The Samurai of Edo

Silvery Wind

1956 · ★ 6.1

Second half of the 19th century. In a small town in South Bohemia, fifth-former Jan Ratkin is living through the confusions of first love together with his classmates.

Fall of the Shogun's Militia

1954 · ★ 7

Kondo Isami, the “Devil” commander of the Shinsengumi was one of Japan’s greatest national heroes and a peerless swordsman who devoted his life to protecting the shogun and fighting on the side of the Tokugawa. This tells the story of the Shinsengumi starting at the moment of their greatest triumph through the final battles as the Tokugawa shogunate was brought down.

Bushido

A high-stakes action film set against the backdrop of feudal Japan.

Two Portraits of MIYAGINO

2010 · ★ 7.8

In Edo-era Japan, a ukiyo-e artist languishes in his master’s shadow. Creatively stifled, he finds consolation in the company of a prostitute, and becomes entangled in a love triangle. A mystery emerges involving two portraits and the sudden disappearance of the artist Sharaku. Helmed by Cannes-selected director Tatsuji Yamazaki, the film employs kabuki-inspired sequences and stylised sets.

Tears of Blood

In this first act, we follow the story of Kenji, a young boy who follows his family's tradition by rejecting any type of cybernetic enhancement in a world where humanity is increasingly mixing with machines.

Seven Samurai

1954 · ★ 8.5

A samurai answers a village's request for protection after he falls on hard times. The town needs protection from bandits, so the samurai gathers six others to help him teach the people how to defend themselves, and the villagers provide the soldiers with food.

Fitzcarraldo

1982 · ★ 7.6

Fitzcarraldo is a dreamer who plans to build an opera house in Iquitos, in the Peruvian Amazon, so, in order to finance his project, he embarks on an epic adventure to collect rubber, a very profitable product, in a remote and unexplored region of the rainforest.

The Steppe

1962 · ★ 6.2

Based on a Anton Chekhov short story, this slight tale has some good moments as the drama of a young boy's journey unfolds. The lad comes from peasant stock, and one day his family decides it would be best for him to go live with his uncle in the city. The only problem is that the city is all the way across the Russian steppes, and at this time in history, that arduous journey could only be undertaken by horse and carriage. Reminiscent of the American pioneer wagon trains heading West, the tale lacks any attacks from hostile forces but is filled with charming vignettes. In one part of the journey, the boy comes across some fishermen along a river, harpooning their catch for the day. In another segment, he is entertained when some folk dancers do a lively show. But in general, it is too long and unmomentous a journey to hold attention well for nearly two hours.

Sven Tuuva the Hero

1958 · ★ 5.7

For six hundred years Sweden had controlled most of Finland until the war with Russia that ended in 1809, when Finland became a Grand Duchy of the Russian Czar. This period drama is set during that early 19th-century war and focuses on one of its heroes, Sven Tuuva. Sven is a decent yet not too brilliant soldier, and his exploits are partly balanced here by the charms of a compatriot.

HIDARI

Betrayed by those desperate to bury the secrets of Edo Castle’s reconstruction, Jingoro loses everything. His father figure, fiancée, and even his right arm. On the brink of despair, the legendary craftsman transforms his grief into an unyielding drive for vengeance. Armed with his extraordinary carpentry skills and a series of lethal mechanical prosthetic arms, Jingoro carves his own path to justice. With his loyal companion, the Sleeping Cat, he faces his enemies in a gripping tale of revenge and self-discovery.

Little Women

1994 · ★ 7.3

Four sisters come of age in America in the aftermath of the Civil War.

Bored Hatamoto: The Mysterious Phantom Mansion

1954

Bored Hatamoto film #17