Akira Kurosawa-Tengoku to jigoku ('High and Low') (1963)

People seem to express their gratitude a little bit less in the last days, so let me say thanks, representative for I guess a lot of cinephiles that hardly can keep up with output. What you do is simply amazing, be sure that it is much appreciated.

PS.
Could you perhaps recommend a non-Samurai Kurosawa to start? I'm sure they are all more than worth the time but I really can only see two or three now. Too much still on the list and too few free weekends..

Hello chabrow, thanks for your kind words.

Well, when it comes to "film recommendations", I am second to none :))

Here follows Kurosawa filmography in 6 categories

My best-loved Kurosawa of non-samurai/non-historical ones:
* Ikiru ('To Live') (1952)
* Waga seishun ni kuinashi ('No Regrets for Our Youth') (1946)
* Nora inu ('Stray Dog') (1949)



Other non-samurai films:
* Yoidore tenshi ('Drunken Angel') (1948)
* Dersu Uzala (1975)
* Akahige ('Red Beard') (1965)
* Tengoku to jigoku ('High and Low') (1963)
* Hakuchi ('The Idiot') (1951)
* Warui yatsu hodo yoku nemuru ('The Bad Sleep Well') (1960)
* Subarashiki nichiyobi ('One Wonderful Sunday') (1947)
* Donzoko ('The Lower Depths') (1957)
* Shizukanaru ketto ('The Quiet Duel') (1949)
* Dodesukaden (1970)
* Shubun ('Scandal') (1950)
* Ikimono no kiroku ('I Live in Fear') (1955)
* Ichiban utsukushiku ('The Most Beautiful') (1944)



Historical ones:
* Shichinin no samurai ('Seven Samurai') (1954)
* Rashômon (1950)
* Ran (1985)
* Kagemusha (1980)
* Kumonosu jô ('Throne of Blood') (1957)
* Kakushi-toride no san-akunin ('The Hidden Fortress') (1958)
* Tora no o wo fumu otokotachi ('The Men Who Step on the Tiger's Tail') (1945)
* Yojimbo (1961)
* Tsubaki Sanjûrô (1962)



Early Kurosawa:
* Sugata Sanshiro ('Judo Story') (1943)
* Sugata Sanshiro ('Judo Story II') (1945)



Late Kurosawa:
* Hachi-gatsu no kyôshikyoku ('Rhapsody in August') (1991)
* Dreams (1990)
* Madadayo ('Not Yet') (1993)


And the rest:
* Asu o tsukuru hitobito ('Those Who Make Tomorrow') (1946)
I've never seen this one. It was directed by Akira Kurosawa, Hideo Sekigawa and Kajiro Yamamoto. "They say" Kurosawa didnt want to include this one in his filmography because he was thinking that it wasnt belonging to him, he wasnt free when directing this movie.

* Uma ('Horse') (1941) (some scenes) (uncredited)
Never seen this one too. I think it cant be called a Kurosawa movie.



And all-in-one preferential order in 3 groups:

1st group:
* Shichinin no samurai ('Seven Samurai') (1954)
* Rashômon (1950)
* Ikiru ('To Live') (1952)
* Waga seishun ni kuinashi ('No Regrets for Our Youth') (1946)
* Nora inu ('Stray Dog') (1949)

2nd group:
* Yoidore tenshi ('Drunken Angel') (1948)
* Dersu Uzala (1975)
* Akahige ('Red Beard') (1965)
* Ran (1985)
* Kagemusha (1980)
* Kumonosu jô ('Throne of Blood') (1957)
* Tengoku to jigoku ('High and Low') (1963)
* Hakuchi ('The Idiot') (1951)
* Warui yatsu hodo yoku nemuru ('The Bad Sleep Well') (1960)
* Subarashiki nichiyobi ('One Wonderful Sunday') (1947)
* Donzoko ('The Lower Depths') (1957)
* Shizukanaru ketto ('The Quiet Duel') (1949)
* Dodesukaden (1970)
* Shubun ('Scandal') (1950)
* Ikimono no kiroku ('I Live in Fear') (1955)
* Ichiban utsukushiku ('The Most Beautiful') (1944)
* Kakushi-toride no san-akunin ('The Hidden Fortress') (1958)
* Tora no o wo fumu otokotachi ('The Men Who Step on the Tiger's Tail') (1945)

3rd group:
* Yojimbo (1961)
* Tsubaki Sanjûrô (1962)
* Sugata Sanshiro ('Judo Story') (1943)
* Sugata Sanshiro ('Judo Story II') (1945)
* Hachi-gatsu no kyôshikyoku ('Rhapsody in August') (1991)
* Dreams (1990)
* Madadayo ('Not Yet') (1993)

Wow, what an ultra complete recommendation listing! I will try to watch at least Ikiru and Stray Dog soon. The famous Seven Samurai and Rashomon I have seen of course and I'm quite curious about his non-historical work. Thanks again for your efforts.

More info

This is a great film, but not great quality picture. I have now found a rip of the Criterion master, and have posted that.

thank you so much FNB47 for making me (re)discover one of the greatest directors of all time Akira Kurosawa, and also one of the most beloved actors of his time, Toshiro Mifune... (I've actually just finished watching the Musashi trilogy which he stars in... another great Japanese samurai movies classic)... I've also read somewhere on Avax that a book was written about their close collaboration, looking forward to it.