Films featuring Japanese swords

[Kolekt-To]

Hey guys, I was wondering what movies could be recommended where Japanese swords (Gunto or Nihonto) are featured. "Kill Bill" immediately comes to mind. Lol. I'm aware of some war movies with scenes featuring swords, but what about Samurai movies and other types of movies? The series "Shogun" was recently recommended to me - I read the novel as a kid, but never watched the series. Recommendations? 

[PNSSHOGUN]

Very few with Gunto, Lone Wolf and Cub movies are enoyable.

[Bruce Pennington]

English or Japanese?  There are a ton of Japanese movies about Samurai with loads of fight scenes. 

 

English:

Favorite - Last Samurai with Tom Cruise

47 Ronin with Keanu Reeves

 

But like I said, tons of Japanese ones.

[Kolekt-To]

Thanks! I watched "47 Ronin" a couple of months ago. Will have to watch "Last Samurai" - missed that one. Regarding Gunto scenes in movies, I've seen some in WW2-themed movies, but it's usually just glimpses of the sword. For example, in the Japanese movie "Yamato" (2005) you catch glimpses of dirks, one scene featuring what is portrayed as a "Yamamato Dagger", and another scene where an officer self-deletes by falling in his Type 97 on the deck of the sinking ship in one of the final scenes. In the Japanese film "Oba, The Last Samurai", I believe the Banzai attack scene at the beginning of the film shows an officer charging while holding his Gunto. And, there are various combat scenes in movies such as "Wind Talkers", "Hacksaw Ridge", etc. where Japanese officers are featured attacking with their Guntos drawn. Also, in the series "The Pacific" (I forget which episode) there is a scene where a soldier comes at Sledge with a raised Gunto and Sledge uses his M1 Garand to dispatch the attacker. In the movie "To End All Wars" (2001), Guntos are seen being carried by officers in many scenes throughout the movie. However, in regard to Guntos on film, in my experience, they are usually only featured in fleeting images in rare scenes. I think what's been stated here regarding Japanese movies, especially within the Samurai genre, is where the viewer will be treated to Nihonto featured prominently and more frequently.

[Itomagoi]

One of my favorite movies is black belt from 2007 (kuro obi). Here you can see Gunto :-)

 

 

[IJASWORDS]

Don't forget Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence. A perfect '98 mounted Gunto. 

[Moley]

4 hours ago, Itomagoi said:

One of my favorite movies is black belt from 2007 (kuro obi). Here you can see Gunto :-)

 

 

 

Ahhh - Naka Sensei  One of my teachers. What a Character and a lovely man.

 

 

[PNSSHOGUN]

There are some Gunto shown in the Bridge over the River Kwai, another great film. From memory the Japanese colonel erroneously has a general tassel, probably an original one as well. 

[robinalexander]

Neil beat me to 'Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence' so I will add that Clint Eastwood/Spielberg + 1, classic 'Letters From Iwo Jima.

Rob

[Shugyosha]

Highlander 

[kkeeps]

Netflix just recently released Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning, features tons of swords and fighting, albeit in a very "anime" styling, which makes sense, giving the movie's roots.

[Alex A]

Zatoichi decent, some subtle humour thrown in.

 

The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi (1/11) Movie CLIP - Blind Fury (2003) HD - YouTube

[DTM72]

3 hours ago, kkeeps said:

Netflix just recently released Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning, features tons of swords and fighting, albeit in a very "anime" styling, which makes sense, giving the movie's roots.

Just watched that one last night. Great movie and good storyline.

[sbf]

Best movie to see gunto in use is "Hell To Eternity" with Jeffrey Hunter. Bar none. Be warned, you may not like what you see. 

 

Steve

[BANGBANGSAN]

Movie with Gunto
1.Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence 1983
2.Letters from Iwo Jima 硫磺島からの手紙 2006
3.太平洋の奇跡(Oba:The Last Samurai)2011
4.日輪の遺産 （The Legacy Of The Sun)2011
5.The Wolverine（2013）
6.The Emperor in August (日本のいちばん長い日) 2015

 

 

[Kolekt-To]

Trystan, thanks for the recommendations and scene photos!

[Kolekt-To]

Here's a scene from the 1971 Japanese film "Battle of Okinawa" featuring a wounded NCO with his Type 95 - looks like a 1st version Type 95 to me.

[BANGBANGSAN]

HBO's The Pacific: Sledge's Bunker

The NCO

[BANGBANGSAN]

HBO's The Pacific: Sledge's Bunker

The Japanese NCO used a Brass guards Type 95.

 

[Bruce Pennington]

Wow, great screen capture photos Trystan!  By the looks of that last one, it looks like they used a real one too.

[Kolekt-To]

That was an intense, and memorable, scene from The Pacific. 

[BANGBANGSAN]

4 hours ago, Bruce Pennington said:

Wow, great screen capture photos Trystan!  By the looks of that last one, it looks like they used a real one too.

Maybe not.Here is Rubber Type 95 from TV show The Pacific.

 

[Bruce Pennington]

OMG!  They even have serial numbers!  How did you find that?

[vajo]

Looks like a perfect copy. With stamps.

[BANGBANGSAN]

1 hour ago, vajo said:

Looks like a perfect copy. With stamps.

I think it was resin molds from a real one.

[BANGBANGSAN]

1 hour ago, Bruce Pennington said:

OMG!  They even have serial numbers!  How did you find that?

I had those photos a long time ago, from a movie prop shop.

[BANGBANGSAN]

In 太平洋の奇跡(Oba:The Last Samurai)

IJA officer wearing Type 98,IJN officer wearing Type 97.

 

[Bruce Pennington]

On 8/5/2021 at 1:06 PM, sbf said:

"Hell To Eternity"

Just watched it Steve, thanks for the recommendation!  The Pied Piper of Saipan really pulled off something special.  He claimed that he talked in 1,500 troops and civilians.  A critic claimed it was half that much  ..... Ha!  so 750?  Don't know any other guys who could claim that!  The movie made him look much older than his 18 years of age.

 

One scene with a circle of officers around a general. One of the guys had a leather-covered saya ... I think it was @16k's Mantetsu!!!!

[sbf]

8 hours ago, Bruce Pennington said:

Just watched it Steve, thanks for the recommendation!  The Pied Piper of Saipan really pulled off something special.  He claimed that he talked in 1,500 troops and civilians.  A critic claimed it was half that much  ..... Ha!  so 750?  Don't know any other guys who could claim that!  The movie made him look much older than his 18 years of age.

 

One scene with a circle of officers around a general. One of the guys had a leather-covered saya ... I think it was @16k's Mantetsu!!!!

 

Glad you enjoyed it. It was filmed on Okinawa in 1960, all the extras were Marines and Japanese or Okinawans, and it appears most of the Japanese weapons and equipment were real. A few glitches with the Japanese using US small arms, but for my money the portrayal of the appearance and behavior of the Japanese Army was right on. The sword scene has haunted me since I saw the movie as a kid in the sixties, and in some ways spurred my interest in swords. Who were these people who still fought with swords in the 20th Century, who made suicidal charges, and deliberately crashed airplanes into ships? 

 

    Steve

[Kolekt-To]

Coming at us with raised Guntos! Scene from "Battle of Okinawa" (Japanese film, 1971).