Samurai Cinema: The Way of the Warrior

Overview

Tales of honour and vengeance will light up the screen in a blood-splattered new film program at ACMI this month. With a focus on one of the most influential film genres of all time, Samurai Cinema: The Way of the Warrior features 13 classic and contemporary samurai films from some of cinema's greatest auteurs.

Unsurprisingly, the backbone of the program consists of four films by the legendary Akira Kurosawa. 1950's Rashomon introduced Japanese cinema to the West, while later masterpieces The Seven Samurai, Yojimbo and The Hidden Fortress would go on to serve as inspiration for The Magnificent Seven, A Fistful of Dollars and a little-seen film called Star Wars.

Likewise, fans of Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill will recognise its bloody origins in Toshiya Fujita's 1973 film Lady Snowblood, which screens as part of an R-rated double bill with Kenji Misumi's Lone Wolf and Cub. Action devotees might also like to check out Takashi Miike's recent epic 13 Assassins.

On the other hand, those looking for something a little less gory can try Yoji Yamada 2002 Oscar-nominated Twilight Samurai, or Jim Jarmusch's philosophy-laden mafia/samurai mash-up Ghost Dog. Both films offer a more meditative take on the genre, one that's so often dominated by decapitation and disembowelment.

For the full Samurai Cinema program, visit the ACMI website.