Japanese Cinema Thread

[imperiouskitten]

I've long been a Kurosawa fangirl, and recently got around to finally watching all his films. Some of the best moviemaking of all time of course, but it also gave me a taste for pulpier samurai movies. To my surprise, the quality of these B-films on average seems to be pretty super! A little more selfserious than the Chinese kungfu genre, with higher production value. And let's face it, we like Japan better and the hidden commie messaging is much rarer.

So anyway, who knows good Jap movies, particularly jidaigeki? Do they still make 'em? Everything I find seems to be 60s-80s.

Here's the ones I vouch

• Shinsengumi (1969) - very sympathetic portrayal of fascist Japanese reactionaries at the end of the samurai era's arrival - REVERE THE EMPEROR, EXPEL THE BARBARIAN
  
• The Sword of Doom (1966) - portrayal of the same era and historical figures as Shinsengumi. Excellent, well structured film with one of the most avant garde endings I've ever seen where the expected narrative devolves into endless waves of brutal violence. Telling u that because it was baffling, but in retrospect amazing.
  
• Harakiri (1962) - really really well-made revenge film you could confuse for a kurosawa. SUPER good, must be a primary influence for kill bill, tear jerks and stuns with excellent action.
  
• miyamoto musashi the ultimate samurai - 5-part film series from 1970s or something, super goofy first installment, starring a gorgeous femme twink as our famed bald eczemic protagonist, very nice. Actually it sucks but I loved it anyway. There's a Toshiro Mifune 3-part Musashi series I assume's better.
  
• The Tale of Zatoichi - 26-part(!) film series about a blind masseur monk who knows sword tricks. More "realistic" than you'd expect, it's not a superhero movie. A little homoerotic at times!

Watch them with your waifu, make sure you pat her head when a japanese girl does something cute.

all the kurosawas are gr8 but The Hidden Fortress (1958) is probably the best samurai movie ever, possibly the greatest action movie ever. Lots of horse stunts that make you sit up straight. SO good. Inferiorily cloned by star wars. Other favorites are Rashomon (1950), Kagemusha (1980), Ran (1985) [acid trip serious movie].
I've got a dozen more in my library for watching but watchu got? What's the best, weirdest, most fun?

[strongNpretty]

Dang u dropped a hard "J" in there....

[solleks]

Toyota suzuki honda kawasaki fuck ya

[Tunabros]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobody_Knows_(2004_film)

[Tunabros]

harakiri is an amazing film

[imperiouskitten]

Downloaded Nobody Knows, thank you. [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Watched The Life of Oharu (1952) last night. Excellent film. About a very beautiful and virtuous sengoku-era courtesan who falls into misfortune and becomes a streetwalker. Her story is told from that position in time.

For falling in love with Toshiro Mifune's character, a lowborn retainer, she is exiled from her post at the imperial palace and her lover loses his head. Despite her nobility and exceptional past, she has trouble finding her way.

Her beauty, virtue which none will believe, and past as a courtesan make her a target for the unkindness of men and women all indulging their sexual fantasies and little petty-tyrannies, never believing that a beautiful woman could suffer truly in the world. Possessing great beauty, she finds no kindness among women, with even priestesses consumed with suspicion, devolving into sobbing jealousy. Men treat her ill in their own way. She makes her way, looking always for true and virtuous love, deeper into ruin until her grandest betrayal.

It's a really excellent take on genuine femininity, what I would call a feminist film if I didn't think such a designation poisonous. Everyone should watch it, especially those who can't find kindness in them for exceptional feminine souls. (!)

[alexdoofaz]

Ichi the Killer is a cool movie.

[Tunabros]

Originally Posted by alexdoofaz [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Ichi the Killer is a cool movie.

that movie was so fucked up man


one of my friends forced me to watch with him

and shit! it was grusome

[DoodyLich666]

Onibaba and The Sword of Doom definitely rank among my favorite films. Japanese cinema in the 60s really produced some gems.

[imperiouskitten]

Onibaba is in my library to watch! I'll watch it tonight [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.] Sword of Doom is goodtaste I think