Co-written and directed by Akira Kurosawa, Rashomon (1950) was a combination of two stories by Ryunosuke Akutagawa: "Rashomon" and "In a Grove". The film was innovative in it's use of a complex storyline combining different views of the same scenario... after a samurai is found murdered in a nearby forest. With cinematography by Kazuo Miyagawa, the visuals presented are unforgettable. Rashomon is widely considered to be a masterpiece... and the film that introduced Japanese cinema to Western audiences. The cast is great, including Toshiro Mifune, Masayuki Mori, Machiko Kyo, Takashi Shimura and Minoru Chiaki.
Directed by Takashi Miike, and written by Daisuke Tengan, 13 Assassins (2010) is a remake of Eiichi Kudo's 1963 film of the same title. The historical and semi-factual story, set in the 1840's, follows a group of Samurai warriors on a mission to kill the sadistic and cruel Lord Matsudaira Naritsugo during the end of the Tokugawa shogunate. Vastly outnumbered, the 13 Samurai battle a force of 200 men in an epic climax using ingenious tactics and expert swordsmanship. With period details, the production has indications of great historical research mixed with intense moviemaking and creative license. The cast does a fine job all-around, including Koji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Yusuke Iseya, Goro Inagaki, Masachika Ichimura and Mikijiro Hira.
