Book description
Samurai films are a wonderful combination of frenetic action
sequences, moving personal drama and philosophical observations on
loyalty and violence, all set against the spectacular backdrop of
pre-industrial Japan. Many mainstream directors, from Hollywood and
elsewhere, have been inspired and influenced by the genre. Want to
know where George Lucas got some of the major plot ideas for Star
Wars: A New Hope? Check out Akira Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress.
Interested in seeing the film that arguably inspired the whole
Spaghetti Western genre? Have a look at Kurosawa's Yojimbo. Want to
see one of the major inspirations for Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill
films? Look no further than Toshiya Fujita's Lady Snowblood.
If
you want to know more about Samurai films, then this is the book for
you. Roland Thorne covers the history of this popular cult genre,
including the influence it's had on world cinema, as well as analysis
of all key films. Classics such as Kurosawa's Seven Samurai and
Hiroshi Inagaki's Samurai Trilogy are included, as well as more recent
films, such as Aragami, The Twilight Samurai and The Hidden
Blade.
Samurai Films is Roland Thorne's first book.
Roland Thorne first discovered Samurai Films while completing a film
studies major, and has been hooked ever since. He is based in Austalia
and this is his first book.
