Akira Kurosawa Collection Blu-ray | Akira Kurosawa Classic Films | 9-Disc Set

Blu-ray Region B

Experience seven essential works from Akira Kurosawa newly restored in 4K Ultra HD: IKIRU, SEVEN SAMURAI, THRONE OF BLOOD, THE HIDDEN FORTRESS, YOJIMBO, SANJURO, HIGH AND LOW and RED BEARD presented in Blu-ray.

Spanning epic samurai cinema, Shakespearean tragedy, modern crime and deeply human drama, these films represent the full creative range of a master director at the height of his powers. Each film stands as a cornerstone of world cinema and a vital chapter in Kurosawa’s extraordinary legacy.

The collection also includes seven episodes of Toho Masterworks: It Is Wonderful to Create, offering insight into the making of these enduring classics.

IKIRU (1952)
Kanji Watanabe is a mid-level Tokyo bureaucrat who has worked for thirty uneventful years. When he is diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer, he is forced to confront the emptiness of his life…

SEVEN SAMURAI (1954)
Seven Samurai tells the story of a sixteenth-century village whose desperate inhabitants hire the eponymous warriors to protect them from invading bandits. This blockbuster journey from master director Akira Kurosawa – featuring legendary actors Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura…

THRONE OF BLOOD (1957)
In feudal Japan, the warlord Washizu is prophesied by a spirit to become ruler of Spider’s Web Castle. Encouraged by his ruthless wife Asaji, he murders his lord and seizes power but his ambition leads him into a terrifying spiral of paranoia, betrayal and supernatural dread…

THE HIDDEN FORTRESS (1958)
During a civil war, two greedy and bumbling peasants, Tahei and Matashichi, stumble into a larger adventure when they come into contact with Princess Yuki and General Rokurota Makanbe. The princess and general are secretly carrying their clan’s gold as they try to flee through enemy territory…

YOJIMBO (1961)
Legendary Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune returns for his 9th collaboration with master director Akira Kurosawa in Yojimbo, a film that has inspired countless filmmakers. The plot of this film was used as inspiration by the great Spaghetti Western director Sergio Leone and remade as the classic “A Fistful of Dollars” in 1964…

SANJURO (1962)
A cynical, wandering samurai named Sanjuro reluctantly helps a group of young, idealistic samurai who are frustrated with corruption in their clan. Using his sharp wit and blade, Sanjuro challenges their naive notions of honour and leadership and helps weed out shady individuals in their midst…

HIGH AND LOW (1963)
Based on Ed McBain’s pulp thriller King’s Ransom, and filled with 1960s police action, High and Low takes us deep into the insufferable heat and seedy heroin-addicted underworld of postwar Tokyo. Kingo Gondo, a wealthy executive at a shoe company in Yokohama, has just mortgaged his home to finance a leveraged buyout…

RED BEARD (1965)
(PRESENTED IN BLU-RAY – NOT 4K)
In 19th-century Japan, young Dr. Noboru Yasumoto, newly graduated from a Western-style medical school, is assigned to a rural clinic run by the stern but compassionate “Red Beard” (Dr. Niide). Yasumoto initially chafes under Red Beard’s discipline, but over time he learns humility…

AKIRA KUROSAWA: IT IS WONDERFUL TO CREATE
This documentary explores the making of Kurosawa’s films through rare behind-the-scenes footage, interviews and production archives.

Actors:
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Languages: Japanese
Subtitles: English
Running Time: 1180 minutes approx
Discs: 9