List of historical drama films set in Asia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Historical or period drama is a film genre in which stories are based on historical events and famous persons. Some historical dramas attempt to accurately portray a historical event or biography, to the degree that the available historical research will allow. Other historical dramas are fictionalised tales that are based on an actual person and their deeds.

Due to the sheer volume of films included in this genre and in the interest of continuity, this list is primarily focused on films pertaining to the history of East Asia, Central Asia, and India. For films pertaining to the history of Near Eastern and Western civilisation, please refer to list of historical period drama films and series set in Near Eastern and Western civilization.

The films on this page are divided into regions, and within each region the films are listed chronologically by subject matter.

Central Asia[]

Sortable table
Title Release date Setting Notes
Genghis Khan 1950 Mongolia Life of the Mongol Emperor and the Succession of his throne.
The Conqueror 1956 Mongolia universally panned as a terrible film, this English-language film starred John Wayne as Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan 1965 Mongolia the life and conquests of the Mongol emperor
Genghis Khan: To the Ends of the Earth and Sea 2007 Mongolia Japanese-Mongolian film about the life of Genghis Khan
Mongol 2007 Mongolia based on the early life of Genghis Khan
The Black Rose 1950 China English-language film about an English Saxon who travels China and meet a Mongol warlord
The Golden Horde 1951 Uzbekistan English-language film about an English knight who leads the defense of Samarkand against Genghis Khan
Queen Mandukhai the Wise 1988 Mongolia Mongolian language film about the life of Queen Mandukhai (1449–1510) who reunited the Mongols.
Tsogt Taij 1945 Mongolia Mongolian language film about the patriotic struggle of Prince Tsogt Taij (1581–1637).
Nomad 2006 Kazakhstan about the early years of Ablai Khan (early 18th century), a Kazakh khan in part of what is now Kazakhstan.
Myn Bala 2011 Kazakhstan Kazakhstani historical dramatic film depicting the eighteenth century war fought between the Kazakhs and the Dzungar Khanate
Kundun 1997 Tibet an American film depicting the early life of the 14th Dalai Lama and the 1950 invasion of Tibet and subsequent events
The Beast 1988 Afghanistan during the Soviet–Afghan War
Kandahar 2001 Afghanistan Afghanistan during the Taliban regime

South Asia[]

Indian subcontinent history[]

Sortable table
Title Release Period Note on setting
Mohenjo Daro 2016 2500 - 2000 BC Fictional story set in Mohenjo-daro, a city of the Bronze Age Indus Valley Civilization.
Siddhartha 1972 563/480 - 483/400 BC About the life of a boy and his search for a meaningful way of life
Gautama Buddha 2007 563/480 - 483/400 BC About the life of Gautama Buddha
Amrapali 1966 500 - ?BC Based on the life of Ambapali in India
Sikandar 1941 326 BC Set after Alexander the Great's conquest of Persia and as he pertains to his conquest of the kingdoms of Pauravas.
Chanakya Chandragupta 1977 3rd century BC Based on the lives of Maurya Emperor Chandragupta Maurya and his mentor Chanakya
Asoka 2001 268 - 232 BC fictionalized account of the reign of Ashoka (r. ), of the Mauryan Empire in India
Gautamiputra Satakarni 2017 2nd century about the achievements of Satavahana dynasty ruler Gautamiputra Satakarni of uniting various Indian kingdoms during the British Raj.
Mayura 1975 345 - 365 Based on the Kadamba Dynasty's King Mayurasharma set in India
Rajaraja Cholan 1973 947 - 1014 About the life history of great king Raja Raja Chola
Ponniyin Selvan 2022[1] 947 - 1014 About the life history of great king Raja Raja Chola
Prithviraj 2021 1178–1192 CE The film is based on life of Prithviraj Chauhan[2]
Ambikapathy 1937 1083 Tamil, a love story set in India in 1083
Rudhramadevi 2015 1262–1289 Based on the life of Rudrama Devi and her achievements during her ruling period
Padmaavat 2018 1303 Narrates a story about Padmavati, a legendary Rajput queen, and her kingdom's conflict with Delhi Sultan Alauddin Khilji
Tenali Ramakrishna 1956 1509–1529 Based on the life of Telugu poet Tenali Ramakrishna
Urumi 2011 1500 Historical fiction on Portuguese colonial rule in Malabar
Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea 2021 1505 – 1601 Based on the battle exploits and resistance of Kunjali Marakkar IV, the naval commander of the Samoothiri of Calicut, against Portuguese invasion along the Malabar Coast for establishing monopoly of trade in the Indian subcontinent.
Jodha-Akbar 2008 1556 – 1605 Set during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar, depicts his marriage to a Hindu Rajput princess .
Mughal-e-Azam 1960 1570/1580 Set during the Mughal Empire, depicting conflict between King Akbar and his son Crown Prince Salim over Anarkali.
Bhakta Tukaram 1973 1600s Based on the life of Marathi poet and saint Tukaram
Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story 2005 1627–1658 Story of Shah Jahan and his Queen Mumtaz Mahal and history of the monument Taj Mahal built to honour Mumtaz Mahal after her death.
Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior 2020 1670 Biopic of Tanaji Malusare
Hari Hara Veera Mallu 2022 17th century Telugu film; based on the life of legendary outlaw Veera Mallu
Bajirao Mastani 2015 1720–1740 Based closely on the life of Bajirao I and his controversial marriage to his Muslim wife Mastani.
Veerapandiya Kattabomman 1959 1760–1799 About the resistance of Veerapandiya Kattabomman to the Company rule in India, rule of the East India Company
Thugs of Hindostan 2018 1757–1857 Based on a band of Thugs resisting the East India Company's rule in India.
Panipat: The Great Betrayal 2019 1761 Biopic based on the Third Battle of Panipat
Laal Kaptaan 2019 1764 A revenge drama set after the events of the Battle of Buxar
Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja 2009 1796–1797 Life of Pazhassi Raja—an Indian royal resisting the East India Company
Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy 2019 1806–1847 Based on the life of Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy
The Deceivers 1988 1825 About Thugees in India in 1825
Veer 2010 1825 Set during the 1825 of Rajasthan, when India was ruled by the East India Company
Shatranj Ke Khiladi 1977 1856 Entailing the East India Company's annexation of the kingdom of Oudh (Awadh) from Wajid Ali Shah in 1856 on the eve of the Sepoy Mutiny.
Junoon 1978 1857 About a love story between one of the Rebels of 1857 in Rohilkhand and an Anglo-Indian woman that he has held hostage (along with her mother and grandmother).
Mangal Pandey: The Rising 2005 1857 About Mangal Pandey and the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857.
Gandhi 1982 1869–1948 About the life of Mohandas K. Gandhi
Sardar 1993 1875–1950 Life of India's first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
Jinnah 1998 1876–1948 Film follows the life of the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Veer Savarkar 2001 1883–1966 About life and times of great revolutionary Swatantryaveer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar
Lagaan 2001 1893 A fictional account of a cricket game between the villagers of Champaner and the local British cantonment played in an effort to cancel the "lagaan" (a grain tax levied by the colonial authorities in India).
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero 2005 1897–1945 About Indian freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose
Alluri Seetarama Raju 1974 1898–1924 Based on the life of Indian freedom fighter Alluri Sita Rama Raju.
A Passage To India 1984 1920s Based on E. M. Forster's novel about two British woman who visit India during the British Raj and their adventures there.
RRR 2021 1920s Fictional story about India's freedom fighters, Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem; set in Delhi of 1920s
Paradesi 2013 1930s Based on the lives affected by plantation.
Madrasapattinam 2010 1940s A fictional account about the love story between a British woman and an Indian man during the Raj
Zubeidaa 2001 1940s/1950s. a semi-biographical account of writer Khalid Mohamed's mother, the actress Zubeida Begum that is set in the late 1940s and the 1950s.
Dharmputra 1961 1947 This picture is concerned with the communal violence that marked the Partition of India in 1947. Set in Delhi, the movie focuses on the complex relationships between two families, namely a Hindu one and a Muslim one.
1947 Earth 1998 1947 A partition film, directed by Deepa Mehta
Gadar: Ek Prem Katha 2001 1947 Another movie featuring the 1947 partition starring Sunny Deol and Amisha Patel in a Sikh-Muslim love story.
Pinjar 2003 1947 with regards to the partition of Punjab. This film is based on the Amrita Pritam story of the same name.
Partition 2007 1947 one of the more recent films on the Indian partition.
Hey Ram 2000 1948 Tamil, A period drama told in flashback, the semi-fictional plot centres on India's Partition and the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi
1971 2007 1971 based on the plight of Indian prisoners of war in the aftermath of 1971 war between India and Pakistan
Border 1997 1971 about the Battle of Longewala in the Indo-Pakistani war
Kappalottiya Tamizhan 1961 Early 20th Century Film about freedom fighter V. O. Chidambaram Pillai who starts his fleet of ship by selling his property to protest against non usage of British ships for goods transport
Khamosh Pani 2003 1970s about a widowed mother and her young son set in a late 1970s village in Punjab, Pakistan which is coming under radical influence
Palay Khan 1986 ?

Pakistani history[]

Title Language Release date Time period Notes on setting
Ghazi Ilmuddin Shaheed Punjabi 1978 1920s Biopic based on Ilmuddin (1908-1929), a man hanged for the murder of Mahashay Rajpal.
Ghazi Ilmuddin Shaheed Urdu 2002 1920s Biopic based on Ilmuddin (1908-1929), a man hanged for the murder of Mahashay Rajpal.
Shah Urdu 2015 Biopic based on the life of Pakistan's only boxing Olympic medallist, Hussain Shah (born 1964)
Manto Urdu 2015 1940s-1950s Biopic based on the life of writer, Saadat Hasan Manto (1912-1955).
Kartar Singh Punjabi 1959 1940s Based on the Partition of India.
Lakhon mein aik 1967 1947 Based on the Partition of India.
Jannat ke Talaash Urdu 1999 1947 Based on the Partition of India.
Jinnah Urdu 1998 1900s-1948 Biopic based on the life of Mohammad Ali Jinnah (1876-1948), founder of Pakistan

Sri Lankan history[]

Sortable table
Title Release date Time period Notes on setting
Vijaya Kuweni 2012 543-505 BC based on the historical tale of Wijaya-Kuveni
Aba 2008 437–367 BC based on the historical legend of King Pandukabhaya
Mahindagamanaya 2011 250 BC based on arrival of Buddhism to Sri Lanka
Maharaja Gemunu 2015 161-137 BC based on the odyssey of King Dutugamunu
Aloko Udapadi 2017 103 BC and c. 89–77 BC based on the odyssey of King King Valagamba
Siri Daladagamanaya 2012 300s based on venerated of Tooth relic to Sri Lanka
The God King 1974 473 based on the historical clash between brothers Kasyapa and Moggalana on Sigiriya Rock
Siri Parakum 2013 1153–1186 based on the historical legend of King Parakramabahu I the Great
Kivulegedara Mohottala 1987 1817–1818 based on freedom fighter Kivulegedara Mohottala and Great Rebellion of 1817–1818
Vera Puran Appu 1979 1812–1848 based on freedom fighter Puran Appu

East Asia[]

Chinese and Taiwanese history[]

Sortable table
Title Release date Time period Notes on setting
The Last Woman of Shang 1964 1075–1046 BC a Hong Kong film about Daji, a concubine of King Zhou of Shang
Sacrifice 2010 607-581 BC based on the play The Orphan of Zhao, set in the Jin state during the Spring and Autumn period
Confucius 1940 551-479 BC thought to be a lost film, but was rediscovered in 2001 and restored
Confucius 2010 505-479 BC starring Chow Yun-fat as Confucius
Little Big Soldier 2010 475–221 BC an action-comedy film set in the Warring States period, about a war between the Liang and Wey states
A Battle of Wits 2006 375–369 BC set in the reign of King Lie of Zhou
The Warring States 2011 ca. 316 BC set in the Warring States period (475–221 BC), loosely based on the rivalry between Sun Bin (d. 316 BC) and Pang Juan (d. 342 BC)
The Emperor's Shadow 1996 259–210 BC about a troubled friendship between Qin Shi Huang and the musician Gao Jianli
Wheat 2009 260 BC the story of women left behind when their husbands went to war during the Battle of Changping
The Emperor and the Assassin 1998 227 BC based on the assassination attempt by Jing Ke on Qin Shi Huang
Hero 2002 227 BC based on the assassination attempt by Jing Ke on Qin Shi Huang
The Great Conqueror's Concubine 1994 206–202 BC a Hong Kong film set in the Chu–Han Contention
White Vengeance 2011 206–202 BC loosely based on the Feast at Hong Gate and events in the Chu–Han Contention
The Last Supper 2012 206–202 BC based on events in the Chu–Han Contention
Red Cliff 2008 winter of 208–209 epic war film based on the Battle of Red Cliffs
The Assassins 2012 210 The film is set in China in the late 210s – the years preceding the end of the Han dynasty
The Lost Bladesman 2011 219 a Hong Kong film loosely based on the story of Guan Yu (d. 219) in the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon 2008 229 a Hong Kong film about Zhao Yun, loosely based on parts of the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms
An Empress and the Warriors 2008 ca. 350 set in the Former Yan during the Sixteen Kingdoms period
Mulan 2009 ca. 386-534 based on the legend of Hua Mulan
Mulan Joins the Army 1939 ca. 567-571 based on the legend of Hua Mulan
Shaolin Temple 1982 619-621 starring Jet Li, based on the story of Shaolin Temple help Li Shimin
The Empress Wu Tse-tien 1939 650-705 based on the story of Wu Zetian
Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame 2010 684-690 a Hong Kong film based on a fictional account of Di Renjie, set in the reign of Wu Zetian
Warriors of Heaven and Earth 2003 700 an action-adventure film set in Xinjiang
The Promise 2005 766-780 Set during the end of the Tang dynasty
House of Flying Daggers 2004 859 Set during the end of the Tang dynasty
Trilogy of Swordsmanship (Part 2: The Tigress) 1972 860s a Hong Kong film (only Part 2) set during Pang Xun's rebellion
General Stone 1976 880s a Hong Kong film about Li Cunxiao
The Heroic Ones 1970 880s a Hong Kong film about Li Keyong's generals
Curse of the Golden Flower 2006 928 Set during the Later Tang Dynasty
All the King's Men 1983 950s a Taiwanese film about Chai Rong's last days
Great Liao's Empress Dowager 1995 969–982 a Chinese film about Empress Xiao Yanyan
Saving General Yang 2013 980s a Hong Kong film about the Generals of the Yang Family legends
The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter 1983 980s a Hong Kong film about the Generals of the Yang Family legends
The Eight Diagram Cudgel Fighter 1985 980s a Hong Kong film about the Generals of the Yang Family legends
Generals of the Yang Family 1984 980s a Chinese film about the Generals of the Yang Family legends
The Silk Road 1988 1026 a Japanese film about Western Xia
The 14 Amazons 1972 1030s a Hong Kong film about the Genearals of the Yang Family legends
Legendary Amazons 2011 1030s a Chinese film about the Genearals of the Yang Family legends
The Journey to Xixia Empire 1997 1087 a Chinese film about Western Xia (Xixia)
Marco Polo 1982 1254–1324 an American-Italian television miniseries about the Venetian explorer who traveled to China and served in the court of Kublai Khan
Fall of Ming 2013 1368-1644
Brotherhood of Blades 2014 1368-1644
The Sino-Dutch War 1661 2000 1645–1662 based on the story of Koxinga (1624–1662), with the focus on the Siege of Fort Zeelandia
The Opium War 1997 1839-42 historical epic film about the First Opium War, told through the eyes of Lin Zexu and Charles Elliot
The Warlords 2007 1850–1864 set in the Qing Dynasty during the Taiping Rebellion
The Empress Dowager 1975 1835–1908 a Hong Kong film about Empress Dowager Cixi
Li Lianying: The Imperial Eunuch 1991 1848–1911 the Qing Dynasty eunuch Li Lianying
Fearless 2006 1868–1910 a biographical film about late Qing Dynasty martial artist Huo Yuanjia
55 Days at Peking 1963 1900 an American film starring Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner and David Niven and set during the Boxer Rebellion
Empire of Silver 2009 1899–1901 a Hong Kong film set in the Qing Dynasty during the Boxer Rebellion
Red River Valley 1997 1903–1904 about the British expedition to Tibet
The Woman Knight of Mirror Lake 2011 1875–1907 a biographical film about revolutionary Qiu Jin
Road to Dawn 2007 1910 about Sun Yat-sen's life in Penang from July to December 1910
Magnificent 72 1980 1911 about Lin Juemin and the Second Guangzhou Uprising, with a brief scene of Qiu Jin's arrest in 1907
Bodyguards and Assassins 2009 1911 a Hong Kong film set in Colonial Hong Kong near the end of the Qing dynasty. The events in the film led to the Wuchang Uprising
1911 2011 1911 about the Xinhai Revolution
The Founding of a Party 2011 1921 about the formation of the Communist Party of China in 1921
Seediq Bale 2011 1930 Film depicting the plight of Taiwanese aborigines of the Seediq tribe during the period of Taiwan under Japanese rule, and their role in the Wushe Incident.
A Murder Beside Yanhe River 2014 1933-37 based on the murder case of Huang Kegong, who was a general of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army
7-Man Army 1976 1933 a Hong Kong film depicting the Defense of the Great Wall
Black Sun: The Nanking Massacre 1994 1937 a Hong Kong film about the Nanking Massacre
Don't Cry, Nanking 1995 1937 the Nanking Massacre
City of Life and Death 2009 1937 dealing with the Battle of Nanjing and its aftermath, the Nanking Massacre
John Rabe 2009 1937 a biographical film about John Rabe and his experiences in the Nanking Massacre
The Flowers of War 2011 1937 about a group of escapees caught up in the 1937 Battle of Nanking
The Spring River Flows East 1947 1937–1945 the trials and tribulations of a Chinese family through the Second Sino-Japanese War
On the Mountain of Tai Hang 2005 1937–1945 about the Eighth Route Army, set in the Second Sino-Japanese War
The Children of Huang Shi 2008 1938 about George Hogg leading 60 orphans across China in an effort to save them from conscription during the Second Sino-Japanese War
Bridge 1949 1927–1950 the Chinese Civil War
Yangtse Incident 1957 1927–1950 a British film about the Royal Navy frigate HMS Amethyst getting caught up in the Chinese Civil War
Tunnel War 1965 1937–1945 about a small town defending itself by use of a network of tunnels during the Second Sino-Japanese War
Hong Kong 1941 1983 1941–1945 a Hong Kong film set in Japanese-occupied Hong Kong during World War II
Men Behind the Sun 1988 1937–1945 a Hong Kong film depicting war atrocities committed by the Japanese Unit 731 during World War II
The Last Emperor 1987 1906–1967 an Academy Award winning film about China's last emperor Puyi
Assembly 2007 1927–1950 epic war film set in the Chinese Civil War
The Soong Sisters 1997 1911–1949 about the Soong sisters
A City of Sadness 1989 1947 Taiwanese historical drama film sets immediately after WWII in the late 1940s. The film was the first to depict the February 28 Incident of 1947, an anti-government uprising that was quelled.
Decisive Engagement 1991 1949 about the Chinese Civil War (Liaoshen Campaign, Huaihai Campaign and Pingjin Campaign)
The Founding of a Republic 2009 1949 about the founding of the People's Republic of China
24 City 2008 1958–1980 A docudrama film about the generations of people who worked in state factories during the industrialization and were demolished during the modernization of China.
Forever Enthralled 2008 1894–1961 biographical film about Peking opera artist Mei Lanfang
The Tokyo Trial 2006 1904–1973 presenting the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal from the point of view of Mei Ju-ao
Phurbu & Tenzin 2014 1944-1980 about the two monks in Tibet.
Coming Home 2014 1966-1976 Set during the Cultural Revolution in China.
Aftershock 2010 1976-2010 The aftermath of the 1976 Tangshan earthquake

Japanese history[]

Samurai cinema and Jidai-geki films[]

Jidai-geki 時代劇 is a genre of film, television, and theatre in Japan. Literally "period dramas", they are most often set during the Edo period of Japanese history, from 1603 to 1868. Some, however, are set much earlier—Portrait of Hell, for example, is set during the late Heian period—and the early Meiji era is also a popular setting. Jidaigeki show the lives of the samurai, farmers, craftsmen, and merchants of their time. Jidaigeki films are sometimes referred to as chambara movies, a word meaning "sword fight", though chambara is more accurately a subgenre of jidaigeki, which equates to historical period drama. In Japan, the term chanbara (チャンバラ), also commonly spelled "chambara", meaning "sword fighting" movies,[3] denotes the genre called samurai cinema in English, and is roughly equivalent to western cowboy and swashbuckler films. Jidaigeki may refer to a story set in a historical period, though not necessarily dealing with a samurai character or depicting swordplay. Jidaigeki rely on an established set of dramatic conventions including the use of makeup, language, catchphrases, and plotlines.

Title Director Notable cast Release date Time period Notes
Kōchiyama to Nao-zamurai Ichitarō Kataoka, Matsunosuke Onoe, Kijaku Ōtani 1916.12.18 Based on the play of the same name.
Nao-zamurai Jiro Yoshino Shirogoro Sawamura 1922.03.03 Based on the play of the same name.
A Diary of Chuji's Travels Daisuke Itō Denjirō Ōkōchi 1927.03.10 Awards: 1 Kinema Junpo Award
Sword of Penitence Yasujirō Ozu Saburo Azuma, Kunimatsu Ogawa, Kanji Kawahara, Shoichi Nodera 1927.10.14
Jobless Samurai Masahiro Makino Kōmei Minami, Tōichirō Negishi, Tsuyako Okajima 1928.10.20 Awards: 1 Kinema Junpo Award
Nao-zamurai Kintarō Inoue Chōjirō Hayashi, Ryūnosuke Tsukigata, Kōkichi Takada, Kinuko Wakamizu 1930.03.03 Based on the play of the same name.
Jirokichi the Rat Daisuke Itō Denjirō Ōkōchi, Naoe Fushimi, Nobuko Fushimi 1931.12.31
Chūshingura Zenpen: Akōkyō no maki Teinosuke Kinugasa Tomio Aoki, Juzaburo Bando, Kōtarō Bandō 1932.12.01
Chūshingura - Ninjō-hen, Fukushū-hen Daisuke Itō Shinpachirō Asaka, Satoko Date, Sannosuke Fujikawa 1934.05.17
The Million Ryo Pot Sadao Yamanaka Denjirō Ōkōchi, Kiyozo, Kunitarō Sawamura 1935.06.15
The Avenging Ghost of Yukinojo, Part 1 Teinosuke Kinugasa Kazuo Hasegawa, Tokusaburo Arashi, Akiko Chihaya 1935.06.27
The Avenging Ghost of Yukinojo, Part 2 Teinosuke Kinugasa Kazuo Hasegawa, Tokusaburo Arashi, Akiko Chihaya 1935.10.01
Daibosatsu tōge: dai-ippen - Kōgen itto-ryū no maki Hiroshi Inagaki Fujiko Fukamizu, Ranko Hanai, Takako Irie 1935.11.15
The Avenging Ghost of Yukinojo, Part 3 Teinosuke Kinugasa Kazuo Hasegawa, Tokusaburo Arashi, Akiko Chihaya 1936.01.15
Daibosatsu tōge: Suzuka-yama no maki - Mibu Shimabara no maki Hiroshi Inagaki Fujiko Fukamizu, Kobunji Ichikawa, Momonosuke Ichikawa 1936.04.15
Humanity and Paper Balloons Sadao Yamanaka Chojuro Kawarazaki, Kanemon Nakamura, Shizue Yamagishi 1937.08.25 1700s
Chikemuri Takadanobaba Hiroshi Inagaki, Masahiro Makino Tsumasaburō Bandō, Tokuma Dan, Komako Hara 1937.12.31
Chushingura, Part One Kajirō Yamamoto Denjirō Ōkōchi, Kazuo Hasegawa, Yatarō Kurokawa 1939.04.21 1701
Chushingura, Part Two Kajirō Yamamoto Denjirō Ōkōchi, Kazuo Hasegawa, Yatarō Kurokawa 1939.04.21 1701
Singing Lovebirds Masahiro Makino Chiezō Kataoka, Takashi Shimura 1939.12.14
A Color Print of Edo Kazuo Mori Shinpachirō Asaka, Utaemon Ichikawa, Yaeko Kumoi 1939.03.01
The 47 Ronin Kenji Mizoguchi Chojuro Kawarasaki, Kanemon Nakamura, Kunitaro Kawarazaki, Yoshizaburo Arashi, Daisuke Katō 1941.12.01 1701–1703 Two-part film depicting the famous actions of the Forty-seven rōnin in 1701–1703. Part 2 was released on 1942.02.11.
Kikuchi sembon-yari: Shidonî tokubetsu kōgeki-tai Tomiyasu Ikeda, Sentarō Shirai Kanzo Yoshii, Utaemon Ichikawa, Kusuo Abe 1944.01.14
A Tale of Archery at the Sanjusangendo Mikio Naruse Kazuo Hasegawa, Kinuyo Tanaka, Sensho Ichikawa 1945.06.28
Utamaro and His Five Women Kenji Mizoguchi Minosuke Bandō, Kinuyo Tanaka, Kōtarō Bandō 1946.12.15 1800s
Surōnin makaritōru Daisuke Itō Tsumasaburō Bandō, Ryūtarō Ōtomo, Kusuo Abe 1947.10.28
Ore wa yojinbo Hiroshi Inagaki Chiezō Kataoka, Ryūnosuke Tsukigata, Achako Hanabishi 1950.02.19
Senritsu Hideo Sekigawa Utaemon Ichikawa, Haruyo Ichikawa 1950.02.26
Wakasama zamurai torimonochō: nazo no nōmen yashiki Nobuo Nakagawa Yatarō Kurokawa, Denjirō Ōkōchi, Seizaburō Kawazu 1950.12.01
Rashomon Akira Kurosawa Toshirō Mifune, Masayuki Mori, Machiko Kyō, Takashi Shimura 1950.08.26
Kanketsu Sasaki Kojirō: Ganryū-jima kettō Hiroshi Inagaki Tomoemon Otani, Toshirō Mifune, Hisako Yamane 1951.10.26
Five Men of Edo Daisuke Itō Tsumasaburō Bandō, Utaemon Ichikawa, Isuzu Yamada 1951.11.22
Vendetta of a Samurai Kazuo Mori Toshirō Mifune, Yuriko Hamada, Takashi Shimura 1952.01.03 Awards: 1 Blue Ribbon Award, 1 Mainichi Film Concours
The Life of Oharu Kenji Mizoguchi Kinuyo Tanaka, Tsukie Matsuura, Ichirō Sugai, Toshirō Mifune, Takashi Shimura 1952.04.17
The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail Akira Kurosawa Denjirō Ōkōchi, Susumu Fujita, Kenichi Enomoto 1952.04.24 1185
Sword for Hire Hiroshi Inagaki Rentarō Mikuni, Danshirō Ichikawa, Shirley Yamaguchi 1952.05.22
Tsukigata Hanpeita Kokichi Uchide Hiroshi Aoyama, Masao Aoyama, Michiyo Azuma 1952.05.29
Ugetsu Monogatari Kenji Mizoguchi Masayuki Mori, Machiko Kyō, Kinuyo Tanaka 1953.03.26 Based on the novel of the same name.
Gate of Hell Teinosuke Kinugasa Kazuo Hasegawa, Machiko Kyō 1953.10.31 1159 Awards: 2 Academy Awards, 1 Golden Leopard, 1 New York Film Critics Circle Award, Palme d'Or,
Sansho the Bailiff Kenji Mizoguchi Kinuyo Tanaka, Yoshiaki Hanayagi, Kyōko Kagawa, Eitarō Shindō 1954.03.31 794-1185 Awards: 1 Silver Lion
Seven Samurai Akira Kurosawa Takashi Shimura, Toshirō Mifune 1954.04.26 1586 Awards: 2 Jussi Awards, 1 Mainichi Film Award, 1 Silver Lion
Akō gishi Ryohei Arai Yatarō Kurokawa 1954.09.15
Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto Hiroshi Inagaki Toshirō Mifune, Rentarō Mikuni 1954.09.26 1600 Awards: 1 Academy Award
The Crucified Lovers Kenji Mizoguchi Kazuo Hasegawa, Kyōko Kagawa, Eitarō Shindō 1954.11.23 Awards: 1 Blue Ribbon Award
The Playful Fox and the Thousand Cherry Trees Torajiro Saito Takashi Wada, Yumiko Hasegawa 1954.12.28
Bloody Spear at Mount Fuji Tomu Uchida Chiezo Kataoka, Ryūnosuke Tsukigata, Chizuru Kitagawa 1955.02.27 1603-1868 Awards: 1 Blue Ribbon Award
Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple Hiroshi Inagaki Toshirō Mifune, Kōji Tsuruta 1955.07.12
The Lone Journey Hiroshi Inagaki Ryō Ikebe, Mariko Okada, Akihiko Hirata 1955.08.31
Tales of the Taira Clan Kenji Mizoguchi Narutoshi Hayashi, Raizō Ichikawa, Tatsuya Ishiguro 1955.09.21 Awards: 1 Mainichi Film Concours
Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island Hiroshi Inagaki Toshirō Mifune, Kōji Tsuruta 1956.01.03
Akō Rōshi: Ten no Maki, Chi no Maki Sadatsugu Matsuda Harue Akagi, Ryūtarō Aoyagi, Ushio Akashi 1956.01.15 1701
Yagyū Ren'yasai: Hidentsuki Kageshō Katsuhiko Tasaka Raizo Ichikawa, Shintaro Katsu, Yataro Kurokawa, Ryosuke Kagawa 1956.02.26 1603-1868
Ghost of Hanging in Utusunomiya Nobuo Nakagawa Hiroshi Ogasawara, Akemi Tsukushi, Tetsurō Tamba 1956.09.19
Dandy Sashichi Detective Story: Six Famous Beauties Nobuo Nakagawa Tomisaburō Wakayama, Keiko Hibino, Misako Uji 1956.12.11
Throne of Blood Akira Kurosawa Toshirō Mifune, Isuzu Yamada, Takashi Shimura 1957.01.15
The Lord Takes a Bride Sadatsugu Matsuda Harue Akagi, Ushio Akashi 1957.04.02
Yagyu Secret Scrolls Hiroshi Inagaki Toshirō Mifune, Kōji Tsuruta, Yoshiko Kuga, Mariko Okada, Denjiro Okochi, Kyoko Kagawa 1957.04.14
Akadō Suzunosuke: Tsukiyo no kaijin Bin Kado Masaji Umeiwa, Narutoshi Hayashi, Tamao Nakamura 1957.06.18
Adauchi sōzenji baba Masahiro Makino Ryūtarō Ōtomo 1957.06.25
Souls in the Moonlight Tomu Uchida Chiezo Kataoka, Kinnosuke Nakamura, Yumiko Hasegawa 1957.07.13 Awards: 1 Mainichi Film Concours
Sun in the Last Days of the Shogunate Yuzo Kawashima Frankie Sakai, Yōko Minamida, Sachiko Hidari, Yujiro Ishihara 1957.07.14 1853-1867 Awards: 1 Blue Ribbon Award, 1 Kinema Junpo Award, 1 Mainichi Film Concours
A Matter of Valor Tatsuo Osone Ennosuke Ichikawa, Danko Ichikawa, Yaeko Mizutani, Kōkichi Takada 1957.08.10
Akadō Suzunosuke: Shingetsu-to no yōki Bin Kado Masaji Umeiwa, Narutoshi Hayashi, Tamao Nakamura 1957.09.21
The Prodigal Son Hiromichi Horikawa Nakamura Senjaku II, Nakamura Ganjirō II, Eiko Miyoshi 1957.11.15
Demon Crusader Kenji Misumi Raizō Ichikawa, Yōko Uraji, Seizaburō Kawazu 1957.12.15 Based on the novel of the same name.
The Idle Vassal: House of the Snake Princess Yasushi Sasaki Utaemon Ichikawa 1957.12.28
Yagyu Secret Scrolls, Part II Hiroshi Inagaki Toshirō Mifune, Kōji Tsuruta, Yoshiko Kuga, Mariko Okada, Nobuko Otowa, Eijirō Tōno 1958.01.03
Chushingura Kunio Watanabe Kazuo Hasegawa, Shintaro Katsu, Kōji Tsuruta, Raizō Ichikawa, Machiko Kyō 1958.04.01
Suzunosuke Akado: The Birdman with Three Eyes Kazuo Mori Masaji Umeiwa, Narutoshi Hayashi, Yatarō Kurokawa 1958.03.11
Detective Hibari: Case of the Golden Hairpins Tadashi Sawashima Hibari Misora, Kōtarō Satomi, Chiyonosuke Azuma 1958.04.01
The Ballad of Narayama Keisuke Kinoshita Kinuyo Tanaka, Teiji Takahashi, Yuuko Mochizuki 1958.06.01 Awards: 3 Kinema Junpo Awards, 3 Mainichi Film Concours
The 7th Secret Courier for Edo Kazuo Mori Raizo Ichikawa, Michiko Ai, Tokiko Mita 1958.06.10
The Barbarian and the Geisha John Huston John Wayne, Eiko Ando, Sam Jaffe, Sō Yamamura 1958.09.30 1856
The Hidden Fortress Akira Kurosawa Toshirō Mifune, Misa Uehara, Minoru Chiaki, Kamatari Fujiwara 1958.12.28 Awards: 1 Silver Bear Award
Life of an Expert Swordsman Hiroshi Inagaki Toshirō Mifune, Yoko Tsukasa 1959.04.28
Hawk of the North Toshikazu Kōno Kinnosuke Nakamura, Keiko Ogawa, Yoshiko Sakuma 1959.05.25
The Ghost of Yotsuya Nobuo Nakagawa Shigeru Amachi, Noriko Kitazawa, Katsuko Wakasugi 1959.07.01
Kagerō Ezu Teinosuke Kinugasa Raizō Ichikawa, Fujiko Yamamoto, Osamu Takizawa 1959.09.27
Shinsengumi: Last Days of the Shogunate Ko Sasaki Chiezo Kataoka, Tomisaburō Wakayama, Yatarō Kurokawa 1960.07.10
The Story of Osaka Castle Hiroshi Inagaki Toshirō Mifune, Kyōko Kagawa, Akihiko Hirata 1961.01.03
Samurai Hawk Nobuo Nakagawa Utaemon Ichikawa, Ryūji Shinagawa, Atsushi Watanabe 1961.03.05
Akō Rōshi Sadatsugu Matsuda Kusuo Abe, Kyōko Aoyama, Chiyonosuke Azuma 1961.03.28
Yojimbo Akira Kurosawa Toshirō Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Yoko Tsukasa, Isuzu Yamada 1961.04.25 1860
Miyamoto Musashi Tomu Uchida Kinnosuke Nakamura, Akiko Kazami, Wakaba Irie 1961.05.27
Hangyakuji Daisuke Itō Kinnosuke Nakamura, Haruko Sugimura, Chiyonosuke Azuma 1961.11.08 Awards: 1 Blue Ribbon Award, 1 Mainichi Film Concours
Sanjuro Akira Kurosawa Toshirō Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Keiju Kobayashi, Yūzō Kayama 1962.01.01 Sequel to the 1961 film Yojimbo.
In Search of Mother Tai Katō Kinnosuke Nakamura, Hiroki Matsukata, Michiyo Kogure 1962.01.14
Shiro Amakusa, the Christian Rebel Nagisa Oshima Hashizō Ōkawa, Ryūtarō Ōtomo, Satomi Oka 1962.03.21
Princess Sen and Hideyori Masahiro Makino Hibari Misora, Kinnosuke Nakamura, Ken Takakura, Jūshirō Konoe 1962.03.28 1615-1616
The Tale of Zatoichi Kenji Misumi Shintaro Katsu, Masayo Banri, Ryuzo Shimada, Hajime Mitamura, Shigeru Amachi 1962.04.18
Harakiri Masaki Kobayashi Tatsuya Nakadai, Rentarō Mikuni, Shima Iwashita, Akira Ishihama 1962.09.16 1619–1630
The Tale of Zatoichi Continues Kazuo Mori Shintarō Katsu, Yoshie Mizutani, Masayo Banri, Tomisaburō Wakayama 1962.10.12
Chushingura Hiroshi Inagaki Matsumoto Hakuō I, Yūzō Kayama, Toshirō Mifune, Chūsha Ichikawa, Akira Kubo 1962.11.03 1701–1703 Another film about the Forty-seven rōnin.
Miyamoto Musashi: Showdown at Hannyazaka Heights Tomu Uchida Kinnosuke Nakamura, Wakaba Irie, Isao Kimura 1962.11.17
Shinobi no Mono Satsuo Yamamoto Raizō Ichikawa, Yūnosuke Itō, Shiho Fujimura 1962.12.01 1575-1581 Based on the novel of the same name.
Shinsengumi Chronicles Kenji Misumi Shigeru Amachi, San'emon Arashi, Saburō Date 1963.01.03
An Actor's Revenge Kon Ichikawa Kazuo Hasegawa, Fujiko Yamamoto 1963.01.13 Remake of the 1935 film An Actor's Revenge.
Escape from Hell Kazuo Inoue Keiji Sada, Mariko Okada, Takahiro Tamura 1963.01.27
The New Tale of Zatoichi Tokuzo Tanaka Shintaro Katsu, Mikiko Tsubouchi 1963.03.15
Sengoku Yaro Kihachi Okamoto Yūzō Kayama, Yuriko Hoshi, Makoto Satō 1963.03.24
Castle of Owls Eiichi Kudō Ryūtarō Ōtomo, Minoru Ōki, Hizuru Takachiho 1963.03.24
Cruel Tales of Bushido Tadashi Imai Kinnosuke Nakamura, Eijirō Tōno, Kyōko Kishida 1963.04.28
Bloody Record of the Shinsengumi Shigehiro Ozawa Utaemon Ichikawa, Takeshi Katō, Kei Satō 1963.05.12
Brave Records of the Sanada Clan Tai Kato Kinnosuke Nakamura, Misako Watanabe 1963.06.02
Seventeen Ninja Yasuto Hasegawa Kōtarō Satomi, Jūshirō Konoe, Yuriko Mishima 1963.07.07
Zatoichi the Fugitive Tokuzo Tanaka Shintaro Katsu, Miwa Takada, Sachiko Murase 1963.08.10
Shinobi no Mono 2: Vengeance Satsuo Yamamoto Raizō Ichikawa, Shiho Fujimura 1963.08.10 1582-1594 Based on the novel of the same name.
Miyamoto Musashi: The Duel Against Yagyu Tomu Uchida Kinnosuke Nakamura, Wakaba Irie, Isao Kimura 1963.08.14
The Great Bandit Senkichi Taniguchi Toshirō Mifune, Tadao Nakamaru, Mie Hama 1963.10.26
Sleepy Eyes of Death: The Chinese Jade Tokuzō Tanaka Raizō Ichikawa, Tamao Nakamura, Shinobu Araki 1963.11.02
Zatoichi on the Road Kimiyoshi Yasuda Shintarō Katsu, Shiho Fujimura, Ryūzō Shimada 1963.11.30
Thirteen Assassins Eiichi Kudo Chiezo Kataoka, Kō Nishimura, Ryōhei Uchida 1963.12.07
Shinobi no Mono 3: Resurrection Kazuo Mori Raizō Ichikawa, Ayako Wakao, Saburō Date 1963.12.28 1595-1600 Based on the novel of the same name.
Miyamoto Musashi: The Duel at Ichijoji Tomu Uchida Kinnosuke Nakamura, Wakaba Irie, Isao Kimura 1964.01.01
Sleepy Eyes of Death: Sword of Adventure Kenji Misumi Raizō Ichikawa, Kōichi Aihara, San'emon Arashi 1964.01.09
Warrior of the Wind Tai Katō Hashizō Ōkawa, Hiroko Sakuramachi, Naoko Kubo 1964.01.15
The Third Ninja Toshikazu Kōno Kōtarō Satomi, Kōji Nanbara, Kei Satō, Kikuko Hōjō, Misako Watanabe 1964.03.01 1572
Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold Kazuo Ikehiro Shintarō Katsu, Shōgo Shimada, Mikiko Tsubouchi 1964.03.14
Three Outlaw Samurai Hideo Gosha Tetsurō Tamba, Isamu Nagato, Mikijirō Hira, Yoshiko Kayama 1964.05.13
Sleepy Eyes of Death: Full Circle Killing Kimiyoshi Yasuda Raizō Ichikawa, Kyooko Azuma, Ryonosuke Azuma 1964.05.23
Assassination Masahiro Shinoda Tetsurō Tamba, Shima Iwashita 1964.07.04
Shinobi no Mono 4: Siege Tokuzo Tanaka Raizō Ichikawa, Saburō Date, Midori Isomura 1964.07.11 1614-1615
Sleepy Eyes of Death: Sword of Seduction Kazuo Ikehiro Raizō Ichikawa, Michiko Ai, Akira Amemiya 1964.10.17
Fight, Zatoichi, Fight Kenji Misumi Shintarō Katsu, Nobuo Kaneko, Gen Kimura 1964.10.17
Adauchi Tadashi Imai Kinnosuke Nakamura, Takahiro Tamura, Tetsurō Tamba 1964.11.01
Onibaba Kaneto Shindo Nobuko Otowa, Jitsuko Yoshimura, Kei Satō 1964.11.21
The Scarlet Camellia Yoshitarō Nomura Shima Iwashita, Yoshi Katō, Sachiko Hidari 1964.11.21 Awards: 1 Blue Ribbon Award
Adventures of Zatoichi Kimiyoshi Yasuda Shintarō Katsu, Miwa Takada, Eiko Taki 1964.12.30
Bakumatsu zankoku monogatari Tai Katō Sumiko Fuji, Chōichirō Kawarasaki, Isao Kimura 1964.12.12 Awards: 1 Blue Ribbon Award
Shinobi no Mono 5: Mist Saizo Returns Kazuo Ikehiro Raizō Ichikawa, Yukiko Fuji, Shiho Fujimura 1964.12.30 1616
Samurai Assassin Kihachi Okamoto Toshirō Mifune, Koshiro Matsumoto, Yunosuke Ito, Michiyo Aratama 1965.01.03
Kwaidan Masaki Kobayashi Rentarō Mikuni, Keiko Kishi, Michiyo Aratama, Misako Watanabe, Tatsuya Nakadai 1965.01.06
Sleepy Eyes of Death: Sword of Fire Kenji Misumi Raizō Ichikawa, Tamao Nakamura, Sanae Nakahara 1965.01.13
Red Beard Akira Kurosawa Toshirō Mifune, Yūzō Kayama 1965.04.03
Zatoichi's Revenge Akira Inoue Shintarō Katsu, Norihei Miki, Mikiko Tsubouchi 1965.04.03
Sleepy Eyes of Death: Sword of Satan Kimiyoshi Yasuda Raizō Ichikawa, Michiko Saga, Machiko Hasegawa 1965.05.01
Shinobi no Mono 6: Iga Mansion Kazuo Mori Raizō Ichikawa, Kaoru Yachigusa, Isao Yamagata 1965.06.12 1637-1651
Samurai Spy Masahiro Shinoda Kōji Takahashi 1965.07.10
Muhōmatsu no isshō Kenji Misumi Shintarō Katsu, Ineko Arima, Ken Utsui 1965.07.14
Yotsuya Kaidan Shirō Toyoda Tatsuya Nakadai, Mariko Okada, Junko Ikeuchi 1965.07.25
Miyamoto Musashi: Musashi vs. Kojiro Tomu Uchida Kinnosuke Nakamura, Ken Takakura, Wakaba Irie 1965.09.04
Zatoichi and the Doomed Man Kazuo Mori Shintarō Katsu, Kanbi Fujiyama, Eiko Taki 1965.09.18
Sword of the Beast Hideo Gosha Mikijirō Hira, Go Kato 1965.09.18
Akuto Kaneto Shindō Eitarō Ozawa, Kyoko Kishida 1965.11.21
Zatoichi and the Chess Expert Kenji Misumi Shintarō Katsu, Mikio Narita, Chizu Hayashi 1965.12.24
Shinobi no Mono 7: Mist Saizo Strikes Back Kazuo Mori Raizō Ichikawa, Shiho Fujimura, Yūko Kusunoki 1966.02.12 1616
The Sword of Doom Kihachi Okamoto Tatsuya Nakadai, Yūzō Kayama, Michiyo Aratama, Toshirō Mifune 1966.02.25 Based on the novel of the same name.
Sleepy Eyes of Death: The Mask of the Princess Akira Inoue Raizō Ichikawa, Yaeko Mizutani, Ichirō Nakatani 1966.03.12
Kutsukake Tokijiro: Yukyo Ippiki Tai Katō Kinnosuke Nakamura, Kiyoshi Atsumi, Junko Ikeuchi 1966.04.01
Daimajin Kimiyoshi Yasuda Miwa Takada, Yoshihiko Aoyama, Jun Fujimaki 1966.04.17
Zatoichi's Vengeance Tokuzō Tanaka Shintarō Katsu, Shigeru Amachi, Jun Hamamura 1966.05.03
Zatoichi's Pilgrimage Kazuo Ikehiro Shintarō Katsu, Michiyo Ōkusu, Kunie Tanaka 1966.08.13
Sleepy Eyes of Death: Sword of Villainy Kenji Misumi Raizō Ichikawa, Shigeru Amachi, Shiho Fujimura 1966.11.09
Samurai Wolf Hideo Gosha Isao Natsuyagi, Ryōhei Uchida, Junko Miyazono 1966.11.19
The Blazing Sword Hirokazu Ichimura Tetsuko Kobayashi, Asahi Kurizuka, Shun'ya Wazaki 1966.11.12
Shinobi no Mono 8: Three Enemies Kazuo Ikehiro Raizō Ichikawa, Manami Fuji, Michiyo Ōkusu 1966.12.10 1570-1573
The Magic Serpent Tetsuya Yamauchi Hiroki Matsukata, Tomoko Ogawa, Ryūtarō Ōtomo 1966.12.21
Band of Ninja Nagisa Oshima Yoshiyuki Fukuda, Toshirō Hayano, Hikaru Hayashi 1967.02.15
Bakumatsu: Tenamonya daizōdō Kengo Furusawa Makoto Fujita, Minoru Shiraki, Kei Tani 1967.03.12
Samurai Wolf II Hideo Gosha Isao Natsuyagi, Ichirō Nakatani, Bin Amatsu 1967.05.13
Samurai Rebellion Masaki Kobayashi Toshirō Mifune, Yoko Tsukasa 1967.05.27
Sleepy Eyes of Death: A Trail of Traps Kazuo Ikehiro Raizō Ichikawa, Nobuo Kaneko 1967.07.15
Zatoichi the Outlaw Satsuo Yamamoto Shintarō Katsu, Rentarō Mikuni, Kō Nishimura 1967.08.12
Zenigata Heiji Tetsuya Yamauchi Kazuo Funaki, Asao Koike, Akitake Kōno 1967.10.10
The Wife of Seishu Hanaoka Yasuzō Masumura Raizō Ichikawa, Ayako Wakao, Hideko Takamine 1967.10.20 Based on the novel of the same name.
Eleven Samurai Eiichi Kudo Isao Natsuyagi, Kōtarō Satomi, Kōji Nanbara 1967.12.16
Zatoichi Challenged Kenji Misumi Shintarō Katsu, Jūshirō Konoe, Miwa Takada 1967.12.30
Sleepy Eyes of Death: Hell Is a Woman Tokuzō Tanaka Raizō Ichikawa, Miwa Takada, Yaeko Mizutani 1968.01.13
Kuroneko Kaneto Shindō Kichiemon Nakamura, Nobuko Otowa, Kei Satō 1968.02.24 Awards: 2 Mainichi Film Concours
Sleepy Eyes of Death: In the Spider's Lair Kimiyoshi Yasuda Raizō Ichikawa, Mako Midori, Maka Sarijo 1968.05.01
The Saga of Tanegashima Kazuo Mori Rick Jason, Ayako Wakao, Eijirō Tōno, Shiho Fujimura, Jun Fujimaki 1968.05.18 1543
Botan Dōrō Satsuo Yamamoto Miyoko Akaza, Kōjirō Hongō, Hajime Koshikawa 1968.06.15 Based on the short story of the same name.
Kill! Kihachi Okamoto Tatsuya Nakadai, Etsushi Takahashi, Naoko Kubo, Shigeru Kōyama 1968.06.22
The Silent Stranger Luigi Vanzi Tony Anthony, Kenji Ohara, Rita Mura, Lloyd Battista 1968 1865
Sleepy Eyes of Death: Castle Menagerie Kazuo Ikehiro Raizō Ichikawa, Naoko Kubo, Shiho Fujimura 1969.01.11
Samurai Banners Hiroshi Inagaki Toshirō Mifune, Kinnosuke Yorozuya, Akihiko Hirata 1969.03.01
Crimson Bat, the Blind Swordswoman Sadatsugu Matsuda Yōko Matsuyama, Chizuko Arai, Jun Tatara 1969.03.15
Goyokin Hideo Gosha Tatsuya Nakadai, Kinnosuke Nakamura, Tetsurō Tamba 1969.05.01 Awards: 2 Mainichi Film Concours
Double Suicide Masahiro Shinoda Kichiemon Nakamura, Shima Iwashita 1969.05.24 Based on the play of the same name.
The Devil's Temple Kenji Misumi Shintarō Katsu, Hideko Takamine, Michiyo Aratama 1969.05.31
Hitokiri Hideo Gosha Shintaro Katsu, Tatsuya Nakadai, Yukio Mishima 1969.08.09
Portrait of Hell Shirō Toyoda Hideyo Amamoto, Yōko Naitō, Tatsuya Nakadai 1969.09.20
Red Lion Kihachi Okamoto Toshirō Mifune, Shima Iwashita 1969.10.10 1867-1868
Tengu-to Satsuo Yamamoto Tatsuya Nakadai, Ayako Wakao, Gō Katō 1969.11.15
Shinsengumi Tadashi Sawashima Toshirō Mifune, Keiju Kobayashi, Kinya Kitaoji, Rentarō Mikuni, Yoko Tsukasa 1969.12.05
The Fort of Death Eiichi Kudō Kanjūrō Arashi, Hideo Fujimoto, Teruo Fujinaga 1969.12.13
Zatoichi meets Yojimbo Kihachi Okamoto Toshirō Mifune, Shintarō Katsu, Ayako Wakao 1970.01.15
Mission: Iron Castle Kazuo Mori Hiroki Matsukata, Ryūnosuke Minegishi, Kōjirō Hongō, Michiyo Yasuda, Yōko Namikawa, Shiho Fujimura 1970.02.07 1582
Bakumatsu Daisuke Itō Kinnosuke Nakamura, Toshirō Mifune, Keiju Kobayashi 1970.02.14
The Ambush: Incident at Blood Pass Hiroshi Inagaki Toshirō Mifune, Yūjirō Ishihara, Ruriko Asaoka 1970.03.21
Zatoichi Goes to the Fire Festival Kenji Misumi Shintarō Katsu, Reiko Ōhara, Pîtâ 1970.08.12
Zatoichi Meets the One-Armed Swordsman Kimiyoshi Yasuda Shintarō Katsu, Yu Wang, Watako Hamaki 1971.02.20 Awards: 1 Mainichi Film Concours
Miyamoto Musashi: Swords of Death Tomu Uchida Kinnosuke Nakamura, Rentarō Mikuni, Teruo Matsuyama 1971.02.20 Awards: 1 Golden Charybdis
En toiu onna Tadashi Imai Shinjirō Ehara, Shima Iwashita, Yoshi Katō 1971.05.29
Inochi bō ni furō (Inn of Evil) Masaki Kobayashi Tatsuya Nakadai, Komaki Kurihara, Wakako Sakai 1971.09.11 Awards: 5 Mainichi Film Concours, 1 Taormina International Film Festival Award
Silence Masahiro Shinoda David Lampson, Mako Iwamatsu, Tetsurō Tanba, Shima Iwashita, Yoshiko Mita, Eiji Okada, Rokkō Toura, Noboru Matsuhashi 1971.11.03 1638 Based on the novel of the same name.
Zatoichi at Large Kazuo Mori Shintarō Katsu, Rentarō Mikuni, Hisaya Morishige 1972.01.15 Awards: 1 Mainichi Film Concours
Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance Kenji Misumi Tomisaburō Wakayama, Fumio Watanabe, Tomoko Mayama 1972.01.15 1655
Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx Kenji Misumi Tomisaburō Wakayama, Kayo Matsuo, Akiji Kobayashi 1972.04.22
Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades Kenji Misumi Tomisaburō Wakayama, Gō Katō, Yūko Hama 1972.09.02
Shadow Hunters Toshio Masuda Yūjirō Ishihara, Ruriko Asaoka, Ryōhei Uchida 1972.06.10 Based on the manga series of the same name.
Kogarashi Monjirō Sadao Nakajima Bunta Sugawara, Gorō Ibuki, Takayuki Akutagawa 1972.06.21
Zatoichi in Desperation Shintarō Katsu Shintarō Katsu, Kiwako Taichi, Kyoko Yoshizawa 1972.09.02
Kogarashi Monjirō: kakawari gozansen Sadao Nakajima Bunta Sugawara, Etsuko Ichihara, Kunie Tanaka 1972.09.14
Shadow Hunters 2: Echo of Destiny Toshio Masuda Yūjirō Ishihara, Ryōhei Uchida, Mikio Narita 1972.10.10 Based on the manga series of the same name.
Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in Peril Takeichi Saitō Tomisaburō Wakayama, Yoichi Hayashi, Michi Azuma 1972.12.30
Hanzo the Razor: Sword of Justice Kenji Misumi Shintaro Katsu 1972.12.30
Hanzo the Razor: The Snare Yasuzo Masumura Shintaro Katsu 1973.08.11
Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in the Land of Demons Kenji Misumi Tomisaburō Wakayama, Michiyo Ōkusu, Akihiro Tomikawa 1973.08.11
Hanzo the Razor: Who's Got the Gold? Yoshio Inoue Shintaro Katsu 1974.02.09
Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell Yoshiyuki Kuroda Tomisaburō Wakayama, Akihiro Tomikawa, Junko Hitomi 1974.04.24
Ryoma Ansatsu Kazuo Kuroki Yoshio Harada, Yūsaku Matsuda, Renji Ishibashi, Kaori Momoi 1974.08.03
Shogun's Samurai Kinji Fukasaku Kinnosuke Yorozuya, Shinichi Chiba, Hiroki Matsukata 1978.01.21 1623-1624
The Love Suicides at Sonezaki Yasuzo Masumura Ryudo Uzaki, Meiko Kaji 1978.04.29 Based on the play of the same name.
Bandits vs. Samurai Squadron Hideo Gosha Tatsuya Nakadai, Junko Miyashita 1978.07.01
Swords of Vengeance: The Fall of Ako Castle Kinji Fukasaku Kinnosuke Yorozuya, Shinichi Chiba, Hiroki Matsukata, Tetsurō Tamba, Toshirō Mifune 1978.10.28
Hunter in the Dark Hideo Gosha Tatsuya Nakadai, Tetsurō Tamba, Yoshio Harada 1979.06.17 Awards: 1 Japanese Academy Award
The Shogun Assassins Sadao Nakajima Hiroki Matsukata, Kinnosuke Nakamura, Ichirō Ogura 1979.09.01 Awards: 1 Japanese Academy Award
G.I. Samurai Kōsei Saitō Shinichi Chiba 1979.12.05 Time Travel film.
Kagemusha Akira Kurosawa Tatsuya Nakadai 1980.04.26 Awards: 2 BAFTA Awards, 1 César Award, 2 David di Donatello Awards, 1 Palme d'Or
Tokugawa ichizoku no hōkai Kōsaku Yamashita Kinnosuke Nakamura, Hiroki Matsukata, Mikijirō Hira 1980.05.24
Shōgun Jerry London Richard Chamberlain, Toshirō Mifune, Yoko Shimada 1980.09.15 1600 American TV mini-series based on the novel by James Clavell, loosely based on William Adams, the English navigator who served as a key advisor to Tokugawa Ieyasu beginning in 1600.
Shogun Assassin Robert Houston Tomisaburo Wakayama 1980.11.11 English dubbed edit/compilation of the first two 1972 Lone Wolf and Cub films.
Shogun's Ninja Noribumi Suzuki Hiroyuki Sanada, Shinichi Chiba, Etsuko Shihomi 1980.11.15
Sekigahara Shin'ichi Kamoshita, Ichiro Takahashi Hisaya Morishige, Gō Katō, Rentarō Mikuni, Toshirō Mifune 1981.01.03 Japanese TV mini-series that aired over 3 consecutive nights.
Kazunomiya-sama otome Kenji Sawai Shinobu Ōtake, Mitsuko Mori, Kimiko Ikegami 1981.01.03 Television film
Eijanaika Shohei Imamura Kaori Momoi, Shigeru Izumiya, Ken Ogata 1981.03.14
Shikake-nin Baian Yasuo Furuhata Katsuo Nakamura 1981.04.11
Samurai Reincarnation Kinji Fukasaku Shinichi Chiba, Kenji Sawada 1981.06.06 1637-1638
Edo Porn Kaneto Shindō Ken Ogata, Toshiyuki Nishida, Yūko Tanaka 1981.09.12 Awards: 1 Blue Ribbon Award, 1 Hochi Film Award, 2 Japanese Academy Awards, 1 Yokohama Film Festival Award
The Bushido Blade Tom Kotani Shinichi Chiba, Frank Converse, Mako Iwamatsu, Laura Gemser James Earl Jones, Toshirō Mifune 1981 1854 About the forced Opening of Japan in 1854.
Ninja Wars Kōsei Saitō Hiroyuki Sanada, Noriko Watanabe, Jun Miho 1982.12.18 Awards: 3 Japanese Academy Awards
The Ballad of Narayama Shōhei Imamura Ken Ogata, Sumiko Sakamoto, Tonpei Hidari 1983.04.29 Awards: 1 Blue Ribbon Award, 1 Hochi Film Award, 3 Japanese Academy Awards, 2 Mainichi Film Concours, 1 Palme d'Or
Legend of the Eight Samurai Kinji Fukasaku Hiroko Yakushimaru, Hiroyuki Sanada, Shinichi Chiba 1983.12.10
Hissatsu! Masahisa Sadanaga Makoto Fujita, Kunihiko Mitamura, Izumi Ayukawa 1984.06.16 Awards: 1 Blue Ribbon Award, 1 Hochi Film Award, 3 Japanese Academy Awards, 2 Mainichi Film Concours, 1 Palme d'Or
Onna goroshi abura no jigoku Ben Wada Yūsaku Matsuda, Tomoko Ogawa, Jiro Sakagami 1984.09.29 Television film
Ran Akira Kurosawa Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Terao, Jinpachi Nezu, Daisuke Ryu, Mieko Harada 1985.06.01 Awards: 2 BAFTA Awards
Gonza the Spearman Masahiro Shinoda Hiromi Go, Shohei Hino, Shima Iwashita 1986.01.15 Awards: 1 Silver Bear
Bakumatsu seishun graffiti: Ronin Sakamoto Ryoma Yoshitaka Kawai Tetsuya Takeda, Toshio Shiba, Takuro Yoshida 1986.01.25 Awards: 1 Hochi Film Award
Shogun's Shadow Yasuo Furuhata Ken Ogata, Norihito Arai, Toshihiro Asari 1989.01.14
Rikyu Hiroshi Teshigahara Rentarō Mikuni, Tsutomu Yamazaki 1989.09.15
Death of a Tea Master Kei Kumai Eiji Okuda, Toshirō Mifune, Kinnosuke Nakamura 1989.10.07 Awards: 1 Japanese Academy Award, 1 Kinema Junpo Award, 1 Nikkan Sports Film Award, 1 Silver Hugo, 1 Silver Lion
Heaven and Earth Haruki Kadokawa Enoki Takaaki, Tsugawa Masahiko, Asano Atsuko, Zaizen Naomi, Nomura Hironobu 1990.04.20
Sengoku Ransei no Abarenbo Saito Dosan Doto no Tenka Tori Eiichi Kudō Kumiko Akiyoshi, Shinichi Chiba, Ken Matsudaira 1991.01.03 Television film
Journey of Honor Gordon Hessler Sho Kosugi, David Essex, Kane Kosugi, Toshirō Mifune 1991.04.27 1600-1602 Loosely based on the journey of samurai Hasekura Tsunenaga and his delegation to Spain in 1613.
Bakumatsu Jyunjyoden Mitsuyuki Yakushiji Ken Watanabe, Riho Makise, Tetta Sugimoto 1991.07.06
Mangetsu: Mr. Moonlight Kazuki Ohmori Saburō Tokitō, Bin Amatsu, Leo Morimoto 1991.09.21 Time Travel film.
Gō-hime Hiroshi Teshigahara Rie Miyazawa, Tatsuya Nakadai, Toshiya Nagasawa 1992.04.11 Awards: 2 Japanese Academy Awards
The Oil-Hell Murder Hideo Gosha Kanako Higuchi, Shin'ichi Tsutsumi 1992.05.23
Ihen kaidō Kōsei Saitō Ikkō Furuya, Mariko Fuji, Shōhei Hino 1993.10.13 Television film
Kaettekite Kogarashi Monjiro Kon Ichikawa Atsuo Nakamura, Ryōko Sakaguchi, Ittoku Kishibe 1993.11.20
Crest of Betrayal Kinji Fukasaku Kōichi Satō, Saki Takaoka, Keiko Oginome, Tsunehiko Watase, Eriko Watanabe 1994.10.22
47 Ronin Kon Ichikawa Ken Takakura, Kiichi Nakai 1994.10.22
Sharaku Masahiro Shinoda Hiroyuki Sanada, Frankie Sakai, Shima Iwashita, Tsurutarō Kataoka 1995.02.04
Bungo torimono ezu - Harikomi Keiichi Ozawa Hashinosuke Nakamura, Kinnosuke Nakamura, Sayuri Kokushō 1996.04.05 Television film
Reborn From Hell: Samurai Armageddon Kazumasa Shirai Hiroyuki Watanabe, Tomorowo Taguchi, Yūko Moriyama 1996.04.26 Remake of the 1981 film Samurai Reincarnation.
Legend of the Devil Masaru Tsushima Masaki Kyōmoto, Atsuo Nakamura, Daisuke Ryū 1996.11.09
Samurai Fiction: Episode One Hiroyuki Nakano Morio Kazama, Mitsuru Fukikoshi, Tomoyasu Hotei 1998.08.01 Awards: 1 Mainichi Film Concours, 1 Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival Award, 2 Sitges Awards
Kunoichi ninpō-chō: Yagyū gaiden, Edo-bana jigoku-hen Hitoshi Ozawa Hitoshi Ozawa, Yūko Moriyama 1998.07.11
After the Rain Takashi Koizumi Akira Terao, Yoshiko Miyazaki, Shiro Mifune, Mieko Harada, Tatsuya Nakadai 1999.09.05
Owls' Castle Masahiro Shinoda Kiichi Nakai, Mayu Tsuruta, Riona Hazuki 1999.10.30 Based on the novel under the same name.
Gohatto Nagisa Oshima Ryuhei Matsuda, Takeshi Kitano, Tadanobu Asano 1999.12.18
Dora-Heita Kon Ichikawa Kōji Yakusho, Yūko Asano, Tsurutarō Kataoka 2000.05.13
Gojoe Sogo Ishii Tadanobu Asano, Masatoshi Nagase, Daisuke Ryu, Jun Kunimura 2000.10.07 Awards: 1 Hochi Film Award
Onmyoji Yōjirō Takita Mansai Nomura, Hideaki Ito, Hiroyuki Sanada 2001.10.06
Chūshingura 1/47 Shunsaku Kawamo Takuya Kimura, Kōichi Satō 2001.12.28 Television film. Remake of the 1932 film Chūshingura - Zempen: Akahokyō no maki.
Kewaishi Mitsutoshi Tanaka Kippei Shîna, Miho Kanno, Chizuru Ikewaki 2002.02.09 Awards: 1 Tokyo International Film Festival Award
Kumamoto Stories Takashi Miike Tōru Emori, Renji Ishibashi, Jinpachi Nezu, Mikijirō Hira, Mihoko Abe, Noriko Aota, Ayumi Asakura 2002.07.20 Includes 3 short films: Onna Kunishuu Ikki, Kikuchi-jo Monogatari: Sakimori-tachi no Uta, and Zuiketsu Genso: Tonkararin Yume Densetsu.
The Sea Is Watching Kei Kumai Misa Shimizu, Nagiko Tōno, Masatoshi Nagase 2002.07.27
Ryoma's Wife, Her Husband and Her Lover Jun Ichikawa Noritake Kinashi, Kiichi Nakai, Kyōka Suzuki 2002.09.14 Awards: 1 Nikkan Sports Film Award
Sabu Takashi Miike Tatsuya Fujiwara, Satoshi Tsumabuki 2002.10.05 Television film
The Twilight Samurai Yoji Yamada Hiroyuki Sanada, Rie Miyazawa 2002.11.02 Awards: 12 Japanese Academy Awards
When the Last Sword Is Drawn Yōjirō Takita Kiichi Nakai, Kōichi Satō, Yui Natsukawa, Takehiro Murata 2003.01.18
Aragami Ryuhei Kitamura Takao Osawa, Masaya Kato, Kanae Uotani, Tak Sakaguchi, Hideo Sakaki 2003.03.27 Awards: 1 Silver Raven
Makai Tenshō Hideyuki Hirayama Yōsuke Kubozuka, Kumiko Asō, Tetta Sugimoto 2003.04.26
Azumi Ryuhei Kitamura Aya Ueto 2003.05.10 Based on the manga series of the same name.
Zatōichi Takeshi Kitano Beat Takeshi, Tadanobu Asano, Yui Natsukawa 2003.09.06
Onmyoji 2 Yōjirō Takita Mansai Nomura, Hideaki Itō, Eriko Imai, Kyoko Fukada, Hayato Ichihara 2003.10.04
The Last Samurai Edward Zwick Tom Cruise, Timothy Spall, Ken Watanabe, Billy Connolly, Tony Goldwyn, Hiroyuki Sanada, Koyuki, Shin Koyamada 2003.12.05 1877 Fictional story based around the Satsuma Rebellion during the Meiji period.
Warau Iemon Yukio Ninagawa Toshiaki Karasawa, Koyuki, Teruyuki Kagawa, Hiroyuki Ikeuchi 2004.02.07 Awards: 2 Asia-Pacific Film Festival Awards, 1 Nikkan Sports Film Award
Kibakichi Tomo'o Haraguchi Ryūji Harada, Nozomi Andō, Tatsuo Higashida 2004.02.07
Kibakichi 2 Tomo'o Haraguchi Ryūji Harada, Miki Tanaka, Aimi Nakajima 2004.07.25
Izo Takashi Miike Kazuya Nakayama, Takeshi Kitano, Bob Sapp 2004.08.21
The Hidden Blade Yoji Yamada Masatoshi Nagase, Takako Matsu, Yukiyoshi Ozawa 2004.10.30
Azumi 2: Death or Love Shusuke Kaneko Aya Ueto 2005.05.12 Based on the manga series of the same name.
Ashura Yōjirō Takita Somegorō Ichikawa, Rie Miyazawa, Kanako Higuchi 2005.04.16 Awards: 1 Hochi Film Award, 1 Kinema Junpo Award, 1 Nikkan Sports Film Award, 1 Yokohama Film Festival Award
Samurai Commando: Mission 1549 Masaaki Tezuka Yōsuke Eguchi, Kyōka Suzuki, Haruka Ayase 2005.06.11 Awards: 1 Asia-Pacific Film Festival Award
Hana Hirokazu Koreeda Jun'ichi Okada, Rie Miyazawa, Arata Furuta 2006.06.03 Awards: 1 Nikkan Sports Film Award
Love and Honor Yoji Yamada Kimura Takuya, Dan Rei, Takashi Sasano 2006.12.01
Kaidan Hideo Nakata Kumiko Asō, Takaaki Enoki, Reona Hirota 2007.08.04 Awards: 1 Yokohama Film Festival Award
Sukiyaki Western Django Takashi Miike Hideaki Ito, Kōichi Satō, Yusuke Iseya 2007.09.15
Chacha Hajime Hashimoto Ryōko Gi, Mieko Harada, Takehiro Hira 2007.12.22
Yamazakura Tetsuo Shinohara Rena Tanaka, Noriyuki Higashiyama, Tetsuya Chiba 2008.05.31
Geisha Assassin Gō Ohara Minami Tsukui, Shigeru Kanai, Nao Nagasawa 2008.09.27
Ichi Fumihiko Sori Takao Osawa, Haruka Ayase, Shido Nakamura, Yōsuke Kubozuka 2008.10.25
Samurai Avenger: The Blind Wolf Kurando Mitsutake Kurando Mitsutake, Jeffrey James Lippold, Domiziano Arcangeli 2009.02.27
Ballad: Na mo naki koi no uta Takashi Yamazaki Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, Yui Aragaki, Akashi Takei 2009.09.05
Castle Under Fiery Skies Mitsutoshi Tanaka Toshiyuki Nishida, Shōzō Endō, Saki Fukuda 2009.09.12
Sword of Desperation Hideyuki Hirayama Etsushi Toyokawa, Chizuru Ikewaki, Koji Kikkawa 2010.07.10
13 Assassins Takashi Miike Kōji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Yūsuke Iseya, Goro Inagaki, Masachika Ichimura, Mikijirō Hira 2010.09.25 Remake of the 1963 film 13 Assassins.
Ōoku Fuminori Kaneko Ko Shibasaki, Kazunari Ninomiya, Hiroshi Tamaki 2010.10.01 Based on the manga series of the same name.
The Sakurada Gate Incident Junya Sato Takao Ohsawa, Kyoko Hasegawa, Minosuke Bandō 2010.10.16
Abacus and Sword Yoshimitsu Morita Masato Sakai, Yukie Nakama, Kimimaro Ayanokōji 2010.12.04
Yamada: The Samurai of Ayothaya Nopporn Watin Seigi Ozeki, Kanokkorn Jaicheun, Sorapong Chatree 2010.12.02 Awards: 1 Thailand National Film Association Award
The Winter Butterfly Marcus Tozini Sam Aoyama, Ikuma Isaac Fryman, Sharon Gee 2010
At River's Edge Tetsuo Shinohara Noriyuki Higashiyama, Rinko Kikuchi 2011.06.18
Scabbard Samurai Hitoshi Matsumoto Masatō Ibu, Jun Kunimura, Itsuji Itao 2011.06.11
Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai Takashi Miike Ichikawa Ebizō XI, Eita, Kōji Yakusho 2011.10.15 Remake of the 1962 film Harakiri.
Shinobido Toshiyuki Morioka Aimi Satsukawa, Ryōichi Yuki, Ayaka Kikuchi 2012.02.04
The Dry Blade Michael Fredianelli Michael Nosé, Henry Lee, Carl Schreiber 2012.07.02
Rurouni Kenshin Keishi Ōtomo Takeru Sato, Emi Takei 2012.08.25 Based on the manga series of the same name.
The Floating Castle Shinji Higuchi and Isshin Inudo Mansai Nomura 2012.11.02 Late 16th century Set in feudal Japan, the film is based on the Siege of Oshi and depicts the struggle of Oshi's villagers in defending their fortress against Toyotomi Hideyoshi's campaign against the Hojo clan.
Unforgiven Lee Sang-il Ken Watanabe, Kōichi Satō, Akira Emoto 2013.09.13 Based on the 1992 American western of the same name.
Mission Impossible: Samurai[4] Katsuhide Motoki Kuranosuke Sasaki, Kyoko Fukada, Tsuyoshi Ihara 2014.06.21
Zakurozaka no Adauchi[5] Setsurō Wakamatsu Kiichi Nakai, Hiroshi Abe, Ryōko Hirosue 2014.09.20
Kakekomi[6] Masato Harada Yo Oizumi, Erika Toda, Hikari Mitsushima 2015.05.16
Masterless Craig Shimahara Adam LaVorgna 2015.09.30
Silence Martin Scorsese Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Tadanobu Asano, Ciarán Hinds, Liam Neeson 2016.12.23 1630s-1638 Based on the novel of the same name.
Sekigahara Masato Harada Junichi Okada, Kasumi Arimura, Takehiro Hira, Masahiro Higashide, Kōji Yakusho 2017.08.26

1600

Based on a novel by Ryōtarō Shiba about the Battle of Sekigahara.

Gendai-geki films[]

Gendai-geki (現劇) is a genre of film and television or theater play in Japan. Unlike the jidai-geki genre of period dramas, whose stories are set in the Edo period, gendaigeki stories are contemporary dramas set in the modern world.

Title Release date Time period Notes on setting
Laughing Under the Clouds 2018 1868-1912 Based on a manga series, set from the Meiji period to the Taishō period, including the life of the Emperor Meiji during the Meiji Restoration.
Lady Snowblood 1973 1874-1894 Based on the manga series of the same name.
Waga Koi wa Moenu 1949 1880s
Emperor Meiji and the Great Russo-Japanese War 1958 1904–1905 Dramatization of the Russo-Japanese War.
Fullmetal Alchemist 2017 1927 Based on a manga series, set during the Benito Mussolini's regime.
Gambler's Life: Unstoppable Bloodbath 1969 1930s Set in the early Shōwa period.
Flower of Chivalry Torn Asunder: Gambling Heir 1969 1930s Set in the early Shōwa period.
Onna jigoku uta: Shakuhachi benten 1970
Tora! Tora! Tora! 1970 1941 Detailing the events leading up to and including the Attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.
Midway 1976 1942 About the Battle of Midway between Japan and the United States in 1942.
The Bridge on the River Kwai 1957 1942–1945 About allied prisoners of war forced to work on the Burma Railway during World War II.
Letters from Iwo Jima 2006 1945 Japanese-language film directed by Clint Eastwood about the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945.
Hiroshima 1995 1945 Docu-drama about the events leading up to the use of the first atomic weapons in 1945.
Fueled: The Man They Called Pirate 2016 1945-1960 Based on a novel, from the Occupation of Japan to the 1960 U-2 incident during the Cold War era and the Japanese economic miracle.
Kids on the Slope 2018 1966-1978 Based on a manga series, set during the foundation of the Asian Development Bank to the opening of Narita International Airport, part of the Cold War era.
Destiny: The Tale of Kamakura 2017 1976-1980 Based on the manga, set from the Lockheed bribery scandals to the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott, part of the Cold War era.
Climber's High and Shizumanu Taiyō 2008-2009 1985 Historical drama about Japan Airlines Flight 123 incident.
Sadako vs. Kayako 2016 2004-2009 Based on Ring Trilogy and Ju-On by Koji Suzuki and Takashi Shimizu, one of the horror franchises in Japan.
Rage 2016 2012-2014 Based on a novel and true events of the 2012 Benghazi Attacks, 2012 Japanese general election, and 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.

Korean and South Korean history[]

Sortable table
Title Release date Time period Notes on setting
The Great Battle 2018 645 Set during the Siege of Ansi.
Once Upon a Time in a Battlefield 2003 660 Set during the Battle of Hwangsanbeol.
A Frozen Flower 2008 1330–1374 Set during the late Goryeo Dynasty.
Musa (film) 2001 1375 A story about diplomatic mission from the Goryeo travels to Ming China.
The Divine Weapon 2008 1418–1450 Set during the reign of Sejong the Great.
The King and the Clown 2005 1494–1506 Set during the reign of Yeonsangun of Joseon.
Blades of Blood 2010 1500s Set during the 16th century.
Immortal Admiral Yi Sun-sin 2004-2005 1545-1598 Life of the Korean admiral Yi Sun-sin and the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598)
The Admiral: Roaring Currents 2014 1597 Battle of Myeongnyang: naval battle between Japan and Korea.
Shadows in the Palace 2007 1600s Set during the 17th century.
Sword in the Moon 2003 ca. 1600 Set during the beginning of the 17th century.
War of the Arrows 2011 1636-7 Set during the second Manchu invasion of Korea.
The Fortress 2017 1636 Set during the second Manchu invasion of Korea.
The Sword with No Name 2009 1800s Set during the 19th century.
Chi-hwa-seon 2002 1843–97 About the life of Korean painter Oh-won.
The Sound of a Flower 2015 1867-84 About the life of the Korean pansori singer Shin Jae-hyo.
The Good, the Bad, the Weird 2008 1920–30 Loosely based on the seizure of 150,000 won in Manchuria.
The Last Princess 2016 1925–62 About the life of Princess Deokhye.
Love, Lies 2016 1943-45 Set during Korea under Japanese rule and World War II.
Taegukgi 2004 1950–53 Set during the Korean War.
Welcome to Dongmakgol 2005 1950–53 Set during the Korean War.
71: Into the Fire 2010 1950–53 Set during the Korean War.
The Front Line 2011 1953 Set during the Korean Armistice Agreement.
Gangnam Blues 2014 1966-70 Set in the late 1960s to the 1970s about the development of Gangnam during the Park Chung-hee's regime.
Silmido 2003 1970s Based on a military uprising on Silmido island.
A Taxi Driver 2017 1980 Set during the Gwangju Uprising after the assassination of Park Chung-hee.
1987: When the Day Comes 2017 1987-90 Set during the June Struggle to the Revolutions of 1989.

Southeast Asia[]

Philippine history[]

Sortable table
Title Release date Time period Setting Notes
Banaue: Stairway to the Sky 1974 c. 500 BC. Philippines The film depicts the Prehistory of the Philippines, and the construction of the Banaue Rice Terraces.
Amaya 2010 1400–1521 Philippines The film depicting the Philippines during the Classical Period.
Lapu-Lapu 1955 1491–1542 Philippines The life of Lapu-Lapu and death of Magellan.
Lapu-Lapu 2002 1491–1542 Philippines A remake of the 1955 film that tells the life of Lapu-Lapu.
Indio 2011 1601–1677 Philippines An Epic Historical-fiction story about the Spanish Conquest and Philippine revolts against Spain.
Ilustrado 2014 1860s–1890s Philippines The film tells the story about José Rizal's early life as a teenager and his tragic first love.
José Rizal 1998 1861–1896 Philippines The life of the Philippine National Hero, José Rizal.
Bayani 1992 1863–1897 Philippines The life of Andres Bonifacio.
Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon? 1970 1870–1895 Philippines The film depicts the Hispinized Society of the Philippines during the Spanish Period.
Bonifacio: Ang Unang Pangulo 2014 1872-1897 Philippines The life of Philippine Revolutionary Andres Bonifacio from his founding of the Katipunan to his eventual execution. The film focused on the hypothesis that he, not Emilio Aguinaldo, was the first President of the Philippines.
El Presidente 2012 1886–1962 Philippines The life of the first president of the Philippines Emilio Aguinaldo which spans the Philippine Revolution, Philippine–American War, up to the full restoration of Philippine independence on July 4, 1946.
Felix Manalo 2015 1886-1963 Philippines The life of Felix Manalo, founder and pioneer executive minister of the Iglesia ni Cristo, which spans from his early life up to the end of his life on April 12, 1963, including the atrocities committed by Japan during World War 2.
Katipunan 2013 1892–1897 Philippines Tells the how the Katipunan was formed from Andres Bonifacio's perspective.
Tiniente Rosario 1937 1898–1901 Philippines The Story about the Philippine Revolutionary Army and its Female Sergeant officer.[7]
Baler 2008 1898 Philippines During the Siege of Baler.
Heneral Luna 2015 1898-1903 Philippines The biography of General Antonio Luna's career up to his assassination during the Philippine–American War.
Aguila 1980 1899–1945 Philippines Philippine history
Tirad Pass: The Story of Gen. Gregorio del Pilar 1997 December 2, 1899 Philippines About the Battle of Tirad Pass, Philippine Campaign Against Americans led by General Gregorio Del Pilar.
Amigo 2010 1900s Philippines Philippine–American War
Rosario 2010 1920s Philippines The life of Rosario, a girl during the Insular Government Period. She was Manuel V. Pangilinan's grandmother.
Santiago! 1970 1941–1945 Philippines Depicting the Philippine campaign during World War II
Aishite Imasu 1941: Mahal Kita 2004 1941–1945 Philippines About the Japanese Occupation of the Philippines in World War II.
Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos 1972 1942–1945 Philippines Philippines during World War II
Alab ng Lahi 2003 1945 Philippines The film depicts the Filipino Guerillas during the end of the Second World War led by Gregorio Magtangol and the friendship between the Japanese and Filipino soldier.
Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story 2011 1951 Philippines The criminal life of Asiong Salonga that led to his assassination on October 7, 1951.
Boy Golden: Shoot to Kill, the Arturo Porcuna Story 2013 1960s Philippines The life and death of Arturo "Boy Golden" Porcuna, who rose through the Manila underworld in the 1960s until his eventual murder.
Dekada '70 2002 1970s Philippines Based on the novel of the same name by Lualhati Bautista. The setting is period of Martial law.

Mainland and Maritime Southeast Asia[]

Sortable table
Title Release date Time period Setting Notes
Blood Letter 2011 c. 1442 Vietnam About the retaliation of Tran Nguyen Vu (Nguyen Trai's grandchild) for his grandfather death in 1442. The movie was based on Bui Anh Tan's bestselling of the same name.
King Naresuan 2007 1555–1592 Thailand (Siam) The film is set after event in The Legend of Suriyothai about Naresuan, the King of Siam who executes the plotters and ceremoniously declares Ayutthaya free and sovereign from Hanthawadi
Krakatoa, East of Java 1969 1883 Indonesia Nominated for Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, featured the 1883 eruption of the volcano on the island of Krakatoa.
Never Shall we Be Enslave! 1996 1885 Myanmar (Burma) A two-part film depicting the events of the Third Anglo-Burmese War and the fall of Thibaw Min and his Dynasty.
The Rebel 2007 1920s Vietnam (French Indochina) Set in Vietnam in 1920s, under colonial French rule.
Indochine (film) 1992 1940s-1954 Vietnam (French Indochina) French film set in the twilight of colonial French Indochina during the 1930s.
Paradise Road 1997 1939–1945 Indonesia About the event of World War II on the island of Sumatra.
Leftenan Adnan 2000 1940s Malaysia About the experiences of Adnan bin Saidi as a soldier during World War II.
The Merdeka Trilogy: Merah Putih, Darah Garuda, and Hati Merdeka 2009-11 1945-49 Indonesia About the struggles of the Indonesians throughout the Indonesian National Revolution.
The Scent of Green Papaya 1993 1950s Vietnam Set in 1950s Saigon.
The Quiet American 2002 1952 Vietnam Set in Vietnam in 1952, and pertaining to emerging violent factions in the area and early CIA involvement.
1965 (film) 2015 1963-1966 Singapore Singapore in Malaysia, 1964 race riots in Singapore (Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation) and National Day of 1965.
The Year of Living Dangerously 1982 1965 Indonesia Directed by Peter Weir, about the Transition to the New Order (Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation) or vivere pericolosamente.
The White Silk Dress 2006 1968 Vietnam Directed by Luu Huynh. It is about a tragedy in Vietnam War.
The Killing Fields 1984 1973 Cambodia About the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia. The film begins in 1973.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/regional-cinema/story/chiyaan-vikram-wraps-up-his-portions-in-mani-ratnam-s-ponniyin-selvan-1846732-2021-08-29
  2. ^ https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/akshay-kumar-s-prithviraj-to-be-based-on-epic-titled-prithviraj-raso-101619173129819.html
  3. ^ Hill (2002).
  4. ^ 超高速!参勤交代(2014). allcinema (in Japanese). Stingray. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  5. ^ 柘榴坂の仇討(2014). allcinema (in Japanese). Stingray. Retrieved May 11, 2015.
  6. ^ "駆込み女と駆出し男(2015)". allcinema (in Japanese). Stingray. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  7. ^ "Teniente Rosario" – via www.imdb.com.
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