Japanese Cinema
Japanese cinema flourished early on and silent films were being made right through the 1930s. Most were accompanied by a 'benshi' or live narrator telling the story as well as live music. Very little survives from this era however; the 1923 earthquake, the bombings of WW2 and the country's high humidity destroyed many of these historical works. Of those that survive, the early works of Kenji Mizoguchi are highly regarded and he went on to make the classic 'The Life of Oharu' in 1952. Of course no discussion on Japanese cinema is possible without mention of their best known son, Akira Kurosawa. With a career spanning 60 years Kurosawa's ground-breaking films (e.g. 'Seven Samurai', 'Kagemusha', 'Ran') influenced film makers around the world. Most recently Japanese cinema hero 'Beat' Takeshi Kitano revitalised the Yakuza genre; and young mavericks like Takashi Miike ('Audition', 'Ichi the Killer) and Hideo Nakata ('Ring', 'Dark Water') have breathed new life into the horror flick, their films often (and promptly!) remade by US production houses.
For Japanime, use the animation link to the left.
Pictured: Kurosawa teamed once more with the incomparable Toshiro Mifune for 'Seven Samurai'
The Garden of Words (2013)
7.6/10
Director: Makoto Shinkai
When Takao, a young high school student who dreams of becoming a shoe designer, decides to skip school one day in favour of sketching in a rainy garde... Read more
The Great Yokai War (2005)
6.5/10
Director: Takashi Miike
Starring: Chiaki Kuriyama, Hiroyuki Miyasako, Ryunosuke Kamiki, Bunta Sugawara, Kaho Minam...
An extravagant fun-filled fantasy the whole family can enjoy from the prolific and versatile Japanese director, Takashi Miike. Embracing and re-inter... Read more
The Grudge (2002)
6.7/10
Director: Takashi Shimizu
Starring: Megumi Okina, Misaki Ito, Misa Uehara, Yui Ichikawa
Aka 'Ju-on'. Japanese legend has it that a man who dies in a fit of rage leaves behind a malevolent presence that nests in his home; a contaminant tha... Read more
The Grudge 2 (2003)
6.4/10
Director: Takashi Shimizu
Starring: Noriko Sakai, Chiharu Niyama, Kei Horie, Yui Ichikawa
A Tokyo house has been the site of many strange disappearances. Kyoko is a horror film actress who is invited by a film crew to investigate the 'haunt... Read more
The Hidden Fortress (1958)
8.1/10
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Misa Uehara, Minoru Chiaki
Kurosawa takes the conventional Japanese period film and combines it with fairytale elements, the result is an energetic and brilliant farce. Toshiro... Read more
The Idiot (1951)
7.4/10
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Starring: Masayuki Mori, Toshiro Mifune, Setsuko Hara, Yoshiko Kuga, Takashi Shimura
Based on Dostoyevsky's classic novel of love and murder, adapted by Kurosawa himself, the story tells of Kameda, a former soldier whose wartime experi... Read more
The Killing Machine (1975)
5.2/10
Director: Norifumi Suzuki
Starring: Sonny Chiba, Yutaka Nakajima, Kei Sato, Etsuko Shihomi
Following the end of World War II, former Japanese soldier and Shaolin martial arts master Doshin (Sonny Chiba) returns to Osaka after working as a sp... Read more
The Life of Oharu (1952)
8.2/10
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi
Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Kinuyo Tanaka, Ichiro Sugai
A poignant, exquisitely filmed portrait of a woman in feudal Japan who, after disgracing the honor of her samurai father, is sold into prostitution. "... Read more
The Lower Depths (1957)
7.5/10
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Isuzu Yamada, Ganjiro Nakamada
Adapted from a play by Maxim Gorky and following the adventures of a boarding home's odd residents, especially the love triangle that develops between... Read more
The Loyal 47 Ronin (1941)
7.3/10
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi
Starring: Yoshizaburo Arashi, Utaemon Ichikawa
A timeless tale of honor and revenge, told in two parts by master director Kenji Mizoguchi. 'The Loyal 47 Ronin' tells the true story of a loyal group... Read more