The Samurai Film

The image of a lone hero, marked by a violent past and bound by honor, has exerted an endless fascination on film audiences the world over, but nowhere more than in Japan, where Samurai films have gained legions of passionate followers.

Very likely the world's most astute Western analyst of this genre, Alain SIlver deconstructs the key aspects of this vital fim genre, from its focus on violence and death as a means of understanding life and the significance of swords and weaponry to key elements and motifs such as hara-kiri, rebellion, and nostalgia for Japan's feudal past. With comprehensive filmographies of the major directors and films, a survey of the history and myths of the Samurai, a glossary of Japanese terms, and extensively illustrated with more than two hundred photos, this revised and expanded edition of The Samurai Film is the ultimate resource for one of world cinema's most influential and compelling genres.