes with curious weapons and gushing blood. But other than the ridiculous forms of awesome that I just described, it does look like a made-for-TV movie, Chiba’s lack of sword-fighting ability is plain as day in slow motion, and it is overly long at two hours, which is why I’d only recommended for fans of the genre. For a Fukasaku film, it’s below par, but even a sub-par Fukasaku film is better than most.

Harakiri

	Rating: 5 out of 5 Original Title: Seppuku Release Date: 1962 Director: Masaki Kobayashi Netflix Link IMDb Link

Harakiri is a masterpiece of the samurai genre and quite possibly the best film Shochiku ever produced. Not only is its setting historically accurate, but the story that is told here is nothing short of badass. The tragic tale takes place during a time of peace when the noble warrior class of samurai was becoming extinct. It is yet another stellar role for Tatsuya Nakadai, cementing him as one of the greatest samurai actors of all time. There’s just so much that’s right about this film that it doesn’t bear going into other than to say that Harakiri stands along with Sword of Doom and Seven Samurai as essential, must-see samurai film recommendations.

Lone Wolf And Cub TV Series

	Rating: 4 out of 5 Original Title: Kozure ôkami Release Date: 1973 Netflix Link IMDb Link

The Lone Wolf And Cub TV Series has one thing going for it over the Lone Wolf And Cub films; there’s more of it. There are episodes of the TV show that aren’t covered in the films and it follows the original manga more closely. Initially, I thought there was absolutely no way that Kinnosuke Nakamura could top Tomisaburo Wakayama from the films, but after a few episodes, I fully accepted Nakamura as our noble antihero and have even come to enjoy him as Ogami Itto. While the films are faster-paced and have more plentiful (and believable) action sequences than the TV show, it is still nearly as good. If you are new to Lone Wolf and Cub, I would recommend watching the films first. But, if you are on a Lone Wolf and Cub kick and the Shintaro Katsu films just aren’t enough to sate you, the TV show is every bit as worth watching as the films.

Shogun’s Samurai

	Rating: 4 out of 5 Original Title: Yagyû ichizoku no inbô Release Date: 1978 Director: Kinji Fukasaku Netflix Link IMDb Link

Shogun’s Samurai is not the best historical drama out there. In fact, Toei rarely produced the best of anything, but that’s fine. Toei films have their place. Shogun’s Samurai, a.k.a. Yagyu Clan Conspiracy, is an historical epic set in 17th century Japan full of intrigue, double-crosses and a whole bunch of morally-gray characters. It is as entertaining a film as you will find in the chanbara (samurai action) genre. With a spectacular, star-studded supporting cast including Sonny Chiba, Toshiro Mifune, Yoshio Harada and Etsuko Shihomi, and directed by none other than Kinji Fukasaku, you can’t do much better. The ethical incertitude of the story and its characters leaves you unsure as to whom to root for. The only certainty is that Chiba takes his comparatively small part in this film and runs with it. If it weren’t for his brooding, tough guy character making an appearance now and then, Shogun’s Samurai wouldn’t be half as enjoyable. For another movie where Chiba plays Jubei Yagyu, also directed by Fukasaku, watch Makai Tensho: Samurai Reincarnation.

Sabu

	Rating: 4 out of 5 Release Date: 2002 Director: Takashi Miike Netflix Link IMDb Link

Just when you think you have Miike all figured out, you watch something like Sabu; a straight-forward and conventional historical drama about friendship. There is nothing shocking or disturbing about this film in the traditional Miike sense. There is hardly any gushing blood and very little violence. In a subdued and deft manner, Sabu explores the themes of honor and loyalty through the trials and tribulations of two life-long friends. Though not a samurai film per se, Sabu actually reminds me a bit of Yoji Yamada’s samurai trilogy with its unique view of the Japanese caste system. If you like Sabu, I’d also recommend The Twilight Samurai, The Hidden Blade and Love and Honor.