Top 15 Akira Kurosawa Films

If one were to make a list of the most influential directors of all time, a name that will most likely not be missed is Akira Kurosawa.

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As a young man living in pre-war Japan, Kurosawa was close to the film industry. By 1935, he was working as an assistant director in a film industry that would soon be engulfed by war-time propaganda needs. But a few decades later, Kurosawa would ride the wave of Japan’s cinematic golden age out of the ashes of war-time atrocity. He was soon making films that inspired the world’s greatest directors – George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Sergio Leone, and so on.

His turbulent life would be reflected in the variety of his stories and styles, each of which seems to coincide with his views on Japanese societies. His filmography is in one sense autobiographical, in another historical. But it is his combination of the Hollywood style with Japanese ideas, and sensibilities, as well as his absolute mastery of the filmmaking language that makes him one of the greats. Here, we rank the 15 films that best reflect his multifaceted styles and undeniable mastery.

15. The Hidden Fortress

The Hidden Fortress (1958)

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This story of two peasants, a samurai, and a princess trying to restore their clan was the blueprint for the Star Wars franchise. That fact alone should be enough proof of Kurosawa’s extensive influence. Like the space franchise that it inspired, The Hidden Fortress is a fun ride, featuring the great Toshiro Mifune in a trope-making brooding samurai role, and Misa Uehara’s unimpeachable turn as princess Yuki.

14. I Live in Fear (1955)

I Live in Fear (1955)

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I live in Fear boasts an intriguing premise of a delusional man who slowly destroyed his family over the fear of an imminent nuclear attack. This film of course is a great time capsule of the widespread paranoia of the early cold war period. Indeed, the Japanese golden age is a breeding ground for anti-war films. But this psychological drama shows how creative Kurosawa can be at tackling a familiar subject. This might also be Toshiro Mifune’s greatest performance in his many collaborations with Kurosawa.

13. Stray Dog (1949)

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Another genre Kurosawa loves to play with is classic noir. Clearly influenced by its Hollywood counterpart, Japanese noir utilizes the setting of post-war Japan’s black market, unruly streets, and emerging slums to explore the darkest alleys of humanity. Stray Dog is a great example of that formula. It is engaging for its investigative elements and thought-provoking for its social critique. It’s a travesty that this film is not as frequently discussed as The Maltese Falcon or The Third Man.

12. One Wonderful Sunday (1947)

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Two years after Japan’s defeat in Pacific War, Kurosawa made a film about a couple trying to have a romantic Sunday together. With little money in their pockets, they strut through the ruins and lights of post-war Tokyo, trying to make the best of their days. A gleeful story follows. Then Kurosawa dials up the emotions to eleven. By the end, one might find it hard to hold in bitter-sweet tears.

11. Kagemusha (1980)

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As a story of a lowly thief who has to impersonate a lord, Kagemusha could have been a comedy or a straightforward drama. But Kurosawa makes it an exploration of class and status in feudal Japan. And just for the fun of it, he makes it a philosophical argument on the nature of identity and soul. As the first film to delve deep into highly personal, highly psychological themes, Kagemusha, in our opinions, kick-started the most mature, and final period of Kurosawa’s filmography.

10. Sanjuro (1962)

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Easily the most watchable of Kurosawa’s extensive canon, Sanjuro is a sequel to another film by Kurosawa called Yojimbo. Most of the praises to this film echo the praises in that film, which (spoiler alert) appears later on this list.

9. The Bad Sleep Well (1960)

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Like Stray Dog, this is a social critique disguised as a noir film. But by the time Kurosawa made The Bad Sleep Well, his camera movements are cleaner and defter. His tracking shot, his subtle push-ins, and his scene blocking are now perfect. His stories have also become more complex, more detailed, and yet more focused.

8. Rashomon (1950)

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While Kurosawa acquired his technical mastery a bit later, the early 50s was when his films received international recognition. And that was due to the success of Rashomon, a film so influential it became the namesake of an academic term. The Rashomon effect describes when people who experienced the same events give contradictory descriptions of what happened. Rashomon the movie is centered around this exact effect, and in the process rejects and deconstructs cinematic storytelling.

7. Yojimbo (1961)

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Yojimbo and Sanjuro follow a ronin – played by Toshiro Mifune – as he becomes entangled in classic jidaigeki adventures. Aside from being an insanely fun movie with razor-sharp dialogs and tons of memorable performances, Yojimbo is also the continuation of Kurosawa’s own growing technical mastery – having been released a year after The Bad Sleep Well. With the film being set in a small town, Kurosawa could play with movements and settings that make the whole picture feels constantly dynamic. His growing directorial prowess is only aided by the return of Kazuo Miyagawa – they previously collaborated on Rashomon – who used a telephoto lens and wide CinemaScope to capture the small town’s wide road.

6. Throne of Blood (1957)

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Throne of Blood is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, set in medieval Japan. It is a masterpiece of adaptation, sticking close to the spirit of the original while finding new ways of conveying multiple shades of that spirit. The movie also featured some of the most powerful shots Kurosawa has staged in his career. This was the result of the decision to take on the literally mountainous task of constructing a castle set on Mt. Fuji’s slope. But it was this setting that made the visuals of the film so epic and spiritual.

5. High and Low (1963)

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If this movie had had a slightly better second half, it would easily be our favorite of Kurosawa’s film. High and Low is Kurosawa returning to detective stories mired in the styles of classic noirs. The first half, which followed the aftermath of a kidnapping gone wrong is a contender for the best pieces of filmmaking ever put on screen. It is the Kurosawa at the very top of his game. And while the second half is a let-down in comparison, it still stands as an exciting thriller in contrast to the more claustrophobic first half.

4. Ikiru (1952)

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Ikiru holds a special place in our hearts. This was a movie made before Kurosawa got big. And it was unburdened by any fan or commercial expectations. Kurosawa was simply making a classic tale of self-redemption. There’s no argument, no philosophical wondering, no attempt to make any grand statement beyond the value of life. Veteran actor, Takashi Shimura, another Kurosawa's regular, gave his best performance here.

3. Red Beard (1965)

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As one of Kurosawa’s most expensive and troubled production, Red Beard has a complicated reputation. But mangled as its production is, the actual film itself is one of Kurosawa’s most complex masterpieces. Following a doctor and his trainee in rural early modern Japan, the film is an exploration of society and the human condition. Kurosawa really takes his time in fleshing out each of the characters and their relationships. He lets each moment marinate in stillness and conversation. It is a risky diversion in a style that might put off some die-hard fans, but it is a welcome change of pace for a director who had done it all by that point.

2. Seven Samurai (1954)

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There isn’t a lot to say that has not already been said about Seven Samurai. It has a serious claim to the spot of the most important film in the history of cinema. It routinely makes the list of the best movies of all time. Everyone knows it features perhaps the best ensemble cast cinema has ever seen. This film was lightning in a bottle. It was a perfect marriage of director, cast, and crew. This story of a crew of samurai protecting a small town is the originating formula for ensemble films from Magnificent 7 to Avengers. It is the hallmark of Kurosawa’s influence.

1. Ran (1985)

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In a sense, Ran was destined to be Kurosawa’s best film. In the lull of his late directorial career, Kurosawa appealed to his international friends to fund this extremely expensive movie. He used all his connections and indeed, skills to make his vision come to life. The end result was an epic to behold. Ran still stands as one of the most beautiful films ever created. Its battle sequences are some of the most epic in cinema. One needs not to speak of the iconic cinematography. The performances, especially that of Tatsuya Nakadai as the titular character, are the best in Kurosawa’s filmography.

Ran is also a story that could have only been told by Kurosawa at that period of his life. At the dusk of his career, Kurosawa adapted the structure of King Lear to make a story that spans the themes of age, mortality, and the fragility of existence. While he would make a few more films before his death in 1998, Ran felt like a swan song and a culmination of an unimpeachable career.