h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

During a recent argument with a friend about how many movie storylines were taken from earlier movies by Akira Kirosawa after I realised that I was only able at the time to list The Seven Samuria, Yojimbo and Hidden fortress I realised that I couldn't think of anymore though I know that there is alot more out there so I am asking H2G2 members to help me find more movies of the same style.
Please help I getting it's get really annoying

I'm no film buff, but a search of the Internet Moview Database could help. http://www.imdb.com

There is a Kurosawa website which should be able to tell you all this stuff. Can't remember the address but type Akira Kurosawa in the search and it should be easier enough to find.

Check out http://www2.tky.3web.ne.jp/~adk/kurosawa/filmo/AKfilmo.html which lists the films. I think Ran is my favourite. Fantastic battle scenes with thousands of extras.

BTW: You don't need the Japanese Text Support.

Ran is amazing.

I watched it as part of a university course on 20th Century Cultural Appropriations of Shakespeare (it's a version of King Lear). I'd never seen any of his films before, and I was just blown away.

My favourite shot was of the magnificant colour coded armies moving ballet-like into battle to some uplifting classical music. The camera zooms in closer and closer, and the image of coordination and beauty gives way to blood and corpses with millions of arrows stuck in them. Wow.

Otto

It is certainly a tour de force. Favourite scene is where you get quite music as you survey the battle scene. One of the Lords has just shot his brother in the back and then something like ten thousand Ashigari open up with guns (can't remember the gun type).

The only catch with the film is it had a jester character which in real feudal japan would have been executed minutes after his employment for lack of respect .