- Ghost Dog - a more modern interpretation of the samurai. I love it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S961aBLfWQw
- The Last Samurai - Yeah, I know - it's Tom Cruise. But it's also Ken Watanabe. And the movie is great.
(Btw: Tom earned a lot of respect from me, with "Tropic Thunder" (: )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=T50_qHEOahQ
- The 13 Assassins - Also a great movie. Based on true events.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgPC74-Tde8
- Kagemusha - the Shadow Warrior. A Kurosawa movie...do I need say more?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzR87VBlaoo

Some special cases (no samurai / no classic samurai):

- Azumi - Made after a manga, and with a female heroine, this one will divide the audience. I found it interesting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmI86tMnNmY
- Azumi 2 -Death or Love - the direct sequel to Azumi. Again - will divide the audience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7yspDepnkQ
- Hero - I know, I know,...it's China, no samurais. But absolutely worth watching!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_USDk5jaGek

TV series (again - set in China, so no samurais):

- The Water Margin (Suikoden) - I loved watching this series as a kid.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVVRMBWGBqw

13 assassins. kinda slow, feels like one long build up. but the payoff in the end is so completely worth it.

I remember there was a blind samurai of sorts. I think it was a series, but I think I saw only one. It was very layered. Lots of overlapping social activity for a blind guy with a sword wondering the roads through the countryside in a robe. I liked it. Black and white era, and subtitled. I think I saw it on Hulu a long time ago, but I never had a subscription so that one must have been free at the time. Not sure whether it was a movie or television show. 1960's maybe?

Is it Zatoichi?

Ah, yes! The first one, 1962, sounds like what I remember. A woman wanted him to marry her, too, but they left that out of the description. Wow, 25 films within 11 years. Thanks for the tip.

Hmm, I guess technically he was a massage therapist, with a sword. But there does seem to be ronin wandering about, too.

I always thought this was a good samurai movie.

Doesn't look like anyone recommended the Hanzo the Razor movies, which are about a samurai detective who's hung like John Holmes, starring Zatoichi actor Shintaro Katsu. A bit more on the raunchy side, obviously, but still a lot of fun with good action.

Try Twilight Samurai for a very different take on the genre:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0351817/


Oops, already mentioned.

This is not a movie, but an anime, and the name is Samurai Champloo. Honestly, I've never finished it myself, but the sword fights are really cool.

It seems to me, there aren't enough Samurai movies out there.

Tenchi Heaven and Earth is great if you can somehow find a good quality version. Its about the constant fighting between Uesugi and Takeda.

Kagemusha is about Takedas death and some body double taking over. Again by Tatsuya Nakadai. His work in Hara Kiri is great but that is a damned depressing movie, if only that he showed al the others how to be a samurai, to fight better than the rest of them and also to die better.


Funny thing, I don't think there were many samurai in the zatoichi movies. Usually they were the major end fight battles.



HIDDEN FORTRESS!!! Thats basically Star Wars episode IV in black and white and no death star explosion...

I'm pretty certain the request was for the best samurai movies. Quality is rare.

Theres some great stuff on youtube. Kings and Generals have great 10 minute depictions of some of the best battles like Battle of Sekigahara East vs West final battle. There is a 2017 movie which I thought was so damned low budget, but it conveys some of the events, not sure if its fictional. I prefer the youtubue documentaries, shows how many major failures happened on both sides.

If you ever become a fan of Oda Nobunaga, watch the documentaries on his 2500 vs 25,000 battle. Can't remember the name of the battle. I also watched maybe 30 episodes about his life on King of Zipangu, they have it on youtube with English subtitles last time I looked.

If Seven Samurai don't suffice, perhaps adding another one might help?

Just kidding, but I don't post because of spam. I have a genuine recommendation to make.

Try to get your hands on "Sword of the Stranger". Its an Anime film but way worth it. I think its one of the better Samurai movies out there. Anything else I would recommend is stuff already mentioned.