Toho
Against all betting odds , FX’sShōgunhas go forth as the undecomposed new TV series of the year so far . base on James Clavell ’s 1975 novel of the same name , the miniseries is a big - budget , sprawling geographic expedition of early 1600s Japan that feels , at times , alternately like a measured political thriller , samurai escapade , andGame of Thrones - esque tale of brutality , purity , and sacrifice . It ’s about as visually impressive as a telly series can get , but it backs up its surface - story pleasures with enough narrative and thematic complexness to keep viewer coming back for more .
Even in our current Prestige TV geological era , shows likeShōgunstill seem rare . However , there are a few epic movies that palpate like spiritual cousins to the FX drama , include the following five films , all of which are titles that both cinephiles and passing viewers should seek out .
Toho
Ran (1985)
Directed by Akira Kurosawa , Ranis a stunning , 160 - arcminute Shakespeare version that place the report ofKing Learin Medieval Japan . It follows an elderly warlord who , upon retire , split his empire between his son . In doing so , he put down the cornerstone for a warfare that will go on to ravage a once - passive , unified terra firma and rob both his children and himself of whatever joy they might have previously known .
It ’s a haunting chef-d’oeuvre and one of thebest Japanese movies evermade , that offers even more beautiful images and second of roughshod furiousness thanShōgun . That said , the film ’s scope and its story of acerb , interpersonal , and political competition make it a fitting companion piece to the fresh FX miniseries .
Ranis rain cats and dogs onAmazon Prime Video via BFI Player Classics .
Silence (2016)
Shōgunextensively explore how the produce presence of Lusitanian trader and Catholics in 1600s Japan shaped and affected some of the policies and political tensions of the time . That makes directorMartin Scorsese‘sSilencea must - see for anyone who find oneself themselves intrigue by the FX series ’ exploration of the difference that grew in Japan between the Portuguese Catholics who were already established there , the European Protestants who wanted to create a bridgehead in the country , and the Japanese indigene who were wary of the longterm effects Christianity could have on their nation ’s culture .
Set some yr afterShōgun , Silencefollows a pair of Lusitanian Jesuit priests ( Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver ) who travel to Japan to endeavor to locate their former wise man ( Liam Neeson ) in a meter when the Christian faith is being suppressed throughout the country . It ’s a deep spiritual picture that offer novel insight into how some of the spiritual and political tensions set up inShōgunultimately played out .
Silenceis streaming onParamount+ .
Harakiri (1962)
A lot of characters charge seppuku ( i.e. , a form of Nipponese ritualistic self-annihilation ) throughoutShōgun‘s 10 episode , and no movie explore the socially assume , self - mutilating nature of that act more precisely or unforgettably than conductor Masaki Kobayashi ’s 1962 masterpiece , Harakiri .
A photographic film about a ronin ( Tatsuya Nakadai ) who requests to institutionalize seppuku at a feudal lord ’s castle only to gainsay the reputation of everyone in attendance , Harakiridepicts where real honor add up from , as well as how the very concept could — and often was — weaponize throughout feudalistic Nipponese fellowship . It ’s a necessary watch for anyone who findsShōgun‘s ideas about ego - sacrifice , bravery , and ideological commitment at all compelling .
Harakirican be charter or buy onAmazon Prime Video .
Kagemusha (1980)
Another previous - career masterpiece from fabled Japanese film maker Akira Kurosawa , Kagemushatells the history of a stealer ( Tatsuya Nakadai ) with a shocking resemblance to a samurai warlord who is selected to serve up as his doppelgänger ’s double . When the lord in question subsequently decease , his second is forced to take for granted his faux function full - time and conduce entire armies into battle .
Along the direction , Kagemushaemerges as an evocative treatise on not only the responsibleness one bears to one ’s civilization , country , and fellow humans but also how damaging the divisions that separate the poor from the full-bodied and the herculean from the powerless can be to a nation ’s future . It ’s a perfect plastic film to watch alongsideShōgun , a series about a powerful lord ( Hiroyuki Sanada ) willing to push his subjects as far as potential to ensure their loyalty .
Kagemushacan be charter or buy onAmazon Prime Video .
The Yakuza (1974)
A seventies neo - noir directed by Sydney Pollack and written by Paul Schrader and Robert Towne , The Yakuzafollows an American P.I. ( Robert Mitchum ) who returns to Japan to rescue the kidnap girl of a friend and call upon the debt of a former yakuza mobster ( Ken Takakura ) to help him do it . As straightforward as its game may seem , there ’s more going on beneath the airfoil ofThe Yakuzathan you think .
What starts as a mere crime thriller grow into a moving narration of two men bound to each other by destiny and a share sensory faculty of honour . It is , in part , a photographic film about a Westerner with a recondite respect for Japanese culture who come to realise the impact that his mere presence can have on a alien land , which is why it ’s a desirable entry on this list .
LikeShōgun , it ’s about how a serial publication of ethnical clashes can pave the way for a deeper sentience of common understanding than anyone might ask .
The Yakuzais streaming onHulu .
