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
Sanjuro (1962)
8.2/10
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Starring: Tatsuya Nakadai, Toshiro Mifune, Yuzo Kayama
The hero of Kurosawa's 'Yojimbo' returns to help a group of very earnest, very green, very young samurai get their clan rid of corruption. As in 'Yoji... Read more
Dolls (2002)
7.7/10
Director: Takeshi Kitano
Starring: Miho Kanno, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Tatsuya Mihashi, Kyoko Fukada
Cult director Takeshi Kitano weaves together three visually stunning and deeply touching stories of undying love inspired by traditional Japanese Bunr... Read more
Lone Wolf and Cub 1: Sword of Vengeance (1972)
Director: Kenji Misumi
Starring: Tomisaburo Wakayama
He was Ogami Itto, a man who held himself to the harsh code of Bushido, entrusted by the Shogun with the gravest of responsibilities, that of official... Read more
Blood and Bones (2004)
7.1/10
Director: Yoichi Sai
Starring: Takeshi Kitano, Hirofumi Arai, Tomoko Tabata, Jo Odagiri, Kyoka Suzuki
Japanese icon Takeshi Kitano plays Shunpei Kim, a Korean immigrant who comes to Osaka as a teenager in1920. Working at a fish factory, Kim claws his w... Read more
Ring 0: Birthday (2000)
Director: Norio Tsuruta
Starring: Yukie Nakama, Kumiko Aso, Daisuke Ban, Chinami Furuy, Masami Hashimoto, Kazue Ka...
The first and final part of the Ring cycle, this prequel sheds new light over the chilling tale of an ancient, fatal curse. Finally, the secrets surro... Read more
Battle Royale II: Requiem (2003)
4.7/10
Director: Kinji Fukasaku, Kenta Fukasaku
Starring: Sonny Chiba, Masahiko Tsugawa, Yoshiko Mita, Takeshi Kitano, Aki Maeda
It's three years after the events of the original Battle Royale, and Shuya Nanahara is now an internationally-known terrorist determined to bring down... Read more
Always - Sunset On Third Street (2005)
7.8/10
Director: Takashi Yamazaki
Starring: Maki Horikita, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Shinichi Tsutsumi, Koyuki , Hiroko Yakushimaru...
Beautifully recreating the post-war Tokyo landscape of the 1950s, this ensemble story is based on a popular manga and is an intimate look into the liv... Read more
Summer Wars (2010)
7.5/10
Director: Mamoru Hosoda
Starring: Voice Of, Nanami Sakuraba, Ryunosuke Kamiki
Kenji is your typical teenage misfit. He's good at math, bad with girls, and spends most of his time hanging out in the all-powerful, online community... Read more
Ring 2 (1999)
5.1/10
Director: Hideo Nakata
Starring: Daisuke Ban, Kyoko Fukada, Kenjiro Ishimaru
'Ring 2' picks up the story right where it left off, and has the same unsettling atmosphere combining elements of the supernatural and the technologic... Read more