The Library will be closed in observance of the Christmas holiday on Tuesday, Dec. 24, and Wednesday, Dec. 25.
List
The Samurai Trilogy
| The Samurai Trilogy was one of Japan's most successful exports of the 1950s, a rousing, emotionally gripping tale of combat and self-discovery. Based on a novel that's often called Japan's Gone With the Wind, the sweeping saga fictionalizes the life of the legendary seventeenth-century swordsman, following him on his path from unruly youth to enlightened warrior. |
The Hidden Fortress = Kakushi-toride no san-akunin
A grand-scale adventure as only Akira Kurosawa could make one. A general charged with guarding his defeated clan's princess as the two smuggle royal treasure across hostile territory. Accompanying them are a pair of bumbling, conniving peasants who may or may not be their friends. This rip-roaring ride is among the director's most beloved films and was a primary influence on George Lucas's Star Wars. Delivers Kurosawa's trademark deft blend of wry humor, and breathtaking action.
Hara-Kiri
| A mysterious samurai arrives at the doorstep of his feudal lord, requesting an honorable death by ritual suicide in his courtyard. The lord threatens him with the brutal tale of Motome, a desperate young ronin who made a similar request with ulterior motives, only to meet a grisly end. Undaunted, the samurai begins to tell a story of his how, with an ending no one could see coming |
13 Assassins
| 13 Assassins is centered around a group of elite samurai who are secretly enlisted to bring down a sadistic lord in order to prevent him from ascending to the throne and plunging the country into a war-torn future. |
Kuroneko
| In this poetic and atmospheric horror fable, set in a village in war-torn medieval Japan, a malevolent spirit has been ripping out the throats of itinerant samurai. When a military hero is sent to dispatch the unseen force, he finds that he must struggle with his own personal demons as well. |
Sanjuro
Satire in which a skillful but slovenly samurai comes to the aid of a group of naive young warriors fighting their corrupt clan leaders.