The Samurai Film

Although the samurai, a privileged warrior class deeply enmeshed in Japanese feudal society, vanished nearly a century and a half ago with the restoration of the Meiji dynasty, the cinematic icon lives on, in one form or another, mixing history and myth in a popular and widely influential genre. By the heyday of the 1960s, works in the samurai (or chambara) genre by seminal directors Akira Kurosawa, Hideo Gosha and others had turned its aesthetics of violence into some of the finest specimens of narrative cinema anywhere. As new generations of cinemagoers-inspired by films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), House of Flying Daggers (2004) or Tarantino's samurai homage, Kill Bill (Vols. I and II)-seek out examples new and old of ""the operatic complications and physical magic of the swordplay movies,"" they will find respected film analyst Silver's survey of enduring value. Silver's revised and expanded version of his 1977 study (first revised in 1983) offers not only close readings and discriminating assessments of major films and filmmakers but a wealth of insight into the history, philosophy and politics bearing on the chambara film in all its permutations and lines of influence. Complete with a generous array of photos, sophisticated filmography and glossary of Japanese terms, this volume will be an indispensable reference for serious fans and an excellent starting point for neophytes. But it's also a detailed, penetrating read for anyone interested in film history, especially as a gateway into some fascinating strains in Japanese culture and its ongoing dialogue with the West.