He made a 10hr film criticizing Japan's role in WWII (based on the autobiography of Junpei Gomikawa ) titled The Human Condition 「人間の條件」, burning indictments of samurai code Harakiri 「切腹」 and Samurai Rebellion 「上意討ち 拝領妻始末」, and a collection of folk ghost stories called Kwaidan 「階段」 to name a few.

Basically if you like Kurosawa films but wish they were more critical of power, check this guy out

Dude also looks like a Japanese DeVito

I'll update this post with DLs for some of his films in 1080p once they're done uploading

  • s_p_l_o_d_e [they/them,he/him]
    hexagon
    ·
    edit-2
    4 years ago

    Link to movies listed above https://mega.nz/folder/1fJHnAqT#CUx2qWMD_aBtnN4-z-I2lA

    If you give them some time to process, you'll be able to watch them in browser

    • s_p_l_o_d_e [they/them,he/him]
      hexagon
      ·
      4 years ago

      Completely agreed. Harakiri's masterful plotting and breathtakingly dramatic action sequences (and unerring view of cruelty) puts it well above anything Kurosawa did, jidaigeki wise.

  • PlasticRadioMan [he/him]
    ·
    4 years ago

    Different director but I think the film Humanity and Paper Balloons (1937) directed by Sadao Yamanaka and focuses around these people living in a slum in Edo.

    I watched for a film class about Sumurai films and it was the first one the professor showed, not what I expected but I really liked it.

    Interesting thing we talked about is that the film was made before Japan kicked off its invasion into China and there is a feeling of dread present in the film, even the director was drafted and died in 1938.