MOVIES - The Seven Samurai

[PaulB]

Since you guys like westerns so much, you just have to try some classic Samurai movies. You are in for a treat if you haven't watched one yet.

Kurosawa is the main director, and the primary actor in these is Toshiro Mifune.

The Seven Samurai (The Magnificent Seven was based on this movie.)

Yohimbo (A Fistful of Dollars was based on it.)

Sanjuro

Musashi Miyamoto - perhaps the most famous character in Japanese history. A trilogy.

There are lots of others here: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001536/ but these are the ones I can easily remember.

[Old Ironsights]

Since you guys like westerns so much, you just have to try some classic Samurai movies. You are in for a treat if you haven't watched one yet.

Kurosawa is the main director, and the primary actor in these is Toshiro Mifune.

The Seven Samurai (The Magnificent Seven was based on this movie.)

Yohimbo (A Fistful of Dollars was based on it.)

Sanjuro

There are lots of others here: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001536/ but these are the 3 I can easily remember.

I have all 3.

In fact, if you want to REALLY blow your mind, watch Yojimbo, then Fist Full of Dollars, then "Last Man Standing" back to back.

"Ran" is Kurosawa's take on King Lear, and Lucas has been said to have used Hidden Fortress as a key influence.

Rashamon is good too.

I also have most of the Zatoichi series...

Mmmmm Samurai films....

Interesting tidbits: G.Lucas considered Toshiro Mifune for the role of ObiWan...

During the course of his prolific career, including repeat roles as three of the most noted figures in Japanese history. He portrayed Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto in three separate films, has played both the real life version of the indomitable warlord Tokugawa Ieyasu in Kabuto (1991) and his fictionalized counterpart Toranaga in "Shogun" (1980), and has performed the role of the legendary master swordsman Miyamoto Musashi four times.

His performance as Sanjuro Kuwabatake in Yojimbo (1961) is ranked #78 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).

[Old Ironsights]

FWIW, Japan's "Citizen Kane" (in timbre, film style, etc) is called Muhomatsu no issho - "The Rickshaw Man" (1960 US title) and stars, who else, Toshiro Mifune.

One of those interesting films that you don't find out is a chick flick until the surprise ending.

My favorite bit is his reintroducing the "old ways" and old taiko rhythms that the "moderns" have forgotten.

[nemhed]

I'm also into Kurosawa, glad to there are some fans here! What I think is wild is that John Ford had a large influence on his style, while later westerns were influenced by and down right copies of Kurosawa's work. And then Hidden Fortress being the inspiration for Star Wars, wow! Cool stuff in my book.

[Tristan]

Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune are one of the great teams in film.

"The Magnificent Seven" was an adaptation of the Kurosawa film "Seven Samurai"

I've seen most of the ones listed on this thread by Kurosawa, and they are outstanding.

If you haven't seen them, you're in for a treat (unless you can't stand subtitles!)

- Tristan

[GANJIRO]

Never heard of them...

[cas]

Speaking of Kurosawa and Lucas, while I can't prove it, I swear Lucas got his idea for the "Ewoks" from watching Dersu Uzala. (one of my favorite Kurosawa films)