Chanbara!--Samurai action films!Like this list

15 items

• Seven samurai

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  Considered one of the greatest films of all time. Seven Samurai is the classic tale of seven wandering warriors coming to aid a poor, oppressed farming village from a gang of bandits. One of many classic pairings of legendary director Akira Kurosawa…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Lone Wolf and Cub. Baby cart to Hades

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  Based on the acclaimed manga series by Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima. A disgraced swordsman and his infant son undertake a bloody path of vengeance against those who dishonoured their name.

• Yojimbo

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  Kurosawa's classic tale, inspired by American westerns and film noir. A wandering swordsman comes to town, finding two competing crime lords have set up shop. By playing them against each other, he brings them into bloody conflict. The direct…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Lady Snowblood

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  A young woman uses all her talents to avenge the horrible crimes committed against her family. A major inspiration for Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill" films.

• Incident at Blood Pass

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• Samurai assassin

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• Samurai rebellion

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  A petty lord's most skilled swordsman rebels when his master dishonours his family. Starring Toshiro Mifune.

• The hidden fortress

  Kakushi-toride no san-akunin

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  After a battle between two clans, two bumbling peasants are unwittingly drafted by the princess-heir of the losing side to smuggle her family's hidden treasure away to safety. A major influence on George Lucas' first Star Wars film.

• Ran

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  The last film epic by legendary Japanese director, Akira Kurosawa. Ran adapts King Lear and the similar Japanese legend of the feudal lord Mori Motonari to the chanbara genre.

• The loyal 47 ronin

  Chushingura

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  This 1958 film is one of dozens of adaptations of the tale of the forty-seven ronin, the actual (but heavily romanticized) story of the loyal retainers of a lord maneuvered by a rival into committing ritual suicide. Rather than immediately join him…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• 47 ronin

  Shijūshichinin no shikaku

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  A 1994 adaptation of the legend of the 47 Ronin.

• Throne of blood

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  Legendary director Akira Kurosawa loosely adapts Shakespeare's MacBeth to the chanbara genre. Starring Toshiro Mifune.

• Musashi Miyamoto

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  The first film in Hiroshi Inagaki's Samurai trilogy, based on the novel Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa, about the famous swordsman and author of The Book of Five Rings. Starring Toshiro Mifune.

• Duel at Ichijoji Temple

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  The second film in Inagaki's Samurai trilogy about the famous swordsman, Miyamoto Musashi. Starring Toshiro Mifune as Musashi.

• Duel at Ganryu Island

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  The final film in Inagaki's Samurai trilogy, starring Toshiro Mifune as the famous swordsman, Miyamoto Musashi.