Recommendations for Kurosawa Films

[HedorahIsBestGirl]

I've got a confession to make: I've seen very few films by Akira Kurosawa. In fact, the only one I've watched in full as an adult is Rashomon. I know we usually like to talk kaiju on TK but seeing as Kurosawa directed quite a few films for Toho, I thought this would be a good place to ask for recommendations. I've wanted to watch more Kurosawa films for years and now that I have a HBO Max subscription again, that's finally a possibility. So come on film buffs, where should I start?

[StardustGenius]

Yojimbo of course!

[Lecontinentperdu]

Anywhere! Any Kurosawa is worth it

[MogeGoji1994]

The easy place to start for Kurosawa, in my opinion, is Hidden Fortress, Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, and Sanjuro

[JAGzilla]

Seven Samurai is, as I understand it, widely considered a contender for the best film ever made, so. I liked it. Gonna need to rewatch it someday.

Yojimbo was a freaking joy. Just a very funny, entertaining movie full of quirky characters.

And that's all I've seen. >_> I'll benefit from this thread, too.

[LSD Jellyfish]

I might get a lot of flak for this, as it’s a very different film from the rest of his catalog, but Dreams. It’s not like his other films; it’s an anthology of 9 short films with different themes and genres. It showcases a lot of imagination and horror.

If you want a jidaigeki film, go with Kagemusha. Imo it’s the best with a really high production team, and just epic on all accounts. Kurosawa has this weird reputation for all his films being in black and white…but he shot a lot of stuff in color too and it progressively gets better…

[Major sssspielberg!]

Literally came in here to recommend Dreams. Such an experience.

Something that's indictive of Kursosawa's strengths without samurai is also of course Ikiru, if you're in the mood for something sweet and sad.

[Spuro]

Yojimbo of course!

This is my recommendation too.

Yojimbo is a short and sweet entry compared to Kurosawa's other three hour epics like Seven Samurai, Kagemusha, or Red Beard. It's got a focus on adventure and action that makes it palatable to newcomers that might not enjoy Kurosawa's slower movies. It doesn't contain horribly outdated social politics like Rashomon, nor does it have grim, depressing themes like Ran or Ikiru.

Yojimbo is the perfect gateway movie for Kurosawa. And it has a sequel!

And if you like Masaru Sato's music, he's here too, and at he's his A-game.

[StreamOfKaijuness]

Yojimbo (1961) was the first Akira Kurosawa film that I ever saw and it is terrific. It has been remade twice, as A Fistful of Dollars (1964) and Last Man Standing (1993), so you might already know the story if you've seen either of those but Yojimbo is still a great introduction to Kurosawa's films. Sanjuro (1962) is the sequel.

Throne of Blood (1957) is another really good one. It's Kurosawa's adaptation of William Shakespeare's Macbeth as a jidaigeki film.

All three of these films star Toshiro Mifune with supporting casts filled with familiar faces to Godzilla fans including Takashi Shimura, Akihiko Hirata, Yoshio Tsuchiya, Akira Kubo, Yu Fujiki, Yosuke Natsuki, Sachio Sakai and Minoru Chiaki.

[HedorahIsBestGirl]

What do you guys think of High and Low? The premise interests me a lot.

[shadowgigan]

What do you guys think of High and Low? The premise interests me a lot.

I was just coming to suggest this. Arguably Kurosawa's most accessible film to Western audiences, IMO. Really great film.

[Spuro]

What do you guys think of High and Low? The premise interests me a lot.

Police procedurals aren't usually my thing, but High and Low was still a very good film despite that. It wouldn't be my film of choice to recommend to a newcomer, but who am I to say what your tastes are? If it interests you, go for it!

[HedorahIsBestGirl]

I watched Seven Samurai in full last night and I have to say, it's impressive when a film actually lives up to the hype. I'd previously seen several scenes from the film but that's not the same as watching the whole epic start to finish. I was already aware that this was one of the most influential films in history but watching it, I was astonished how many times I've seen it referenced, homaged and blatantly ripped off in other movies and TV shows. Hell, Star Wars shows have adapted its premise at least twice.

Also, I already knew Takashi Shimura was a great actor but damn... really want to watch Ikiru now. I'll probably watch that one and Yojimbo next.

[LegendZilla]

So far, I have seen Seven Samurai, Hidden Fortress, Yojimbo, Sanjuro and Rashomon.

[MaxRebo320]

All of these suggestions are good picks if you're looking for a "gateway". Yojimbo was my first, and is indeed a great choice.

That said, I humbly advised anyone here looking to expand their Japanese cinema palettes to look well beyond just Kurosawa (as I've seen so many wannabe cinephiles do). I feel Kurosawa (and maybe Ozu for the slightly more seasoned) gets a ton of recognition in the West, almost always at the expense of other Japanese filmmakers. While Kurosawa is a fine jumping-on point to the world of broader Japanese cinema, please don't overlook other fine filmmakers.

[StardustGenius]

Yeah don't forget about Kinji Fukasasu. What a trashy and entertaining list of movies he has.

[LegendZilla]

While Kurosawa is a fine jumping-on point to the world of broader Japanese cinema, please don't overlook other fine filmmakers.

Like Senkichi Takiguchi.

[G-Matt]

What do you guys think of High and Low? The premise interests me a lot.

High and Low is my personal favorite Kurosawa movie. It's a very well structured crime drama, with the latter half serving as a bit of a precursor to things like CSI.

Outside of the jidaigeki entries like Seven Samurai and Yojimbo, I also highly recommend his very last movie, Madadayo. Overall, it's a pretty simple drama, but so enjoyable and effective.