Akira Kurosawa Movies: Samurai Films

A hotheaded young man in 1880s Japan learns discipline and humility while apprenticing under a judo master. As he matures, he must prove judo's superiority over traditional martial arts while navigating romance and deadly challenges.

In this sequel to Akira Kurosawa's directorial debut, judo master Sanshiro Sugata faces new challenges as he confronts an American boxer and vengeful karate practitioners. He must balance his martial arts skills with spiritual discipline while navigating the pressures of rival schools and public expectations.

A groundbreaking Japanese film that explores the nature of truth through four conflicting accounts of a violent crime in medieval Japan.

A fugitive lord and his six retainers disguise themselves as monks to bluff their way through a hostile checkpoint in this classic Japanese film.

A masterful epic following seven samurai warriors who are hired by a poor farming village to defend them against marauding bandits. The film chronicles their preparation for battle and the bonds formed between the warriors and villagers as they train together for the inevitable confrontation.

Director Akira Kurosawa transposes Shakespeare's Macbeth to feudal Japan, following samurai warrior Washizu who encounters a prophetic spirit and is driven by his ambitious wife to commit murder for power. This acclaimed adaptation masterfully blends Japanese aesthetics with the timeless themes of ambition and fate.

In feudal Japan, two cowardly peasants stumble upon a mysterious man who leads them to a hidden mountain fortress during a brutal clan war.

A masterful ronin arrives in a small feudal Japanese village torn between two rival gangs and cleverly plays both sides against each other. Akira Kurosawa's influential samurai film showcases a lone warrior's cunning strategy to restore peace through calculated chaos.

In this sequel to Yojimbo, the cynical samurai Sanjuro reluctantly aids a group of naive young warriors in rooting out corruption within their clan. Kurosawa masterfully blends action and comedy as the gruff ronin challenges traditional notions of samurai honor.

A petty thief is recruited to impersonate a powerful feudal warlord in Akira Kurosawa's epic tale of deception and identity. When forced to truly become the leader he's pretending to be, the impostor must navigate the treacherous world of samurai politics and warfare.

Akira Kurosawa's epic adaptation of Shakespeare's King Lear, set in feudal Japan, follows an aging warlord who decides to divide his kingdom among his three sons with devastating consequences.