Akira Kurosawa Samurai Masterpiece Collection (Blu-ray)

Akira Kurosawa's masterful samurai films are finally returning to the Swedish market after being absent for far too long! And this time, the masterpieces have been digitally restored to brilliant quality!

The Gate of Hell (1950)

Rashomon, starring Toshir? Mifune, Masayuki Mori, Machiko Kyo.

A captivating psychological thriller revolving around a murder and how its course of events is perceived completely differently by four different witnesses, including the victim himself. The film was awarded the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and became Akira Kurosawa's major international breakthrough.

The Seven Samurai (1954)

The Seven Samurai, starring Takashi Shimura, Toshir? Mifune, and Yoshio Inaba.

One of the greatest and most exciting film epics ever made. It tells the story of a group of farmers in a small village who are tired of being harassed by bandits, and therefore recruit a handful of samurai to protect them. A three-hour adventure that consistently ranks at the top when directors such as Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, and Quentin Tarantino list the best films in history. The basis for the western film "The Magnificent Seven."

Throne of Blood (1957)

Throne of Blood, starring Toshir? Mifune, Isuzu Yamada, Minoru Chiaki, and Hiroshi Tachikawa.

Akira Kurosawa interprets Shakespeare's Macbeth in 18th-century Japan. The samurai Washizu and Miki serve as guards to the warlord Tsuzuki, who is at war with a rival warlord. A witch in the forest predicts that Washizu will succeed Tsuzuki on the throne. As a hardened warrior who seizes power by brutal means, Toshiro Mifune gives a unique performance.

The Wild Escape (1958)

The Hidden Fortress, starring Toshiro Mifune, Misa Uehara, Minoru Chiaki, Kamatari Fujiwara.

The time is the 16th century and the place is Japan. A princess and a general are fleeing from enemies who want the gold she is carrying. During their journey, they meet two farmers who are persuaded to help them in exchange for generous rewards if they reach their destination safely. Akira Kurosawa was awarded the Silver Bear for Best Director at the Berlin Film Festival for this film, which was the decisive inspiration for "Star Wars" in 1977.

Yojimbo – The Bodyguard (1961)

Yojimbo, starring Toshir? Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Y?ko Tsukasa, and Isuzu Yamada.

One day, a disheveled man arrives in a small Japanese village held in an iron grip by two rival gangs. He is penniless, and his only possession is a sharp sword. He offers his services as a bodyguard (Yojimbo) to the heads of both families, one at a time, and then plays them off against each other in a very clever way. Several remakes of the film have been made, including "A Fistful of Dollars" (1964) by Sergio Leone, "The Raven Flies" (1984) by Hrafn Gunnlaugsson, and "Last Man Standing" (1996) by Walter Hill. Sanjuro (1962) Starring Toshiro Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Keiju Kobayashi.

Toshiro Mifune swings his sword and snorts in this slightly comical gem by Akira Kurosawa, which is a free-spirited sequel to "Yojimbo." Our lone wanderer ends up in a village where corruption and treachery have run rampant while their leader is away. Some men decide to fight back, but don't really know how. The lone wanderer, who has mastered the noble art of the sword to perfection, is a better choice than anyone else.

Language: Japanese