>
> > Kurasawa aside, if I analysed one of my samurai genre favourites -
> say> 'Baby Carriage at the River Styx'
>
> Any others you recommend? Haven't seen this, would like to know the
> classics.
I'm not the fan boy here I'd like to be - most of my collection is culled from 'cult movies' taped from our multi-language public broadcaster, or seen at dodgy student film nights. But here goes...
We shouldn't count Kurosawa among samurai/chambara genre His is genre spanning, world class cinema that happens to feature samurai, most notably Toshiro Mifune. But let us begin by burning incense at the altar of greatness...
Seven Samurai. Yojimbo. Rashamon. Ran. Hidden Fortress. Kagemusha. Sanjuro. Throne of Blood.
I also love the Lone Wolf and Cub movies, of which the 'fore mentioned 'Baby Cart at the River Styx' is my favourite. Stunningly beautiful, stylish, and deadly. Tomisaburo Wakayama as Ogami is, for my money, even better than Mifune. Slightly chubby, sheer menace, seagull sword style. And that silent, seeming-bodhisattva son of his, Diagoro... brrrrr. The first few, directed by Kenji Misume, are generally acknowledged to be the best, though for sheer bloodletting the final scene of the final film - Lady Snowblood - is unequalled. Its on skis, too. :) There's a good page on the series at
http://mightyblowhole.com/lonewolf/reviews.htm
Others? The Mifune 'Samurai' series. Sword of Doom. Chushingura & 47 Ronin (different movies, same story). Kwaidon (not really samurai genre - but the first movie I ever taped. Sort of samurai Noh horror.)
I also very much enjoyed the anime series on sale here as 'Samurai X'. More Meiji Rebellion.
It does make me wonder what the Japanese value as the greats. TI, any suggestions?
John
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