10 Greatest Akira Kurosawa Movies, Ranked

Personally, I think "Kurosawa's Dreams" deserves to be in the top ten. Each segment has it's own reality, it's own story, and it's own emotions. I've watched dozens of times and cry several times through each viewing. I get new nuances and new possibilities every time. His dreams are reality for me.

Author — @reddevil3387

Legendary storyteller. It's hard to find a action/thriller film that wasn't influenced by Kurosawa!

Author — @LakshyaDatta

Visually, the best hands down is "Kagemusha". That dream scene with the warrior bursting out of a huge vase against an otherworldly sunset is probably the most visually stunning scene I've ever seen! In terms of impact, no film has ever impacted me more than "Ran". I'm old enough to have seen it in its original theatrical run in the 1980s, and it FLOORED me, it FLATTENED me, I still shudder just by thinking of it! "The Seven Samurai" is a narrative masterpiece with a lasting cultural impact.

But I wonder why nobody's talking about "Dersu Uzala", which not only is a masterpiece of its own, but was WAY ahead of its time (it was the other, unmentioned one of the "only two films from the 1970s" in this video), and the 2020s are exactly the time for it. I'm sure Greta Thunberg would give it a standing ovation! Just a teaser: imagine Kurosawa, with all his visual refinement and uncanny ease to use grandeur effectively in his films, with the Siberian wilderness to work on as a raw material (you can let out your first gasp now, without even watching the film yet!), while telling a beautiful story of friendship and how precious it is, the good side of human nature combined with necessity bringing different cultures together, and discussing the power of nature and reflecting on humans' relationship with it. "Dersu Uzala" is STUNNING, underrated, and unfairly nearly forgotten!

Author — @goytabr

Every movie of Kurosawa is unique in itself with special effects that tend to engross one completely in the movie. Kurosawa's movies are really unmatchable.

Author — @manujshankar6129

The compilation and the commentary on works of all time great Director like AK is outstanding. Have seen only a couple of them, now there is a reason to watch the others.🎉

Author — @manmathdalai1369

What a well researched and enlightening retrospective! I definitely want to watch Kurosawas films now. I was always overwhelmed by his body of work, but now I have a good place to start.

Author — @MicahBuzanANIMATION

I've been on a Kurosawa kick lately, so I've been rewatching his films. In high school while we were studying Macbeth, our teacher showed us Throne of Blood, to prove to us how influential Shakespeare is in terms of film and books.

Author — @sisterhoney61

Happy to say I own five of your top ten Akira Kurosawa films, plus two more. "Throne Of Blood", "Yojimbo", "Rashamon", "Ran" and "Seven Samurai" are all in my Blu-Ray collection, along with another you mentioned, "The Hidden Fortress", I also have "Sanjuro", the "sequel" to "Yojimbo". I really enjoy his historical films, as you can probably tell from my choices, but I respect all his works, and look forward to adding to my collection.

Author — @bobschenkel7921

Ikiru then Seven Samurai…Ran left me in tears at #3. I started watching Kurosawa in the 70’s on WTTW Chicago. The women in Ikiru are heroic.

Author — @alanburton6368

Have always been a fan of his paintings. Rashomon was the first Kurosawa movie that I saw - the wonderful story of a nobleman caught in a psychological struggle over the nature of truth. Thank you for putting up this well researched, exhaustive list. I would love to begin with the Throne of Blood. Are these films available on the Ott? Where can one find them?

Author — @meenakshiiyer5703

Seven Samurai is to me the most important film I’ve seen. His other films are all so interesting with very personal feelings….☮️🔛🌎

Author — @williamgshippw.g1673

Dersu Uzala would make my list, but fair play, you've more or less got it covered, cheers.

Author — @amaladyofknots

I’d include Sanjuro, dersu uzala, the hidden fortress and maybe stray dog in my top 10, rly well made video btw

Author — @aidanmca4177

You should also watch Dersu Usala. Another brilliant film by the master director.

Author — @vivalaquincebrigada

One comment to whoever hasn't watched Seven Samurai and going to watch because of this video.  
First 1/3 might be a little challenging to stay focused because it's slow tempo. But once you get though it, you just can't stop! and you will realize why it's ranked No, 1 from so many people.

Author — @georgekaiho2534

As a Samurai Cinema Fan the best movie ever is Sanjuro in #1, The second Kurosawa's best is Yojimbo and the Third one is Seven Samurai.

Author — @7manji

Definitely Dreams.
I watched that film and was thinking throughout the whole film how is it possible to make something so fantastic.

Author — @aleks71438

Thanks to this video I now am a fan of kurosawa.

Author — @suneelalreja1355

I appreciate the effort to bring the master to wide audiences however your list is very main stream however accurate the first Kurosawa film is 1943 Sanshiro Sugata

Author — @magafinproductions

I love No.1 "Drunken angel".

Author — @watanabesumioh