Directors: Akira Kurosawa and the Japanese New Wave
In the history of postwar cinema, few countries figure as prominently as Japan, which rose to international attention through the film-art of Akira Kurosawa. This spotlight features the films that made him famous alongside the films of the Japanese New Wave, for which he paved the way.
Double Suicide
(心中天網島)
Jihei's schemes to buy a courtesan's freedom yield ruinous consequences for his business, family life, and reputation.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1969
- Director Masahiro Shinoda
- Cast Kichiemon Nakamura, Shima Iwashita, Hōsei Komatsu, Yûsuke Takita, Kamatari Fujiwara, Yoshi Katō
- Genre Drama, Romance
- Available on Criterion Channel
Death by Hanging
(絞死刑)
A Korean man is sentenced to death by hanging, but he survives the execution.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1968
- Director Nagisa Ōshima
- Cast Kei Satō, Fumio Watanabe, Toshirô Ishidô, Masao Adachi, Rokkō Toura, Hōsei Komatsu
- Genre Comedy, Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube
Branded to Kill
(殺しの烙印)
A rice-obsessed hit-man botches an assignment and is forced to play a cruel game of kill or be killed.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1967
- Director Seijun Suzuki
- Cast Jō Shishido, Kôji Nanbara, Isao Tamagawa, Annu Mari, Mariko Ogawa, Hiroshi Minami
- Genre Action, Crime
- Available on Criterion Channel, Apple TV, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video
Woman in the Dunes
(砂の女)
An entomologist suffers extreme psychological and sexual torture after being taken captive by the residents of a poor seaside village.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1964
- Director Hiroshi Teshigahara
- Cast Eiji Okada, Kyôko Kishida, Ginzô Sekiguchi, Kôji Mitsui, Sen Yano
- Genre Drama, Thriller
- Available on Criterion Channel, Apple TV, Amazon Video
The Insect Woman
(にっぽん昆虫記)
She lives by instinct with no sense of right or wrong.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1963
- Director Shōhei Imamura
- Cast Emiko Aizawa, Masumi Harukawa, Sachiko Hidari, Emiko Higashi, Daizaburo Hirata, Seizaburō Kawazu
- Genre Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel
Harakiri
(切腹)
The world has never understood why the Japanese prefer death to dishonor. This winner of Prix Special du Jury at Cannes 1963 provides the answer!
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1962
- Director Masaki Kobayashi
- Cast Tatsuya Nakadai, Rentarou Mikuni, Shima Iwashita, Akira Ishihama, Yoshio Inaba
- Genre Action, Drama, History
- Available on Criterion Channel, Apple TV, Amazon Video
Throne of Blood
(蜘蛛巣城)
Akira Kurosawa's resetting of William Shakespeare's "Macbeth" in feudal Japan ranks among his most acclaimed films.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1957
- Director Akira Kurosawa
- Cast Toshirō Mifune, Isuzu Yamada, Akira Kubo, Takashi Shimura, Minoru Chiaki, Hiroshi Tachikawa
- Genre Drama, History
- Available on Criterion Channel, Max Amazon Channel, Max, Apple TV, Amazon Video
Seven Samurai
(七人の侍)
Seven samurai answer a village's request for protection after they lose their masters and fall on hard times.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1954
- Director Akira Kurosawa
- Cast Toshirō Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Yoshio Inaba, Seiji Miyaguchi, Minoru Chiaki, Daisuke Katô
- Genre Action, Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel, Max Amazon Channel, Max, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube
Ikiru
(生きる)
Mr. Watanabe tries to find a meaningful human connection after he is diagnosed with terminal cancer.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1952
- Director Akira Kurosawa
- Cast Takashi Shimura, Haruo Tanaka, Nobuo Kaneko, Bokuzen Hidari, Miki Odagiri, Shinichi Himori
- Genre Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel, Max Amazon Channel, Max, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, Kanopy
Rashomon
(羅生門)
A singular crime from four different perspectives.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1950
- Director Akira Kurosawa
- Cast Toshirō Mifune, Machiko Kyō, Takashi Shimura, Masayuki Mori, Minoru Chiaki, Kichijirô Ueda
- Genre Crime, Drama, Mystery
- Available on Criterion Channel, Max Amazon Channel, Max, Apple TV, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Tubi TV, Kanopy, Plex, Plex Channel
Stray Dog
(野良犬)
During a sweltering summer, a rookie detective searches Tokyo’s streets for his stolen Colt pistol.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1949
- Director Akira Kurosawa
- Cast Toshirō Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Keiko Awaji, Eiko Miyoshi, Noriko Sengoku, Noriko Honma
- Genre Crime, Drama, Thriller
- Available on fuboTV, Criterion Channel, Crackle, Tubi TV, Plex, Plex Channel
Drunken Angel
(酔いどれ天使)
A doctor and a gangster make the most unlikely of friendships.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1948
- Director Akira Kurosawa
- Cast Takashi Shimura, Toshirō Mifune, Reizaburô Yamamoto, Michiyo Kogure, Chieko Nakakita, Noriko Sengoku
- Genre Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel, Plex, Plex Channel