Top 10 Movies By The Greatest Director Of All Time

Akira Kurosawa is regarded by some as being the greatest director of all time and one of the best artists of the 20th century. Here's my list of his top 10 films, talking about each one.
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Music:
0:51 Film Music of Akira Kurosawa The Complete Edition Box Set No. 2 Bonus Track
• Akira Kurosawa--Music ...
1:57 Dreams from Dreams Soundtrack
2:11 Village of Watermills
3:20 Music from the film The Bad Sleep Well
4:28 Music from the film High and Low
5:27 The Hidden Fortress Theme
6:37 Dersu Uzala by Isaac Schwartz

[@sleuthentertainment5872]

Even the less known films of Kurosawa are amazing. I tried my TOP 10 and I got it: Stray Dog Rasho-mon Ikiru The Seven Samurai (his best) Throne of Blood Hidden Fortress Yojimbo High and Low (my favorite) Ran Rhapsody in August

[@bushidoblues9302]

Nice list. I just picked up Stray Dog the Criterion DVD and can't wait to rewatch it. Excellent film Noir.

[@sleuthentertainment5872]

@@bushidoblues9302 Really. Kurosawa is an excellent director in the noir genre, but many people forgot

[@everythingflows3196]

Stray Dog get better and better each time I watch it. I think the first few times I was let down a bit by what I saw as pacing problems (the market scene and the baseball scene are a little too long), but it’s got some of the richest characters and scenarios in Kurosawa’s work. And it’s pretty damn funny too. The intro credit sequence with the dog is brilliant too. I just want to put in a word for The Lower Depths and Drunken Angel. No real reason. Just want to say both are underrated and often forgotten in the general din of Kurosawa’s greatness.

[@bakabaka3281]

Fun fact about Kagemusha, Shintaro Katsu was suppose to be the star but he was let go after he came in acting like a yakuza and was too demanding. I love Shinatro Katsu as a Zatoichi fan but Nakadai nailed it.

[@bushidoblues9302]

Haha picturing Katsu acting like a yakuza is a funny image when I just see him as Ichi. I can't say for sure if he would have performed better than Nakadai though.

[@VolkXue]

the story i heard Katsu came in one day filming and saying he was going to show his film class how Kurosawa directed him and it caused a huge issue lol and that broke the final straw as they say

[@Les_Carnets_de_Tom]

Shinto Katsu could have been great too, looking like Shingen at this moment, kinda chubby

[@speaksincircles]

I grew up watching westerns with my dad. One day I started going to the library, realizing they had a huge selection of movies I could borrow. There I discovered Seven Samurai and it instantly became my favorite movie of all time. I’ve wanted to watch similar films since then but never really found any. Til now thanks to you I have a rabbit hole to delve into. I’m really excited to watch Yojimbo, and Ran. Im definitely gonna watch everything on this list.

[@joshuabrown3361]

Yojimbo is a genuinely amazing film.

[@fredjones554]

Dersu uzala is so beautiful

[@bushidoblues9302]

Which is why it's such a problem that we don't have a good quality blu ray transfer of it.

[@ripred42]

I will always be thankful for the English teacher in high school who showed Ran in class (it had to be split between two classes) after we read King Lear. It absolutely blew me away. I had never seen anything like it.

[@RobDTom]

I have to agree 100% with you about Dersu Uzala being a highly underrated Kurosawa film!

[@TheShogunate]

Excellent topic man! Sharing this on my discord!

[@bushidoblues9302]

Thanks! I appreciate it! I'm curious what everyone's top tens will be.

[@VinceCasciani]

Love this video! I've only seen a dozen or so of his films, so this is just my top 5: 1. Ikiru 2. Yojimbo 3. Rashomon 4. High and Low 5. Seven Samurai Honorables: Stray Dog, Throne of Blood, Red Beard

[@bushidoblues9302]

Good list! I recommend just watching all of his films

[@castelodeossos3947]

My No. 1 film of all films is perhaps 'Derzu Uzala' and I have watched it more times than I can remember. No. 2 of Kurosawa's films, however, is for me 'Throne of Blood', which is to me not only not at all a horror movie but is better than Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'. Having seen the clips shown here, I am tempted to see the other movies again, although when they came out, I was impressed but not hugely impressed -- except perhaps for the battle scenes in 'Ran'. Someone told me once he had read that Kurosawa had for that film told the composer to compose something like Mahler 'but better'.

[@bullrunner5646]

BB, you’ve created an awesome channel. Thank you for your efforts. Keep up the great work!

[@bushidoblues9302]

Thanks I appreciate that!

[@z.a.7846]

Thank you for this. Kurosawa is truly the greatest of them all. He and Tarkovsky are just so wholesome, I don't think anyone can ever get to their level. I can't make up my mind on which one is my num 1, but I have a soft spot for Throne of Blood and 7 Samurai. And excellent choice of music for this video. Truly awesome 🎶👏

[@bushidoblues9302]

Thank you! Yes that opening is a killer track. Tarkovsky is similar to Kurosawa because his visuals speak art too and he's capable of eliciting emotions from the locations in his films. Ah Throne of Blood is perfect for when I'm in the mood for something dark. There's something creepy about Kurosawa's older films and I mean that in a good way.

[@bighobbit9110]

@@bushidoblues9302 The most similar to Andrey Tarkovsky is Carson Clay played by William Defoe in "Mr. Been holidays". This Carson Clay' film shown there is barely distinguishable from some Tarkovsky's movies e.g. "Stalker" or "Solaris" (Stanislaw Lem after realizing that Tarkovsky is up to made from his philosophical novel just another sugarcoated love flick prohibited mentioning his name on the film credits and never again spoke to Tarkovsky. A bit earlier Tarkovsky spoiled another brilliant Lam's "Pilot Pirx" book. His father Arseniy Tarkovsky, was much talented than his son.

[@tristanlanphere7736]

While he is a great director, I could honestly still say at least 5 directors better than him. He is my personal favourite tho

[@anastasiskatsoupas8309]

What i really like about your videos is that you make videos with true and a lot of pasion keep it up

[@bushidoblues9302]

Thank you! Yes this is all stuff I'm really passionate about!

[@alewalei_219]

Ran is probably the most profound and special movie of his amazing collection of films. If only there were more movies like it.

[@XavierKatzone]

Nice! In "Dreams," I believe it's a water-wheel village and not a "windmill" village!

[@derworfnet]

All of his movies I watched are great but Ran is my favourite and I read that even Kurosawa himself considered it to be his best movie.

[@rileylallier429]

1. Rashomon A+ 2. Sanjuro A+ 3. Yojimbo A 4. Throne of Blood A 5. High And Low A 6. The Hidden Fortress A- 7. Kagemusha A- I am currently on a mission to watch all of Kurasawa's films. Cannot wait to watch Seven Samurai, Ran, Ikiru, and Red Beard

[@lukeyoung5709]

I’ve only seen 10 but here’s how I’d rank them: 1. Ran 2. Seven Samurai 3. Ikiru 4. Kagemusha 5. Yojimbo 6. High and Low 7. Sanjuro 8. Dreams 9. Rashomon 10. Throne of Blood

[@bushidoblues9302]

You've seen 10 of his best haha. Good list

[@theodorerooseveltsantlers270]

Madadayo was one of my favorites. One of Kurosawa's most personal films as it deals with the American occupation of Japan after WWII. Stray Dog is also great for its film noir story.

[@Teleflexx]

Another excellent refreshing retrospective of perhaps the greatest film director ever..looking at cinema from a

[@Teleflexx]

Time out of mind perspective...what so called "modern films" would you call modern classics? Other than The Godfather series. I think a film that is timeless and under noticed is the film Cloud Atlas...spanning ventures of time and lives...for me it is a film in the Kurosawa esthetic. Would like to hear your openion of modern Japanese films and their popularity in the West ala Tampopo, ect.

[@bushidoblues9302]

@@Teleflexx a modern classic for me is crouching tiger hidden dragon. It has a visual level very reminiscent of Kurosawa and it hits you on an emotional level. I can't really name any modern Japanese classics. I saw departures and thought it was just OK. I'll have to check out Tompopo and cloud atlas.

[@Teleflexx]

@@bushidoblues9302 YES!!!! I tell everyone I know who enjoys film to see Departures. The film....is so HUMAN. For me. Like you, I watch Departures when I need to be reminded of this all to brief experience we call life is fleeting. I really enjoyed Crouching Tiget as well.. a really beautiful love story...and you're right it's visuals are stunning...the soundtrack with it's percussive drums during the action scenes are all top notch. I really enjoyed the scene where Fat is trying to talk the thief of the Emerald blade to become his student and together they levitate through the bamboo forrest...gliding and balancing on stalks of swaying stalks while talking and deflecting each others moves...the audio of the wind blowing through the bamboo is so majestic truly a Kurosawa esthetic. A wonderful choice!!

[@bushidoblues9302]

@@Teleflexx I liked how departures showed the amount of respect that is required to be in the business and I'll forever think of that when I see people that do that kind of work. I'll have to watch it again and I'll probably appreciate it more. Tompopo is good?

[@Teleflexx]

@@bushidoblues9302 Yes...Tampopo...is a quasi love story...about people.. and the important part food plays in the lives of several characters in this film. I don't want to spoil your viewing of it but there are just loving....and tragic scenes in this film that you have to see to appreciate. There are moments of comedy and sadness..moments of love and hate. You gotta see it when you can.

[@TurnerTsinniejinnie]

15:46 Even just seeing that short clip from Seven Samurai with the incredible music, movement, camerawork, and composition makes me want to go and rewatch the entire film again

[@roaminronin7818]

Nice... funny I also like to watch the great ones around the time of the season that's depicted to best absorb it (Ozu makes that the easiest 😉) ...Kurosawa is also my fav director... I'd go this way for top 10 favorites: 1 Ran 2 Ikiru 3 High and Low 4 Sanjuro (underrated imo, very funny film) 5 Seven Samurai 6 The Bad Sleep Well 7 Yojimbo 8 Rashomon 9 The Hidden Fortress 10 Stray Dog HMs: Red Beard, Throne of Blood, Drunken Angel, Kagemusha, Dersu Uzala, Dreams Love the content!

[@bushidoblues9302]

Thanks yeah some films go better with the season. Awesome list! I just bought Stray dog, such a great film. Mifune and Shimura work so well together.

[@everythingflows3196]

Been subbed to you for a while, but for some reason I’m just finding out how we share the exact same opinion of Kurosawa. Greatest director of all time. Seven Samurai - greatest film of all time. Been beating those drums for a while. A few people I know only disagree in that they’d flip Ran and Seven Samurai. Admittedly a tough call, and not all that important in the grand scheme. I think I put Seven Samurai #1 because it’s a movie that somehow contains the whole of life - everything - and does it such an entertaining, profound, thoroughly ingenious way for a whole 3 and a half hours. It’s absolutely ridiculously amazing.

[@mingyuhuang8944]

What was that seven samurai song in the beginning??? Anyways great list for a genuinely god tier movie maker. 😊

[@scottlibman7870]

Seeing Toshiro Mifune in a coat and tie is weird. He needs the kimono and swords.

[@LordOfLight]

1. Seven Samurai 2. Dersu Uzala 3. Ran 4. Yojimbo The rest in any order you like.

[@knoober3756]

I’m going through chronologically with Kurosawa and am up to Lower Depths, and I’m glad to see so many of his later films on here as it makes me more excited to get to things like Kagemusha and Ran later on. From the films I’ve seen tho, this is such a banger list!!

[@bushidoblues9302]

Thanks. Yes, hang in there, his later films are much better and more ambitious.

[@knoober3756]

@@bushidoblues9302 I’m already hooked, as soon as I got to Rashomon… I knew I was gonna finish it. Then Ikiru, 7 Samurai and Throne Of Blood recently came along, and I got some of my favorite films of all time!! Love seeing him evolve even though his early stuff can be a slog. Keep up the great work dude!!

[@bushidoblues9302]

@@knoober3756 dersu Uzala is another great one that doesn’t get enough attention. I'm working on a ranking of all 30 of his films!

[@knoober3756]

@@bushidoblues9302 can’t wait to get that list!! Love to hear your thoughts on his earlier works!!

[@Finarphin]

After seeing all of his movies, and this list here, I'll give you my list, even if it's not a top ten. 1. The Seven Samurai (I would put this No. 2 among all movies); 2. Rashomon; 3. Ikiru; 4. High and Low; 5. Dersu Uzala. One through five are five stars. 6. Hidden Fortress; 7. Ran. Nobody else has made more than three five star movies (on my list, anyway).

[@aidanscorner847]

From the ones I’ve seen 1. Seven Samurai 2. Yojimbo 3. Throne of Blood 4. Sanjuro 5. Rashomon 6. Hidden Fortress

[@johnwhite3195]

bought the 4k of RAN a few weeks ago and just saw the steelbook and had to get it. do you have 4k yet?

[@bushidoblues9302]

Just got my steelbook from target a few days ago. I love the artwork on it. If any movie deserves 4k it's Ran.

[@Pancrasio-it9qd]

Great

[@chrisberatis2612]

Excellent list Bushido Blues oh by the way did your copy of the manga Bloody Stumps Samurai written and drawn by Japanese manga artist Hiroshi Hirata came in the mail yet?

[@bushidoblues9302]

Not yet. I'm hoping to get a discount on black Friday

[@bushidoblues9302]

Is this your favorite manga?

[@chrisberatis2612]

@@bushidoblues9302 Yes it’s my favorite samurai manga.

[@chrisberatis2612]

@@bushidoblues9302 Awesome i hope you finally get a copy of Bloody Stumps Samurai it’s really good.

[@bushidoblues9302]

@@chrisberatis2612 what do you like most about it?

[@shrawanyadav4583]

How to download Akira kurasowa movies in English

[@Badastro59]

Best of all I love your enthusiasm, here in Australia Japanese film and Television was more accessible. I grew up with Japanese tv and film, All the original manga, and the the TV series " The samurai " was huge here, I first saw " Godzilla when I was 6 years old, 1965, I was 55 before I saw the Raymond Burr, Godzilla, I was still a boy when I first saw Seven Samurai, and later Rashomon, a teenager before I saw Yojimbo, I've watched and still watch Japanese films, but Kurosawa is the best Eastern film maker, while in the west Hitchcock, Kubrick, Lynch, Wilder, Clouzot, ( many others) are very good, back to Kurosawa, I don't like "Dreams" but because I was in Law enforcement for 16 years, " Stray Dog" in a personal favorite, losing my firearm to a Villian was my worst fear, I left the industry 25 years ago for that reason, Sorry I talk to much, there is no one left in my friends or family that like great cinema, It is great to hear your love of films,

[@davidsettles2315]

My top 10 Kurosawa films along with 3 honorable mentions: Yojimbo, the bad sleep well, the hidden fortress 10. Sanjuro 9. Dreams 8. Kagemusha 7. High and low 6. Throne of blood 5. Rashomon 4. Dersu uzala 3. Ran 2. Ikiru 1. Seven samurai Kurosawa is my favorite director. My top three are interchangeable depending on the day. Even kurosawa’s worst films are better than most director’s best films.

[@9206audree]

A prisoner's dilemma incite both parties to protect themselves at the expense of the other, leading to suboptimal outcomes for both. Also seen in the Nash Equilibrium, even though mutual cooperation leads to a better outcome, if one player chooses mutual cooperation and the other does not, one player's results will be far worse. Throne of blood is sadly always portrayed as Macbeth pasted but is so much more.

[@MrVvulf]

"Dodes'ka-den" should be on the list. If for no other reason than the fact that it is his most cerebral work. It is a powerful and moving masterpiece which examines the mind, through which people interpret the world, and how bias and perception make all the difference. Optimist vs pessimist, etc. It is Kurosawa's interpretation of the John Milton saying, "“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven.” The fact that it went over most people's heads and bombed in theatres made Kurosawa so depressed that he attempted suicide.

[@Ash-so2sr]

Visually ran is amazing but as a whole story, characters etc I think both ikkiru and seven samurai are superior when it comes to the story being told.

[@iitsumant]

I hate the fact you not even mentioned Sanjuro once. It is such an amazing movie

[@bushidoblues9302]

It is amazing, I have a separate review up for it.

[@christopherwilson3242]

I concur with everything you'v said.Especially, greatest film of all time, ? SEVEN SAMURAI. Greatest director of all time? AKIRA KUROSAWA.But I would also add, one of the greatest actors of all time? TOSHIRO MIFUNE!

[@miltiadisathanasiou4058]

High and low deserved to be higher. For me it’s his 3rd best behind seven samurai and ran

[@kdizzle901]

1. Ikiru 2. Ran 3. Rashomon 4. Seven Samurai 5. Yojimbo 6. High and Low 7. Throne of Blood 8. The Hidden Fortress 9. Drunken Angel 10. Stray Dog

[@akechijubeimitsuhide]

Looking at Ran, I wonder why Nakadai was never cast as Hideyoshi in his aging mad tyrant phase. He could have killed it. He played Sen no Rikyu in the Hideyoshi taiga and he was phenomenal, but I think he should have been given a shot at Monkey in something else, too.

[@bushidoblues9302]

Oh you mean like a prequel to Ran? That would be cool to see that other side to Hideyoshi that's instead just described.

[@akechijubeimitsuhide]

@@bushidoblues9302 No, just a separate movie :D

[@bushidoblues9302]

@@akechijubeimitsuhide oh I see. That would be interesting.

[@jtilton5]

All of these are amazing films. But here's a question, what do you think was Kurosawa's worst movie? What film do you think he made that just didn't work out well. For me it would be Scandal. I just feel that Kurosawa was trying to emulate Frank Capra too much with that film, and it just came out as uninteresting.

[@bushidoblues9302]

I'll rank all 30 of his films but my bottom is The Most Beautiful (1944). It's dreadfully boring. Yeah I wasn't a fan of Scandal either. It just didn't mesh with his style and I didn't find it interesting either.

[@jtilton5]

@@bushidoblues9302 though to be honest, the most beautiful was made with the imperial government controling everything so he didn't have much freedom to do what he wanted.

[@bushidoblues9302]

@@jtilton5 yeah it was pure propaganda and what's funny is right after the Imperial government fell he came out with NO REGRETS FOR OUR YOUTH (1946) which was the exact opposite message.

[@Finarphin]

The worst was The Idiot. It was the only one that didn't work.

[@everythingflows3196]

Good question. My personal worst is probably Sanshiro Sugata part 2, which is almost comically compromised (so much so it’s not really fair to consider it a “Kurosawa movie”). Likewise not a fan of The Most Beautiful, which has similar issues. The Quiet Duel doesn’t often get mentioned, but I didn’t think it was terrible. I know Donald Richie mocked the maudlin scene at the end with Mifune. It’s not awful. I’d have to agree with BB - of Kurosawa’s movies that are “Kurosawa movies,” Scandal is probably the one that sticks out the worst. I think One Wonderful Sunday is way better, despite its flaws.

[@isaacmartinez6904]

Here’s My Top 10 Akira Kurosawa Movies. Ran Kagemusha High And Low Seven Samurai Throne Of Blood Yojimbo/Sanjuro Ikiru Rashoman Dersu Uzala The Hidden Fortress

[@finleycooper7710]

Missed out his two best films, High and low and Red beard

[@carlosluismendez7392]

He was an amazing filmmaker but the praise he got from the west made other directors in Japan from that era got unnoticed and some of those were geniuses. I don't think he even made the best samurai films.

[@bushidoblues9302]

Who made the best samurai films?

[@SammyandTex2]

no stray dog man you missing out

[@bushidoblues9302]

It's good but I like the other movies more. I'll revisit it and do a review soon.

[@DanLyndon]

The ranking is all over the place... I wish you would have provided some insight into why these films were great but you instead just rambled about their most superficial aspects.

[@tristanlanphere7736]

While he is a great director, I could honestly still say at least 5 directors better than him

[@bushidoblues9302]

Who are they?

[@tristanlanphere7736]

​@@bushidoblues9302 martin scorcese, stanley Kubrick, Steven Spielberg, Alfred Hitchcock and Francis Ford Coppola. Tbh Kurosawa might be a bit better than Coppola in my opinion. Kurosawa is my favourite director personally but if were talking talent, he's not close

[@tristanlanphere7736]

@@bushidoblues9302 btw I love your videos

[@ihatefanserviceanime364]

@@tristanlanphere7736 Nah

[@Finarphin]

@@tristanlanphere7736 Scorsese and Spielberg aren't in the same ballpark.