BLOOD WORK: TOP TEN CINEMA SAMURAI

TOP TEN CINEMA SAMURAI

One of my favorite film genres is CHANBARA. Chanbara or "chambara" is a Japanese word which refers to period piece films heavy on swordplay. Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, the Hidden Fortress, these seminal films by Akira Kurosawa all fall into this genre of movies. The films of Akira Kurosawa were my gateway drugs into this wonderful genre. Now, since then I have seen many other Chanbara films by many different directors.

I really do love these kinds of movies and especially the characters in them. They're essentially action films set in Japan's past and I do love me some great action films.

Two elements make these films: the characters and the action. Like any American action film from the 1970's, 80's, and so on, a great hero and wicked awesome action go a long way. John Rambo, John McClane, Conan, Harry Callahan, and more are among some of cinema's greatest and most recognizable heroes. Diving into Japan's golden age of cinema I discovered a great many heroic characters worthy of cinema icon status.

Now this list is of my personal favorite heroes from Chanbara films. The list title says "SAMURAI" but let me be clear that Ronin, Yakuza, and Shinobi are all included on this list. So if you are a samurai purest I am sorry if I misled you. But there was no way I could not include a ninja like Hattori Hanzo or a yakuza like Zatoichi.

However, I have decided to exclude anime heroes from the list. They're in a category of their own and worthy of a top ten list just for them.

As I grow older I find that I just cannot get enough of these characters and these kinds of films.

So without further pontification...

Here's my list! Enjoy!

THE BONUS

11
KENSHIN HIMURA

Film Series: Rurouni Kenshin (1996-1998 spanning three seasons and 95 episodes, 4 films, and 3 OVA's)

Actor: Mayo Suzukaze (anime), Takeru Sato (live action films)

This list is not about anime characters. That'll be for another list at another time. But I couldn't talk about cinematic samurai without talking about Kenshin (and he actually has three live action movies now so technically it fits within this list's parameters).

Based on a long running manga series by Nobuhiro Watsuki, Kenshin was trained by an insanely good sensei in the art of Hiten-Mitsurugi-ryu (Flying Heaven Govern Sword-style). He fought in the Meiji Revolution (1868) as the assassin Hitokiri Battosai on the side of the revolutionaries. After the victory over the Tokugawa Shogunate, the Battosai disappeared for eleven years. Then he returned as a wandering ronin going by the name Kenshin Himura.

Going on many adventures, stopping several plots to overthrow the Meiji era, Kenshin is one of the characters that really demonstrated to me how cool samurai characters can be. I got into anime before really getting into chanbara cinema and in a way it was a gateway for me to Japan's golden era of cinema. Speaking of the three live action films, the action is incredible and actor Takeru Sato couldn't be better as Kenshin. Those three films are among the best anime/manga adaptations I've ever seen.

THE TOP TEN

10
MUSASHI MIYAMOTO

Film Series: The Samurai Trilogy 1954, 1955, and 1956 (Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto, Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple, and Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island)

The Actor: Toshiro Mifune

One of the most influential historical samurai figures of all time, Musashi Miyamoto has made appearances in novels, manga, anime, video games, and of course movies. The novelization of Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa from 1935 is perhaps the piece most responsible for Musashi's popularity and presence in Japanese pop culture. The image of Musashi associated with the character for the last sixty plus years however was due to director Hiroshi Inagaki's immortal film trilogy starring the legendary Toshiro Mifune.

The films cover Musashi's life from rural peasant to the renown samurai of history. Toshiro Mifune has played many great chanbara heroes throughout his career (and another of them is further ahead on this list). His portrayal of Musashi in one of his most layered performances of his career (due in part to having portrayed the character over the course of a trilogy chronicling a wide swath of the character's life). Toshiro Mifune's image will probably forever be associated with the character and historical figure.

YAGYU JUBEI

Film Series: The Shogun's Samurai (film 1978), The Yagyu Conspiracy (television series 1978-79), Samurai Reincarnation (film 1981)

The Actor: Shinichi "Sonny" Chiba

Based on an actual historical figure from the Sengoku period, Yagyu Jubei is very similar to Musashi in that both figures have become greatly romanticized over time and both have become iconic figures in Japanese pop culture. And just like Toshiro Mifune's image is permanently associated with the character, Sonny Chiba's rendition of Yagyu Jubei has become the image one thinks of first when hearing the name Yagyu Jubei.

Sonny Chiba is one of those incredible actors who defined Japanese action films and heroic characters for a generation. His interpretation of Jubei is incredibly cool and badass. It's the basis and inspiration for many animes including one of my all time favorites, NINJA SCROLL. And it is the basis for one of the best video game series ever, SAMURAI SHODOWN. The hair, the eye-patch, the swords, all of it are so cool and hands down he's one of the best chanbara heroes ever.

KAGE NO GUNDAN ~ HATTORI HANZO

Film Series: Kage No Gundan ~ Shadow Warriors (1980-1985 spanning 5 seasons and 119 episodes)

Actor: Shinichi "Sonny" Chiba

I love me some ninjas. I think I love ninjas (the romanticized versions) more than I love samurai, ronin, or any other kind of Japanese cultural warriors. And if there were a "Musashi Miyamoto" of the ninja world it would be Hattori Hanzo. Like Musashi and Yagyu Jubei, Hattori Hanzo was a real life historical figure and perhaps the most prevalent ninja figure in Japanese pop culture.

Sonny Chiba's portrayal of Hattori Hanzo in the television series KAGE NO GUNDAN is my favorite interpretation of the character and one of the best ninja movies/shows I've ever seen. Hattori Hanzo is the leader of the IGA ninja clan and is the secret defender of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Hanzo and his ninja go up against all sorts of assassins, samurai, and evil plots to overthrow the government. It's like an action movie in every episode and displays mostly realistic views of ninjas and their incredible skills.

KAMBEI SHIMADA ~ LEADER OF THE SEVEN SAMURAI

Film: Seven Samurai (1954)

Actor: Takashi Shimura

One of Japan's greatest actors of all time is none other than Takashi Shimura. The man could play any role and earn an academy award at each. He was one of Akira Kurosawa's regular actors and also one of Ishiro Honda's regulars as well, a diverse spectrum of roles for sure. While we all may fall in love with Toshiro Mifune's character Kikuchiyo in Seven Samurai, the one character that remains the linchpin of the group if not the movie is the character Kambei Shimada.

Kambei is one of the coolest samurai in cinema history, and I mean that literally. The dude is so calm and collected whether it involves a child's life or when faced with overwhelming forces. The other samurai look to him as their foundation and leader. They see his composure and resolve and believe that anything is possible. He is without a doubt the anchor of the movie. There have been many interpretations of Kanbei, most recently by Denzel Washington. But for me Takashi Shimura is both the first and final say on how great the character is and there is no other cinema samurai like him.

SHINOBI NO MONO ~ ISHIKAWA GOEMON

Film Series: Shinobi No Mono (1962-1966 spanning 8 films)

Actor: Raizo Ichikawa

When it comes to ninjas in cinema, and for that matter ninjas even existing in pop culture at all, we look to one film series in particular, SHINOBI NO MONO (A BAND OF ASSASSINS). Raizo Ichikawa plays the central ninja in all eight films. The first three films form a single story, a trilogy focusing on the Iga shinobi, Ishikawa Goemon. Starting with film four Raizo Ichikawa plays a new hero in every subsequent movie. So for this list we're zooming in on the original hero of the Shinobi No Mono series.

Set during the Sengoku period, Goemon is one of the Iga ninja warriors in training. We see him go from being a naive young shinobi to a grizzled confident master ninja. He is given the impossible task of assassinating Oda Nobunaga. Set during one of Japan's most tumultuous eras, we get to see real historical battles play out through the eyes of this ninja. His character grows extensively throughout the three films, and the ninja tactics and abilities are portrayed realistically. Seeing Goemon finally kill Nobunaga is epic!

LADY SNOWBLOOD ~ YUKI KASHIMA

Film Series: Lady Snowblood (1973-1974 spanning 2 films)

Actress: Meiko Kaji

The lone female on this list, Yuki Kashima is one of the deadliest characters in all of cinema with one brutal backstory. Her father and brother were horribly murdered by four criminals and her mother was raped by three of them. She managed to kill the fourth criminal and was sentenced to life in prison for murder. Determined to kill the other three criminals, Yuki's mother seduces a guard in prison, conceives a child, and dies during childbirth. Her final wish is to have her newborn daughter, Yuki, raised as her instrument of vengeance. Yuki is taken from the prison, raised and trained by a martial arts master, and when she's an adult she starts on a quest of bloodsoaked revenge.

Based on a manga series by Kazuo Koike and Kazuo Kamimura, Lady Snowblood came about in the 1970's when the Japanese film industry was tanking due to the advent of television. To offer something viewers couldn't get for free at home, films were becoming more and more explicit and exploitative. Lady Snowblood is brutal, bloody, and very graphic. There really is nothing quite like Lady Snowblood, either the character or the film. The character of Setsuka from Soul Calibur also seems to be based off of her.

LONE WOLF & CUB ~ OGAMI ITTO

Film Series: Lone Wolf and Cub (1972-1980 spanning 7 films)

Actor: Tomisaburo Wakayama

Also based off of a manga by Kazuo Koike, this manga illustrated by Goseki Kojima, Lone Wolf and Cub is perhaps the pinnacle of violent, bloody, graphic cinema. In the story the central character, Ogami Itto, was the chief executioner employed by the Shogun. The position came with the honor and prestige of being declared the deadliest sword in all of Japan. The private Oniwabanshu, the Yagyu ninja clan, greatly coveted the position of chief executioner. So much so that the Yagyu deliberately framed Ogami Itto as a conspirator against the Shogun. Itto's wife was murdered by the Yagyu and an attempt was also made Itto's life as well as his infant son, Daigoro.

Itto had no choice but to flee with his son, always on the run from Yagyu assassins and hired ronin. To get by, Itto offers his services as an assassin known as Lone Wolf and Cub. Arguably the most skilled of all the characters on this list, Ogami Itto literally kills several hundred enemies throughout his series. He may have the highest body count of any film character, good or bad. Having to constantly look after his son renders this sword-wielding badass vulnerable and adds a whole other level of what the character has to go through in order for both he and his son to survive. Itto nearly fills an entire lake with the blood of his pursuers, and we viewers get to see it all!

Insanely violent and incredibly awesome to behold, no other character on this list comes close to the bloody spectacle of watching Ogami Itto in action!

MAGOBEI WAKIZAKA

Film: Goyokin (1969)

Actor: Tatsuya Nakadai

The actor Tatsuya Nakadai is one of those rare actors who could and did play any role. I first noticed him as the gun toting henchman in Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo. He plays the fatalistic protagonist in Hara-Kiri and the kill crazy villain in Sword of Doom. He also play the lead in Kurosawa's RAN. Perhaps the most enjoyable role of his, in my opinion is the heroic Genta in Kihachi Okamoto's KILL! Oddly enough though, the character of Nakadai's that really spoke to me, and the one samurai character of his that really blew me away was Magobei Wakizaka in the film Goyokin.

Magobei is a retainer to a clan being bled dry by the lords. If they are to survive they're going to need to come up with a lot of money out of nowhere. Magobei rides up on a small village, the residents having witnessed Magobei's clan stealing gold directly from their lord's transport. To silence the village from speaking of what they had seen, Magobei's fellow retainers slaughter the entire village. Magobei doesn't engage in the killing but neither does he stop it. Instead he excommunicates himself but vows to keep silent about the affair. Years later Magobei is attacked by his old clansmen. Before he kills them all one of them confesses that another atrocity like the one years ago is about to happen again. Magobei's guilt has been eating him alive all these years. He cannot sit idly by while his clan commits another great sin. He leaves his self-imposed exile on a mission to return to his clan and stop his fellow retainers from killing again, one way or another.

The story. The characters. The Setting. Nakadai plays the role with incredible emotion and intensity. This isn't usually the film that people talk about when they speak of Tatsuya Nakadai's work. But for me personally I feel it is his best samurai character, both as a hero and employing his usual conflicted character details.

YOJIMBO ~ SANJURO

Film Series: Yojimbo (1961-1970 spanning 4 films)

Actor: Toshiro Mifune

Toshiro Mifune returns to the list for a second time, this time in the role that would define him and change the genre forever. Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo is one of those legendary pieces of cinema. Imitated and remade time and time again, Yojimbo took a new look at samurai culture, a decidedly bent and cynical view. Mifune's Sanjuro (Yojimbo's alias) is dirty, grungy looking, and duplicitous yet still maintaining a sense of honor and justice. Now such a character is old hat but when this film came out it was a striking portrayal of the samurai.

Toshiro Mifune brings his tough guy swagger, his supreme skill with a sword, but makes you wonder half of the time whether he's a hero or a villain. But what we find out is that he's the classic lone hero all along, coming into lawless towns, and setting right the wrongs that have overrun the area. It's the traditional hero archetype in a new package. When Clint Eastwood donned the role in A Fistful of Dollars it did the same thing for western heroes as Mifune did for the samurai.

The character of Sanjuro is featured in four films total. The second film, also by Akira Kurosawa titled SANJURO, is probably my favorite depiction of the character. The film isn't as familiar of a plot as Yojimbo has become thanks to all the remakes over the years and it's more exciting and action oriented showing off Mifune's amazing swordsmanship. But it's Sanjuro's fourth film that pits him, my second favorite cinema samurai, against my all-time favorite cinema samurai and the number one character on the list...

ZATOICHI

Film Series: Zatoichi (1962-2010 spanning 29 films plus 100 episodes of the television series)

Actor: Shintaro Katsu

A blind masseur, former yakuza seeking atonement, unparalleled swordsmanship, and ultimate badass. Zatoichi, the blind swordsman is one of the most storied and popular chanbara characters in Japan. And he's an incredibly unique character too thanks to the amazing performances of actor Shintaro Katsu. Katsu played Zatoichi for 26 full length feature films and 100 forty minute long episodes of a television series. That's a huge body of work about a single character played by a single actor. It's kind of astounding actually. There were three other films made after Katsu's death with different actors portraying Zatoichi each time, none of them really encapsulating what made the character so great.

Zatoichi is an unassuming figure in that he's kind of burly, a masseur, kind of goofy, and of course blind. It is usually this persona that he assumes and everyone around him save the most perceptive drop their guard, especially the villains. Then he unleashes a flurry of sword slashes so fast that once the badguys realize what's happening they've all been cut to pieces. There are hints of a haunted past, the sins of his youth, that motivate the character's quest for absolution.

Over the course of the saga Zatoichi racks up a massive body count of slain yakuza and would-be assassins and saves countless lives in the process. The uniqueness of character which makes Zatoichi so endearing is equaled by his swordsmanship and the filming of the swordplay. It is some of the best swordplay I've ever seen in a film.

The action is a big part of what makes these characters appealing but what it ultimately comes down to is all the amazing actors bringing these characters to life, not to mention the writers and filmmakers that make these characters look so awesome. And Zatoichi embodies all these aspects.

Well, there you have it! My top ten cinema samurai!

What do you all think? Am I right? Wrong? Did I miss another great cinema samurai?

Let me know and leave a comment below!

Check out my Chanbara film reviews below!

KAGE NO GUNDAN ~ SHADOWS WARRIORS SEASON ONE

SHINOBI NO MONO (1962)

KILL! (1968)

GOYOKIN (1969)

HANZO THE RAZOR: WHO'S GOT THE GOLD (1974)

ICHI (2008)