Hi-

I may be teaching a summer class on Samurai films and I am wondering which of the Criterion Collection films would be the most interesting/easy-to-follow/exciting/appropriate for students from the ages of 13-18. I have most of them and have seen some (Seven Samurai, Yojimbo) but there a bunch I have that I haven't previewed yet. Thanks for the advice in advance!!

Seven Samurai is still the standard. Sword of Doom is also a real treat...

You may also want to check out some animeigo's samurai titles (though many are probably to brutal for that age group)

Kihachi Okamoto's KILL! is a bit lighter than the Kurosawa films, so it might go over better for teen viewers. It's also based on the same novel that Kurosawa's SANJURO used as a source. I would second SWORD OF DOOM and also recommend Masaki Kobayashi's other great pairing of Toshiro Mifune and Tatsuya Nakadai, SAMURAI REBELLION. Another Kobayashi film, HARAKIRI, is probably my favorite samurai film but it has a fairly slow pace and may be a tough sell. The same goes for two great Yoji Yamada films, TWILIGHT SAMURAI and THE HIDDEN BLADE. They each have a couple of action set pieces, but they are mostly character dramas.

Ugetsu monogatari directed by Mizoguchi.

Sword of Doom, all the way.

Thanks guys! I won't know if the class is going to run until June but it's better to be prepared. I saw and liked TWILIGHT SAMURAI a lot. I have most of those other CC Samurai films you mentioned. So the Musashi Trilogy isn't the way to go, eh?

Billz beat me to it, but I would also recommend Kill! and Sanjuro as a double bill.

Sword of Doom is one of the underrated gems in the collection.


I do not think a younger audience would like the Musashi Miyamoto trilogy. I also would not recommend the trilogy because the transfers are three of the worst in the Criterion Collection.

Samurai Rebellion is an excellent film but I think it would bore your teens to tears. Yojimbo is a much better bet.

Why are you limiting yourself to one company (Criterion)?

i guess the limit is mainly because I have all of those already. I only really need to pick 3 or 4.

Add a vote for Yojimbo.

It does have a slow pace, but some of the kids might really dig the flashback structure.

Hidden Fortress could be interesting as it was somewhat the inspiration for Star Wars.

Show them the Lone Wolf & Cub films. They'll LOVE 'em!

I cast my vote for Sword of Doom - awesome stuff

billz nailed Twilight Samurai right up. I second that motion whole heartedly. Also ..

Shogun's Samurai (Adness) - Chiba classic
Incident at Blood Pass (AnimEgo)
Samurai Assassin (AnimEgo) - supposedly based on a true account.
Kagemusha (can't believe no one mentioned this Criterion gem yet) - though this film is somewhat tough to follow.
..any of the Zatoichi (Kino, I believe) films

Hanzo the Razor!!! - OK, maybe not .. at least anyone under 18. But the series does pose some rather interesting ethical and moral questions.

BTW - what's the purpose of the class?

lol i think thats the most important, yet overlooked, question.

Well, I figure a film class dedicated solely on the Samurai genre is an interesting choice. I'm just curious about its intended objective.

Not that I disagree .. at all .. I'm all about Samurai films and have quite a few. And what I simply love about them is that they're not all about the battles - a good percentage are generally quite dynamic films. I'm always trying to convince my girlfriend of this.

The objective is very basic...it's just a one week camp for kids who are interested in learning more about Samuri through the medium of film. I lived in Japan for a time, so we will talk about the culture and I'm just looking for films that will entertain them and encourage them to seek out more about Samurai.

I'm a big fan of When The Last Sword Is Drawn. I'm surprised no one has mentioned it yet. I think it's one of the best samurai movies ever made. And as a recently made film, it may be more interesting to teens.

But I think any introduction to samurai films must start with The Seven Samurai.

From there I would move on to Yojimbo. It's frequently remade and referenced in pop culture. So it should be easier for them to connect with, compared to more obscure samurai films.

Yeah, good one there.

No love in here for Goyokin?