Throne of Blood: Criterion Collection

Using Shakespeare’s Macbeth as his jumping off point, Akira Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood (1957) takes a fascinating look at the chaotic swirl of turmoil and treachery that was feudal Japan. The play dealt with notions of civil disorder and battles for... 

Rashomon: Criterion Collection

When Akira Kurosawa made Rashomon (1950), he had left Toho Studios and made movies for three other companies before returning. It was with one of these other studios that the director made this film, but it wasn’t easy. He had a hell of a time getting... 

Drunken Angel: Criterion Collection

Drunken Angel (1948) was Akira Kurosawa’s seventh film and was, according to his autobiography, a desire “to take a scalpel and dissect the Yakuza.” These Japanese gangsters were rampant in post-World War II Japan and with this film Kurosawa attempts... 

Yojimbo/Sanjuro

Originally inspired by the American western and the crime fiction of Dashiell Hammett, Akira Kurosawa’s Yojimbo (1961) would go on to inspire countless other films, most notably the Sergio Leone spaghetti western A Fistful of Dollars (1964) and Walter... 

Seven Samurai: Criterion Collection

Without a doubt, Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai (1954) is the most famous samurai film ever made. It spawned countless imitators all over the world, including Hollywood (most famously remade as the also legendary western, The Magnificent Seven). More... 

The Bad Sleep Well

The Bad Sleep Well (1960) marked the debut of filmmaker Akira Kurosawa’s independent production company. He had grown tired of making samurai films for the studio and wanted to do something different. The subject matter of his new movie – corporate... 

Stray Dog

Akira Kurosawa made Stay Dog (1949) only a few years after World War II while Japan was still occupied by Allied forces. He used the genre trappings of a crime thriller to comment on the post-war conditions of his country. The Criterion Collection has...