Paste's 50 Best Samurai Films of All Time
Created by Panunzio.
Favorited 6 times, disliked 0 times, added to 10 watchlists.
What is it about the samurai that captivates Westerners? The armor and swords, the reverent attitude and the reputation for supreme competence in warfare are all pretty impressive, but they don’t get to the heart of it. I believe it might be that at the core of every samurai is the code of bushido, the feudal Japanese equivalent of chivalry, with its one edict above all else: If the time should call for it, protect your lord with your life.
That self-abnegation in service of something greater than oneself is the question at the heart of the works of generation after generation of directors as they revisit the samurai film. And it’s why we’re so excited to present Paste’s list of the 50 Best Samurai Films of All Time.
This is a broad genre, just from a the standpoint of how much history falls within it. The American Western falls more or less within the bounds of the 19th Century, yet samurai films offer centuries of warfare, palace intrigue and a drawn-out end of an era for the history and film buff to chew on. Samurai flicks really have something for everyone. Fans of period pieces will love the intricate set design, costuming and portrayals of towering historical figures in the midst of epic conflict. If operatic drama is more your speed, you can sit back and watch committed actors dine upon lavish scenery. Action junkies get to watch riveting combat with cool-looking swords. And fans of film history in general will delight in tracing the lineage of some of the West’s cinematic touchstones to their forebears in the East, as well as some stellar Eastern adaptations of Western canon.
It is with solemn bushido reverence that I invite you to join us as we dive into 50 films that exemplify this mightiest of genres. We’ve formed this list with a careful eye toward the classic jidaigeki (Age of Civil War period piece) and chambara (swordfighting) films that typify the genre in Japan, but also to some of the weird and subversive outliers that challenge audience expectations or the mythic idea of the samurai code. And because this genre is so deeply steeped in the history of its homeland, we’ve also arranged this list in a loose sort of historical chronological order and added some context that might help clarify the settings of some of the movies.
In the interest of keeping things tight, we’ve excluded anime entries, but for a definitive list that includes some animated samurai action, check out Paste’s 100 Best Anime Films.
Published August 2017
Pssst, want to check out the Paste's 50 Best Samurai Films of All Time list in our new look?
Filter
-
1 new
Tora no o wo fumu otokotachi
1945 — a.k.a. The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail, in 1 top list Check -
2 new
Jigokumon
1953 — a.k.a. Gate of Hell, in 9 top lists Check -
3 new
Rashômon
1950 — a.k.a. Rashomon, in 34 top lists Check -
4 new
Kumonosu-jô
1957 — a.k.a. Throne of Blood, in 16 top lists Check -
5 new
Kakushi-toride no san-akunin
1958 — a.k.a. The Hidden Fortress, in 9 top lists Check -
6 new
Ran
1985, in 25 top lists Check -
7 new
Ten to Chi to
1990 — a.k.a. Heaven and Earth, in 1 top list Check -
8 new
Sake to onna to yari
1960 — a.k.a. The Master Spearman, in 0 top lists Check -
9 new
Kagemusha
1980, in 10 top lists Check -
10 new
Satomi hakken-den
1983 — a.k.a. Legend of Eight Samurai, in 0 top lists Check -
11 new
Seppuku
1962 — a.k.a. Hara-Kiri, in 16 top lists Check -
12 new
Genroku Chûshingura
1941 — a.k.a. The 47 Ronin, in 4 top lists Check -
13 new
Chûshingura
1962 — a.k.a. Chushingura, in 1 top list Check -
14 new
Yôjinbô
1961 — a.k.a. Yojimbo, in 19 top lists Check -
15 new
Tsubaki Sanjûrô
1962 — a.k.a. Sanjuro, in 7 top lists Check -
16 new
Zatôichi monogatari
1962 — a.k.a. The Tale of Zatoichi, in 2 top lists Check -
17 new
Zatôichi to yôjinbô
1970 — a.k.a. Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo, in 2 top lists Check -
18 new
Yukinojô henge
1963 — a.k.a. An Actor's Revenge, in 7 top lists Check -
19 new
Yari no gonza
1986 — a.k.a. Gonza the Spearman, in 0 top lists Check -
20 new
Akahige
1965 — a.k.a. Red Beard, in 10 top lists Check -
21 new
Kozure Ôkami: Ko wo kashi ude kashi tsukamatsuru
1972 — a.k.a. Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance, in 2 top lists Check -
22 new
Kozure Ôkami: Sanzu no kawa no ubaguruma
1972 — a.k.a. Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx, in 3 top lists Check -
23 new
Kozure Ôkami: Shinikazeni mukau ubaguruma
1972 — a.k.a. Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades, in 3 top lists Check -
24 new
Kozure Ôkami: Oya no kokoro ko no kokoro
1972 — a.k.a. Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in Peril, in 2 top lists Check -
25 new
Kozure Ôkami: Meifumadô
1973 — a.k.a. Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in the Land of Demons, in 1 top list Check -
26 new
Kozure Ôkami: Jigoku e ikuzo! Daigorô
1974 — a.k.a. Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell, in 1 top list Check -
27 new
Shogun Assassin
1980, in 2 top lists Check -
28 new
Ame agaru
1999 — a.k.a. After the Rain, in 0 top lists Check -
29 new
Dora-heita
2000 — a.k.a. Alley Cat, in 1 top list Check -
30 new
Samurai
1965 — a.k.a. Samurai Assassin, in 1 top list Check -
31 new
Kiba Ôkaminosuke
1966 — a.k.a. Samurai Wolf I, in 2 top lists Check -
32 new
Goyôkin
1969 — a.k.a. Goyokin, in 3 top lists Check -
33 new
Shichinin no samurai
1954 — a.k.a. Seven Samurai, in 36 top lists Check -
34 new
Zatôichi
2003 — a.k.a. The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi, in 6 top lists Check -
35 new
Jûsan-nin no shikaku
2010 — a.k.a. 13 Assassins, in 1 top list Check -
36 new
Machibuse
1970 — a.k.a. The Ambush: Incident at Blood Pass, in 0 top lists Check -
37 new
Kedamono no ken
1965 — a.k.a. Sword of the Beast, in 2 top lists Check -
38 new
Kiru
1968 — a.k.a. Kill!, in 3 top lists Check -
39 new
Miyamoto Musashi
1954 — a.k.a. Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto, in 5 top lists Check -
40 new
Zoku Miyamoto Musashi: Ichijôji no kettô
1955 — a.k.a. Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple, in 3 top lists Check -
41 new
Miyamoto Musashi kanketsuhen: kettô Ganryûjima
1956 — a.k.a. Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island, in 3 top lists Check -
42 new
Jôi-uchi: Hairyô tsuma shimatsu
1967 — a.k.a. Samurai Rebellion, in 8 top lists Check -
43 new
Sanbiki no samurai
1964 — a.k.a. Three Outlaw Samurai, in 2 top lists Check -
44 new
Kakushi ken oni no tsume
2004 — a.k.a. The Hidden Blade, in 0 top lists Check -
45 new
Aru kengo no shogai
1959 — a.k.a. Samurai Saga, in 1 top list Check -
46 new
SF: Episode One
1998 — a.k.a. Samurai Fiction, in 0 top lists Check -
47 new
Tange Sazen: Hien iaigiri
1966 — a.k.a. The Secret of the Urn, in 1 top list Check -
48 new
Chiyari Fuji
1955 — a.k.a. Bloody Spear at Mount Fuji, in 4 top lists Check -
49 new
Dai-bosatsu tôge
1966 — a.k.a. The Sword of Doom, in 5 top lists Check -
50 new
Daibosatsu tôge
1960 — a.k.a. Satan's Sword, in 1 top list Check
Last updated on Sep 3, 2017; source