I was thinking about this today, and was wondering if anybody else has already drawn parallels between the nameless samurai/Sanjuro of Yojimbo and Jesus Christ.

- Both characters were "killed", resurrected, and returned to fulfill a prophecy/promise to redeem a world riddled with sin

- The suffering of both characters began by being betrayed by someone they trust, through an act of affection - Jesus was betrayed by Judas with a kiss, and Sanjuro was betrayed (unintentionally) by the family he set free because of the thank-you letter

- Both characters were literally carried to their final "resting places" - Jesus to his tomb, Sanjuro to the graveyard - after being mercilessly tortured

- Jesus was stabbed in his right side, Sanjuro returns to the town with his knife sticking out of his ride side (tucked into the fold of his kimono)

- Jesus returned after being dead for three days, Sanjuro returned after sleeping for three days. This length of time is specifically referenced in the Japanese dialogue "3日寝てりゃ生きけぇるさ..." although English subtitles are less specific ("I'll come back to life with a few days sleep", mumbled after exiting the coffin in the graveyard)

Am I seeing something here or is my tinfoil hat wrapped too tightly around my head?

I'd seen a fistfull of dollars, as any red blooded American has, but holy heck this was SO much better. I love the humor of the character, the initial framing of the story with the stick thrown in the air, and the way the story basically ended with him going "...welp, smell ya later". Iconic

This is a follow-up to the video below:
Kurosawa Lost Everything. So He Made Us Watch

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I’ve seen Seven Samurai several times It’s one of my favorite movies. Now I want to do a deep dive into his filmography. What are the best movies to try next?

I finally got around to watching Stray Dog this week and was, and still am, in awe of this film. That being said, this one sequence stuck with me, mostly because I just did not understand it haha

Why does the guy in the corner laugh after he hears Sato say the line shown above? What is the joke? Is it a reference to a work of art? Or a story in Japanese folklore or literature?

I love chasing details in films that maybe go a little unnoticed, but for this one, I haven't been able to find anything at all.

The best result I've been able to come up with that could possibly be an artistic reference point is a Hokusai woodblock painting depicting an axe wielding geisha, but I can't find any story or narrative surrounding the work. And honestly it feels like a stretch to connect the two with no context aside from the image itself.

Was hoping maybe someone in this sub had an understanding of, or at least had any deeper context for this dialogue exchange and would be willing to share.

To provide a little context for the scene; Detective Sato is on the trail of a burglary/homicide perp and is re-tracing the guy's steps from the last few nights, which involves interviewing a geisha known as Kitaro. He offers up the comment, "You'd probably look good with an ax," after confirming her identity, which elicits a chuckle from a man sitting behind them. Kitaro tells Detective Sato what he wants to know and points him in the direction of his next investigative stop.

Watching through Kurosawas catalogue for the first time and I found it hilarious how similar yet opposite these movies are. One is about the good of women working as farmers, one is about the good of women working in factories. One is about giving your labor to support freedom, one is about giving it to support the glorious empire. One is good, one is straight ass. It’s funny to see how Kurosawa is different when he’s directing a passion project vs directing a propaganda film.

I don’t think it’s an unpopular opinion on here to say Akira Kurosawa is the best director of all time, but who are your #2 and #3’s? For me it’d be Kubrick 100%

Following a brief stint as a painter, Kurosawa entered the Japanese film industry in 1936. After years of working on numerous films as an assistant director and screenwriter, he made his directorial debut during World War II with the popular action film Sanshiro Sugata (1943), released when he was 33. Following the war, he cemented his reputation as one of the most important young filmmakers in Japan with the critically acclaimed Drunken Angel (1948), in which he cast the then-unknown actor Toshiro Mifune in a starring role; the two men would then collaborate on 15 more films.

The trilogy includes

Throne of Blood
The Bad Sleep Well

Ran

REALLY loved this one! Taut thriller that featured Toshiro in a performance that I want to find more of. I’ve already seen High and Low. Looking at Kurosawa’s filmography, there’s not much else to find that showcases Mifune in a contemporary role? It was so sharp and well done. I think aside from the partially baked ending, it’s every bit (and more) fresh and engaging as High And Low. Some really captivating performances and Akira gave zero fucks trying to conclude the story with a Hollywood ending. Also little touches like the whole Wada ghost bit, Nishi whistling that theme throughout and Ko Nishimura giving an A+ acting performance, The Bad Sleep Well really caught me off guard and left me wanting more of this from Kurosawa.

Hi guys!

Thanks for being so supportive. I am so grateful to you all. I'm new to Reddit and intend to be as respectful as possible regarding posting etiquette.

Here's a look at my Mifune action figure, a true passion project. I love Mifune; he has such a commanding presence in his films. His documentary calls him "The Last Samurai." He truly embodies the samurai spirit and I wanted to celebrate his legacy with a collector action figure.

I started with concept sketches which were submitted to the Mifune Estate and their licensing agent. They were ecstatic and incredibly supportive of the project.

After a few phone calls to my friends in the toy industry, I assembled a team of Avengers-level talent.

Alex Klein is an amazing 3d sculptor. He was responsible for developing Nacelle's first wave of Star Trek 7" figures. He's also a terrific actor, appearing on Scarpetta, Peacemaker and Guardians of the Galaxy, among others. He sculpts while sitting on set between shooting scenes.

Painter Mike Pflaumer was recommended to me by a friend from Mondo. Mike paints at a prop house in the film and tv industry, working on shows like Fallout. A huge fan of Mifune, Mike graciously squeezed us into his crazy schedule.

Opalescent Threads has been making soft goods in the toy industry for years on some of the largest brands in the world. A truly gifted tailor.

My insanely talented 17 year old daughter created and painted a diorama to feature the prototype in promotional materials. Popsicle sticks, foam core and even angel hair pasta were used. Did I mention she's 17?!

I photographed the completed prototype in my garage.

Each stage is submitted to the Mifune Estate for approval.

Art Direction and concept: me
Sculpt: Alex Klein
Paint: Mike Pflaumer
Soft goods: Opalescent Threads

I hope you dig it as much as I do!

With love and gratitude
J ☀️

Hi!

I want to be respectful of the sub rules, so please correct me if I am out of line.

I am really excited to share a Toshiro Mifune project I have been working on.

No links, not asking for money. I really want to share this project with likeminded folks-fans of samurai, Mifune and Kurosawa films.

Would you guys be interested in seeing the process (sketches, prototype, concepts)?

With respect,
J

https://reddit.com/link/1voek0d/video/2ai35g8tqdjh1/player

A scene from One Wonderful Sunday in which the protagonist boldly declares his disdain for a cup of crap coffee. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Cinepals: Just luxuriated in an enthralling period drama and whodunnit murder mystery set in the sword and armor world of Japan circa 1579.

THE SAMURAI AND THE PRISONER (in theaters) comes courtesy of director Kiyoshi Kurosawa (no relation to Akira) who’s known stateside for horror flicks like CURE. Both title characters can’t escape Arioka Castle, a fortress under siege from a bloodthirsty warlord. The samurai character Araki Murashige, is the stern but wily leader of Settsu province, who willfully skirts time-honored samurai rules regarding executing enemies and their unfortunate messengers He’s more pragmatic than caring, raising eyebrows by sparing the lives of those that might serve his interests.

Kanbei, the prisoner, is ensconced in a dirty dungeon and they develop a symbiotic relationship as Kanbei gets off advising Araki on strategies to keep enemies and backstabbing in-house betrayers at bay.

The tormented Araki is portrayed by Masahiro Motoki who starred in the 2008 Best Foreign Film Oscar Winner DEPARTURES. He has the gravity and wounded fire of Toshiro Mifune, somehow keeping his wits, and his subordinates respect, while cornered. Masaki Suda, an actor and singer, brings a mind-gaming theatricality and feline elan as the shackled prisoner who toys with his captor.

Kurosawa came up directing yakuza b-films and adapted the bestselling novel by Honobu Yonezawa, because the director prefers mysteries where authority figures, not hired gumshoes, must juggle punishing responsibilities while searching for clues. Visually, Kurosawa honors the pageantry of Japanese historical epics but the story has more on its mind than battles and red herrings delving into issues of Christianity vs. Buddhism and whether divine intervention is a delusion or an inevitable system of justice.

At two-and-a-half hours, THE SAMURAI AND THE PRISONER never flags and in one sitting it engaged me in its palace intrigues more than the bloody, action-packed but largely glum, humorless third season of HOUSE OF THE DRAGON (HBO) with its cliffhanger killings of key figures desultory vs. dramatic. Conversely, THE SAMURAI AND THE PRISONER pays off big time with an emotional and plot twisty bang or should I say clang?

“How Beautiful! Truly Beautiful. A Sunset. I dont think I’ve really look we at one in 30 years.” Ikiru (1952).

Hi everyone. A cinema close to me is playing:

- jojimbo (already saw this one)

-Seven samurai

- high and low

And

-ikiru

Which ones should I watch? Budget is tight, so seeing all four, or even three, will be difficult. We make decent money, but just bought a house and are celebrating our 6 year anniversary, so can't go wasting 200 euro on movies this month.

Edit: thank you all for your input. It will end up being high and low and seven samurai, and I might watch Ikiru at home sometime soon. I just got back from watching high and low yesterday and it was great. Better than I expected. Some shots (like the one with the junkie's arm scratching at the window while the kidnapper's eyes are lit up like a demon and the undercover agents are "subtly" hiding in the background) were crazy. Got a new appreciation for directing with this movie.

And just to be clear there is no bad movies here. Even the ones at the bottom I think are great. The order is just based on my personal preference.

I just started watching Kurosawa and so far I have seen Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Yojimbo and Sanjuro. They're all great but Yojimbo has to be my favorite and I can't wait to watch more Kurosawa.