Sony's upcoming 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Ghost of Tsushima is looking like it will not only be the ultimate swan song for the PS4 but a love letter to samurai cinema. Drawing inspiration from a number of films, you can practically see the essence of acclaimed director Akira Kurosawa in every frame. Wh💟ile the open-world design may not exactly create a strong narrative, there's a lot here that pays tribute to the greats before it.
If you're dying to get your hands on the ๊game, why wait to get your samurai fix? You should check out some classic Japanese cinema and get a head start on understanding where the team over at Sucker Punch got some of its ideas. You may not like everything here, but you'll have a better appreciation for what Sony has accomplished in the end.
Without further ado, here are some absolute classics that you need to watch while waiting for Ghost of Tsushima.
Seven Samurai
There's no better place to start a list of samurai films than with Seven Samurai. Often heralded as the best film in director Akira Kurosawa's entire body of work, it is the foundation on which most of samurai cinema was shaped. It was so influential; it even bled over into Hollywood with films like The Magnificent Seven and Three Amigos. Filmmakers across the globe are still drawing inspiration from what Kurosawa achieved her🐟e.
If you've ever enjoyed a heist film, you have Seven Samurai to thank. If you love movies where one man "assembles the team," Seven Samurai popularized the trope. If you're a fan of Star Wars, you should be paying respects to Seven Samurai for inspiring George Lucas. This is an absolute necessity to see if you have even a passing interest in Ghost of Tsushima.
Zatoichi
While not strictly a samurai film, Zatoichi is nonetheless important Japanese cinema. It depicts the story of a blind swordsman fighting evil across Japan in his quest for justice. He's almost an anti-samurai, embodying the exact opposite of the "Bushido Code." The titular star doesn't fight clean or giv✨e his opponents dignified deaths, instead using his disability as a means to thwart those on🌳 the wrong side of the law.
If you happen to enjoy the first film, you'll find there are another 24 films in the origina☂l series. All starring actor Shintaro Katsu, he would later return in the 80s for a remake of the original that updates some elements t𒉰o more modern times. If that still isn't your speed, famously bullish star Takeshi Kitano did another remake in 2003 that ups the gore factors to 11.
Harakiri
A common theme throughout samurai media is that of rebellion. Most stories from Japan's history are centered on fighting back invaders or challenging what makes tradition so important. Harakiri isn't about the former, but most certainly embodies the latter. Following the story of a waꦬndering ronin that wishes to commit seppuku on royal land, the film delves into the ideas of its namesake and how absolutely moronic the practice really is.
Much like Zatoichi, Harakiri would receive a remake in 2011 that would refocus the narrative on its characters instead o🔯f simpl🎉y plot. Both are absolutely wonderful films, though I tend to prefer the more poetic dialog of the original.
Yojimbo
Likely the closest inspiration you'll see in Ghost of Tsushima, Yojimbo tells the story of a wandering ronin (another common trope of samurai pictures) who enteꩵrs a war-torn town. As two factions vie for supremacy, they each tempt the main character Sanjuro to fight for their side. It ma🉐y not deal with the invading Mongols, but the themes of double-crossing and secrecy are present throughout.
The success of Yojimbo would inspire a direct sequel, titled Sanjuro. The character would become so popular thanks to Kurosawa's work that he'd even cross over with Zatoichi in a film titled Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo. That's a hell of a legacy if you ask me.
The Hidden Fortress
It's hard to make a list of important samurai films without resorting to naming only Kurosawa films, but The Hidden Fortress stands as one of the most important movies of any genre, period. A massive inspiration for what would become Star Wars,�ꦍ� this movie tells the tale of a band of rogues that escort a princess and general across enemy lines without knowing their importance to the conflict at hand. The two leads are bumbling idiots in the mold of C-3P0 and R2-D2. I'm sure you can figure out who the princess and general might be.
Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance
Quite possibly the most infamous film on this list, Lone Wolf and Cub would originally be labeled "the most violent film ever made" upon its release in 1972. Following the story of a wandering assassin that carries his child into battle, the series would spawn five sequels and an American/British recut of the first two films called Shogun Assassin.
The very setup for this series is something you see repeated to this very day. Last year's The Mandalorian drew direct parallels to this story. The main reason this film has stood the test of💞 time is that, not only are all of its sequels great, but it tackles the very idea of what makes a protagon❀ist a hero. Lead character Ogami Ittō is not an honorable man, yet he's dealing with even worse samurai. You can say it was the original "anti-hero" story.