10 samurai films to follow in the Shogun mood

Shogun: The Glorious Saga of Japan came to an end after delivering an epic plot around a period of change in Japan. more than showing the rise of this new leader, the Disney+ and Star+ series showed the events of the country’s period of strong political-economic isolation and rigid internal control. And, more than bringing this rich aspect of Japanese history — even though it is shrouded in a lot of fiction —, the plot also rekindled the West’s interest in samurai, such important figures in Japanese history.

And there is no shortage of films that address the Shogunate period and its different facets. The period when powerful warlords ruled Japan was always a very fertile ground for cinema, whether in the country itself or in Western titles. Geniuses like Akira Kurosawa explored the theme in different ways, while Hollywood used Japanese isolation to tell real stories of Westerners who ventured onto the island during that time, as shown in the excellent Silence.

And of course, these are just a few examples of works that cover the period of the Shogunate. So, for those who are already feeling orphaned Shoguncheck out other productions that delve into the Japanese feudal context, with themes such as honor, revenge and the struggle to maintain your identity in a world in constant transformation.

10. The Hidden Fortress

The first of cinema master Akira Kurasawa’s films to appear on the list, The Hidden Fortress stars Toshiro Mifune, who even starred in the first version of Shogun in its 1980 adaptation. In this film, he plays a general who is escorting a princess who is the last survivor of her clan.

They meet two peasants who are fleeing the destruction caused by battle, who accompany them on a journey to try to rebuild their army and retake their lost lands. A curious fact about the film is that it is one of the strongest inspirations that George Lucas had to create Star Wars.

9. 13 Killers

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13 Assassins is an epic by director Takashi Miike (Ichi the Assassin) which takes place at the end of the Edo Period, telling the story of a group of samurai who are sent to eliminate the clan leader before he is appointed to join the Shogunate council.

In addition to showing the last gasp of a Japanese era, about to come to an end, Miike’s violent film is well known for a battle sequence that lasts 45 minutes and brings together all of the film’s plots in a bloody resolution.

8. The Evening Samurai

Starring Hiroyuki Sanada, from Shogun, The Evening Samurai was nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 2004 and tells the story of a second-rank samurai a few years before the Meiji Reform, which ended the Shogunate.

Providing services to his clan, Seibei Iguchi, a widower with two daughters, meets his childhood love and clashes with her ex-husband, a warrior of great reputation. After defeating him, Iguchi is summoned to eliminate a powerful enemy, changing his life.

7. Blade of the Immortal

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Blade of the Immortal It’s a film with samurai, but it’s more on the fantasy side, even though it’s very interesting. Based on the manga by Hiroaki Samura, the film tells the story of an immortal samurai who becomes the bodyguard of an orphaned teenager, setting out on a journey of revenge against samurai who killed her parents.

Despite the plot involving magic and immortal warriors, the film also shows how samurai were used by their masters, applying violent measures that marked an entire era in Japan. The Immortal’s Blade is available on Prime Video.

6. Silence

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Silence is an epic directed by Martin Scorsese, who spent decades trying to bring the story of Portuguese Jesuits in Japan to the big screen. One of the plots of Shogun it is exactly about the conflict between Portuguese Catholics, English Protestants and the Japanese people, which makes these two works speak directly.

The film takes place 40 years after the period of the series, showing two Portuguese priests, played by Andrew Garfield (The spectacular Spider Man) and Adam Driver (Ferrari), who go to Japan to find their former mentor and resume the work of the Catholic mission in the country. In addition to serving as a story about the challenges of faith, it is an interesting film because it addresses how religion was treated during the period.

5. Harakiri

Harakiri is a film that explores the samurai concept of honor. The film shows a ronin, a masterless samurai, who arrives at the local lord’s castle to ask permission to commit seppuku, the ritual suicide that samurai performed when they felt they had been dishonored. This causes him to explain his reasons for doing this, telling his story to the feudal lord.

Considered over the decades as one of the best films in the history of cinema, Harakiri is an excellent exploration of Japanese culture in the feudal period and the precepts of samurai honor.

4. The Last Samurai

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The last Samurai has a story very close to that shown in Shogun, with a foreigner who goes to Japan, meets the locals, learning their customs and ends up joining them to fight. Starring Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible 7) and Ken Watanabe (Tokyo Vice), the film takes place at the beginning of the Meiji Restoration, when Japan opened up to the world again, with an American captain meeting a samurai who still struggles to maintain his lifestyle in a modernizing Japan.

The epic is clearly a more Hollywood version of the Japanese story, but it is still an excellent film with incredible performances, such as those from Hiroyuki Sanada and Watanabe, who received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his work. The last Samurai is available on Prime Video and Max.

3. Kagemusha

Kagemusha is an epic directed by Akira Kurosawa that addresses the political intrigues of the Shogunate era. The film shows a peasant who looks a lot like the Daimyo, the clan leader, and is trained to act like his double. When the leader dies, the man is used as a puppet to maintain the clan’s political strength.

The epic is well remembered for Kurosawa’s excellence, which shows the battle of Nagashino, one of the most famous battles of the Sengoku Period, which takes place 30 years before the Star+ series.

2. Ran

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Considered Akira Kurosawa’s last great epic, the Japanese director used the story of King Lear, by William Shakespeare, adapting it to a plot in medieval Japan. Like this, Ran tells the story of a lord who, upon leaving power, divides his empire among his children.

Like many of Kurosawa’s films, Ran It is considered one of the best films ever made, and incredibly, it was not nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. This happened because the director did not attend its Japanese premiere, which caused outrage in the country’s film industry, which did not nominate the film to represent them at the awards. The film ended up being nominated in other categories, including Best Director.

1. The Seven Samurai

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One of the greatest classics of world cinema, The Seven Samurai takes place a few years before the events of Xógun, revolving around a village that is tormented by bandits. They look for seven ronin to help them, each with a different personality.

The film, which once again marks the partnership between the director and star Toshiro Mifune, is one of the most influential in the history of cinema and pop culture, serving as the basis for several other adaptations in Hollywood, in anime, games and comics.

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