List of historical films set in Asia
(Redirected from List of historical drama films of Asia)
Historical or period drama is a film genre in which stories are based on historical events and famous persons. Some historical dramas attempt to accurately portray a historical event or biography, to the degree that the available historical research will allow. Other historical dramas are fictionalised tales that are based on an actual person and their deeds.
Due to the sheer volume of films included in this genre and in the interest of continuity, this list is primarily focused on films pertaining to the history of East Asia, Central Asia, and India. For films pertaining to the history of Near Eastern and Western civilisation, please refer to list of historical period drama films and series set in Near Eastern and Western civilization.
The films on this page are divided into regions, and within each region the films are listed chronologically.
Central Asia
[edit]| Title | Release date | Time period | Setting | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Beast | 1988 | 1981 | Afghanistan | during the Soviet–Afghan War |
| The Orphanage | 2019 | 1989–1990 | Afghanistan | The story of children living in an orphanage in Kabul in Soviet Afghanistan and during the outbreak of the Afghan Civil War |
| Kandahar | 2001 | 1996–2001 | Afghanistan | Afghanistan during the Taliban regime |
| Tomiris | 2019 | 6th century | Kazakhstan | Kazakhstani historical drama about Tomyris, the 6th century queen of the Massagetae |
| Myn Bala | 2011 | 18th century | Kazakhstan | Kazakhstani historical dramatic film depicting the eighteenth century war fought between the Kazakhs and the Dzungar Khanate |
| Nomad | 2006 | 18th century | Kazakhstan | about the early years of Ablai Khan (early 18th century), a Kazakh khan in part of what is now Kazakhstan. |
| Genghis Khan | 1950 | 1158–1227 | Mongolia | Life of the Mongol emperor Genghis Khan focusing on the succession of his throne. |
| Genghis Khan | 1965 | 1158–1227 | Mongolia | The life and conquests of the Mongol emperor Genghis Khan |
| Genghis Khan: To the Ends of the Earth and Sea | 2007 | 1158–1227 | Mongolia | Japanese-Mongolian film about the life of Genghis Khan |
| Mongol | 2007 | 1172–1192 | Mongolia | Mongolian language film depicting the early life of Genghis Khan, focusing on the years 1172–1192 |
| The Conqueror | 1956 | 1178–1203 | Mongolia | English-language film starring John Wayne as Genghis Khan |
| Queen Mandukhai the Wise | 1988 | 1449–1510 | Mongolia | Mongolian language film about the life of Queen Mandukhai (1449–1510) who reunited the Mongols. |
| Tsogt Taij | 1945 | 1581–1637 | Mongolia | Mongolian language film about the patriotic struggle of Prince Tsogt Taij (1581–1637). |
| Kundun | 1997 | 1950 | Tibet | an American film depicting the early life of the 14th Dalai Lama and the 1950 invasion of Tibet and subsequent events |
| The Golden Horde | 1951 | 1220 | Uzbekistan | English-language film about an English knight who leads the defense of Samarkand against Genghis Khan |
South Asia
[edit]Indian History
[edit] |
| Title | Release | Period | Note on setting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mohenjo Daro | 2016 | 2016 BC | Fictional story set in Mohenjo-daro, a city of the Bronze Age Indus Valley civilization. |
| Siddhartha | 1972 | 563/480–483/400 BC | About the life of a boy and his search for a meaningful way of life |
| Gautama Buddha | 2007 | 563/480–483/400 BC | About the life of Gautama Buddha |
| Amrapali | 1966 | 500 – ? BC | Based on the life of Ambapali in India |
| Sikandar | 1941 | 326 BC | Set after Alexander the Great's conquest of Persia and as he pertains to his conquest of the kingdoms of Pauravas. |
| Chanakya Chandragupta | 1977 | 3rd century BC | Based on the lives of Maurya Emperor Chandragupta Maurya and his mentor Chanakya |
| Asoka | 2001 | 268–232 BC | fictionalized account of the reign of Ashoka (r. ), of the Mauryan Empire in India |
| Gautamiputra Satakarni | 2017 | 2nd century | about the achievements of Satavahana dynasty ruler Gautamiputra Satakarni who defeated Indo-Sythians, Alcon-Hunns etc. |
| Mayura | 1975 | 345–365 | Based on the Kadamba dynasty's King Mayurasharma set in India |
| Rajaraja Cholan | 1973 | 947–1014 | About the life history of great king Raja Raja Chola |
| Maharaj | 2024 | 1862 | About the famous Maharaj Libel Case and Saurabh Shah's novel about the case. [1] |
| Ponniyin Selvan | 2022[2] | 947–1014 | About the life history of great king Raja Raja Chola |
| Ambikapathy | 1937 | 1083 | Tamil, a love story set in India in 1083 |
| Samrat Prithviraj | 2022 | 1178–1192 | Based on Prithviraj Raso by Chand Bardai narrating the life of Prithviraj Chauhan[3] |
| Rudhramadevi | 2015 | 1262–1289 | Based on the life of Rudrama Devi and her achievements during her ruling period |
| Padmaavat | 2018 | 1303 | Based on Padmavat by Malik Muhammad Jayasi about Padmavati, a legendary Rajput queen, and her kingdom's war with the Sultan of Delhi, Alauddin Khilji |
| Urumi | 2011 | 1500 | Historical fiction on Portuguese colonial rule in Malabar |
| Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea | 2021 | 1505–1601 | Based on the battle exploits and resistance of Kunjali Marakkar IV, the naval commander of the Samoothiri of Calicut, against Portuguese invasion along the Malabar Coast for establishing monopoly of trade in the Indian subcontinent. |
| Tenali Ramakrishna | 1956 | 1509–1529 | Based on the life of Telugu poet Tenali Ramakrishna |
| Jodha-Akbar | 2008 | 1560s | Set during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar, and his marriage to a Hindu Rajput princess Jodhaa |
| Mughal-e-Azam | 1960 | 1570/1580 | Set during the Mughal Empire, depicting fictional conflict between King Akbar and his son Crown Prince Salim over semi fictional courtesan Anarkali whose historical existence is very unlikely. |
| Bhakta Tukaram | 1973 | 1600s | Based on the life of Marathi poet and saint Tukaram |
| Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story | 2005 | 1627–1658 | Story of Shah Jahan and his Queen Mumtaz Mahal and history of the monument Taj Mahal built to honour Mumtaz Mahal after her death. |
| Pawankhind | 2022 | 1660 |
Based on the last stand battle of Pavan khind fought between the forces of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj under Baji Prabhu Deshpande and Adilshahi forces under Siddi Jauhar. |
| Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior | 2020 | 1670 | Biopic of Tanaji Malusare and centered around Maratha expedition of Kondhana also called Battle of Singhad. |
| Chhava | 2024 | 1657 -1689 | Story of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, his military expendition.[4] |
| Hari Hara Veera Mallu | 2022 | 17th century | Telugu film; based on the life of legendary outlaw Veera Mallu |
| Bajirao Mastani | 2015 | 1720–1740 | Based loosely on the life of Bajirao I and his controversial marriage to his Muslim wife Mastani albeit with lot of inaccuracies. |
| Veerapandiya Kattabomman | 1959 | 1760–1799 | About the resistance of Veerapandiya Kattabomman to the Company rule in India, rule of the East India Company |
| Panipat: The Great Betrayal | 2019 | 1761 | Based on the Third Battle of Panipat. |
| Laal Kaptaan | 2019 | 1764–1789 | A revenge drama set after the events of the Battle of Buxar |
| Thugs of Hindostan | 2018 | 1795–1800s | Based on a band of Thugs resisting the East India Company's rule in India. |
| Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja | 2009 | 1796–1797 | Life of Pazhassi Raja—an Indian royal resisting the East India Company |
| Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy | 2019 | 1806–1847 | Based on the life of Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy |
| The Deceivers | 1988 | 1825 | About Thugees in India in 1825 |
| Veer | 2010 | 1825 | Set during the 1825 Pindari movement of Rajasthan, when India was ruled by the East India Company |
| Shatranj Ke Khiladi | 1977 | 1856 | Entailing the East India Company's annexation of the kingdom of Oudh (Awadh) from Wajid Ali Shah in 1856 on the eve of the Sepoy Mutiny. |
| Junoon | 1978 | 1857 | About a love story between one of the Rebels of 1857 in Rohilkhand and an Anglo-Indian woman that he has held hostage (along with her mother and grandmother). |
| Mangal Pandey: The Rising | 2005 | 1857 | About Mangal Pandey and the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. |
| Gandhi | 1982 | 1869–1948 | About the life of Mohandas K. Gandhi |
| Sardar | 1993 | 1875–1950 | Life of India's first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. |
| Jinnah | 1998 | 1876–1948 | Film follows the life of the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah |
| Kappalottiya Tamizhan | 1961 | 1870s–1930s | Film about freedom fighter V. O. Chidambaram Pillai who starts his fleet of ship by selling his property to protest against non usage of British ships for goods transport |
| Veer Savarkar | 2001 | 1883–1966 | About life and times of great revolutionary Swatantryaveer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar |
| Lagaan | 2001 | 1893 | A fictional account of a cricket game between the villagers of Champaner and the local British cantonment played in an effort to cancel the "lagaan" (a grain tax levied by the colonial authorities in India). |
| Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero | 2005 | 1897–1945 | About Indian freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose |
| Alluri Seetarama Raju | 1974 | 1898–1924 | Based on the life of Indian freedom fighter Alluri Sita Rama Raju. |
| Komaram Bheem | 1990 | 1900–1940 | Based on the life of Indian freedom fighter Komaram Bheem |
| RRR | 2022 | 1910–1920s | Fictional story about India's freedom fighters, Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem; set in Delhi of 1920s |
| Sardar Udham | 2021 | 1919–1940 | About life and times of great revolutionary Sardar Udham[5] |
| A Passage To India | 1984 | 1920s | Based on E. M. Forster's novel about two British woman who visit India during the British Raj and their adventures there. |
| Paradesi | 2013 | 1930s | Based on the lives affected by plantation. |
| Sam Bahadur | 2023 | 1934–1973 | Biographical war drama film based on the life of India's first field marshal, Sam Manekshaw.[6] |
| Madrasapattinam | 2010 | 1940s | A fictional account about the love story between a British woman and an Indian man during the Raj |
| Zubeidaa | 2001 | 1940s/1950s | a semi-biographical account of writer Khalid Mohamed's mother, the actress Zubeida Begum that is set in the late 1940s and the 1950s. |
| Dharmputra | 1961 | 1947 | This picture is concerned with the communal violence that marked the Partition of India in 1947. Set in Delhi, the movie focuses on the complex relationships between two families, namely a Hindu one and a Muslim one. |
| 1947 Earth | 1998 | 1947 | A partition film, directed by Deepa Mehta |
| Gadar: Ek Prem Katha | 2001 | 1947 | Another movie featuring the 1947 partition starring Sunny Deol and Amisha Patel in a Sikh-Muslim love story. |
| Pinjar | 2003 | 1947 | with regards to the partition of Punjab. This film is based on the Amrita Pritam story of the same name. |
| Partition | 2007 | 1947 | one of the more recent films on the Indian partition. |
| Hey Ram | 2000 | 1948 | Tamil, A period drama told in flashback, the semi-fictional plot centres on India's Partition and the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi |
| Gangubai Kathiawadi | 2022 | 1952–1968 | based on the life of social activist and prostitute Gangubai Kothewali |
| Rocket Boys | 2022 | 1961–1967 | the establishment of the Indian Space Program |
| Thalaivii | 2021 | 1965–1983 | based on the life of politician and actress J. Jayalalithaa |
| Khamosh Pani | 2003 | 1970s | about a widowed mother and her young son set in a late 1970s village in Punjab, Pakistan which is coming under radical influence |
| 1971 | 2007 | 1971 | based on the plight of Indian prisoners of war in the aftermath of 1971 war between India and Pakistan |
| Border | 1997 | 1971 | about the Battle of Longewala in the Indo-Pakistani war |
| Raazi | 2018 | 1971 | set during the Indo-Pakistani War |
| Shershaah | 2021 | 1974–1999 | about the life of Vikram Batra, an officer in the Indian Army who served in the Kargil War |
| Sanju | 2018 | 1981–2016 | about the life of Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt |
| Karnan | 2021 | 1995 | about the 1995 Kodiyankulam violence in Tamil Nadu |
| Yatra | 2019 | 2004–2009 | about the padayatra done by Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy |
| Manto | 2018 | 1940–1947 | based on the life of the prominent Urdu author Saadat Hasan Manto |
| Vikramaditya | 1945 | 375 – c. 415 | about King Vikramaditya, who promises to save the princess of Kashmir, appoints Kalidas as court-poet, and his fight against the Shakas (Scythians). |
| Tukaram | 2012 | 1598/1608–1649/1650 | about life of Saint Tukaram |
| Soorma | 2018 | 1986–2010 | about life of hockey player Sandeep Singh |
| The Sky Is Pink | 2019 | 1996–2015 | about life of Aisha Chaudhary, who suffered from severe combined immunodeficiency and pulmonary fibrosis |
| Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl | 2020 | 1984–2000 | about the life of Indian Air Force pilot Gunjan Saxena, one of the first Indian female air-force pilots in combat |
| Veeram | 2016 | 1600 | about the life of Chandu Chekavar,warrior of the Chekavar family |
| Udaykal | 1930 | 1630–1680 | about the "military expeditions" of the young 17th century Maratha Emperor Shivaji. |
| Thomasleeha | 1975 | 52–72 | about the life of St. Thomas the Apostle and his missionary work in India |
| Sher Shivraj | 2022 | 1630–1680 | about the life of Maratha king, Shivaji where he defeated Afzal Khan |
| Santha Shishunala Sharifa | 1990 | 1819–1889 | about the life of acclaimed saint poet Shishunala Sharif |
| Raj Nartaki | 1941 | 1900 | set in the early 19th century in the Manipur Kingdom and is about social barriers and a court dancer. |
| Raag Desh | 2017 | 1945 | about the historic 1945 Indian National Army Red Fort Trials. |
| Pathonpatham Noottandu | 2022 | 1825–1874 | based on the life of Arattupuzha Velayudha Panicker, a warrior who fought against social injustices suffered by the lower caste |
| Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran | 2018 | 1995–1998 | based on the nuclear bomb test explosions conducted by the Indian Army at Pokhran in 1998 |
| Pardesi | 1957 | 1466–1472 | based on the travelogues of Russian traveller Afanasy Nikitin, called A Journey Beyond the Three Seas |
| Nayika Devi: The Warrior Queen | 2022 | 1178 | based on Battle of Kasahrada |
| Mirza Ghalib | 1954 | 1797–1869 | Based on the life of well-known poet Mirza Ghalib |
| Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi | 2019 | 1828–1858 | Based on life of Rani Lakshmi Bai |
| Mamangam | 2019 | 1800 | about the Mamankam festival of the 18th century in the banks of the Bharathappuzha at Tirunavaya, in the Malabar region |
| Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja | 2009 | 1800 | based on the life of Pazhassi Raja, a king who fought against the East India Company in the 18th century. |
| Jhansi Ki Rani | 1953 | 1828–1858 | about the bravery of queen Lakshmibai, Rani of Jhansi, who took up arms and led her army against the British |
| Hirkani | 2019 | 1674 | based on 'Hirkani', a brave woman and an amazing mother who lived near the Raigad Fort in Maharashtra during the regime Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj |
| Har Har Mahadev | 2022 | 1660 | based on Battle of Pavan Khind |
| Guru Da Banda | 2018 | 1670–1716 | about the life of Banda Singh Bahadur,Sikh warrior |
| Fatteshikast | 2019 | 1663 | Depicts the historical encounter between Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the subahdar and general of the Mughal army, Shaista Khan at Lal Mahal in Pune |
| Farzand | 2018 | 1673 | about the story of warrior Kondaji Farzand, who along with 60 warriors defeated 2500 soldiers of the enemy to win the Panhala fort in just three and half hours in 1673 |
| Escape from Taliban | 2003 | 1989–1995 | based on the story A Kabuliwala's Bengali Wife by Sushmita Banerjee, who fled Afghanistan in 1995 after six years of living there with her Afghan husband |
| Chaar Sahibzaad | 2014 | 1526–1704 | based on the sacrifices of the sons of the 10th Sikh guru Guru Gobind Singh—Sahibzada Ajit Singh, Jujhar Singh, Zorawar Singh, and Fateh Singh |
| Bilhanane | 1948 | 1100 | based on the story of the Kashmiri poet Bilhana |
| 8/12 | 2022 | 1930 | based on the historical attack on Writers' Building by three Bengal Volunteers in 1930. |
| 83 | 2021 | 1983 | Based on the India national cricket team led by Kapil Dev, which won the 1983 Cricket World Cup |
| The Accidental Prime Minister | 2019 | 2004–2014 | Based on the memoir by Indian policy analyst Sanjaya Baru, The Accidental Prime Minister explores the tenure of Manmohan Singh as the Prime Minister of India |
| Airlift | 2016 | 1990 | based on real life story of a Kuwait-based Malayali businessman Mathunny Mathews |
| The Attacks of 26/11 | 2013 | 2008 | based on the book Kasab: The Face of 26/11 by Rommel Rodrigues about Ajmal Kasab perpetrator of the 2008 Mumbai attacks |
| Azhar | 2016 | 1990–2012 | about the life of Indian cricketer and former national team captain Mohammad Azharuddin |
| Batla House | 2019 | 2008 | based on the Batla House encounter case that took place on 19 September 2008 |
| Bawandar | 2000 | 1971–1992 | based on the true story of Bhanwari Devi, a rape victim from Rajasthan, India. |
| Bell Bottom | 2021 | 1980–1990 | Inspired from real life hijacking events in India by Khalistani terrorists during the 1980s, such as the Indian Airlines Flight 423, 405 and 421 hijackings |
| Bhaag Milkha Bhaag | 2013 | 1947–1964 | Based on the life of Milkha Singh, an Indian athlete and Olympian who was a champion of the Commonwealth Games and two-times 400m champion of the Asian Games |
| Haseena Parkar | 2017 | 1993–2007 | Based on Dawood Ibrahim's sister Haseena Parkar |
| Aligarh | 2015 | 2010 | about the true story of Ramchandra Siras |
| Aami | 2018 | 1934–2009 | Based on the life of poet-author Kamala Das |
| Anna | 2016 | 1937–2015 | Based on the life of Indian social activist Anna Hazare |
| Daddy | 2017 | 1955–2016 | about gangster-turned-politician Arun Gawli |
Pakistani history
[edit]| Title | Language | Release date | Time period | Notes on setting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mah e Mir | Urdu | 2016 | 1723–1810 | Based on the life of the famous poet Mir Taqi Mir |
| Ghalib | Urdu | 1961 | 1797–1869 | Based on the life of famous Urdu poet, Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib. |
| Kesari | Hindi | 2019 | 1897 | Story of the Battle of Saragarhi |
| Jinnah | Urdu | 1998 | 1900s–1948 | Biopic based on the life of Mohammad Ali Jinnah (1876–1948), founder of Pakistan |
| Ghazi Ilmuddin Shaheed | Punjabi | 1978 | 1920s | Biopic based on Ilmuddin (1908–1929), a man hanged for the murder of Mahashay Rajpal. |
| Ghazi Ilmuddin Shaheed | Urdu | 2002 | 1920s | Biopic based on Ilmuddin (1908–1929), a man hanged for the murder of Mahashay Rajpal. |
| Manto | Urdu | 2015 | 1940s–1950s | Biopic based on the life of writer, Saadat Hasan Manto (1912–1955). |
| Kartar Singh | Punjabi | 1959 | 1940s | Based on the Partition of India. |
| Lakhon mein aik | 1967 | 1947 | Based on the Partition of India. | |
| Jannat ke Talaash | Urdu | 1999 | 1947 | Based on the Partition of India. |
| Shah | Urdu | 2015 | 1964–2014 | Biopic based on the life of Pakistan's only boxing Olympic medallist, Hussain Shah (born 1964) |
| Aik Hai Nigar | Urdu | 2021 | 1975–2021 | Based on three-star general of Pakistan Army, Nigar Johar |
| Motorcycle Girl | Urdu | 2018 | 2010s | Based on the life of motorcyclist Zenith Irfa |
Sri Lankan history
[edit]| Title | Release date | Time period | Notes on setting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vijaya Kuweni | 2012 | 543–505 BC | based on the historical tale of Wijaya-Kuveni |
| Aba | 2008 | 437–367 BC | Based on the historical legend of King Pandukabhaya, the first monarch of Anuradhapura kingdom |
| Mahindagamanaya | 2011 | 250 BC | based on arrival of Buddhism to Sri Lanka |
| Maharaja Gemunu | 2015 | 161–137 BC | based on the odyssey of King Dutugamunu |
| Aloko Udapadi | 2017 | 103 BC and c. 89–77 BC | based on the odyssey of King King Valagamba |
| Siri Daladagamanaya | 2012 | 300s | based on venerated of Tooth relic to Sri Lanka |
| The God King | 1974 | 473 | based on the historical clash between brothers Kashyapa I and Moggalana on Sigiriya Rock |
| Sri Siddha | 2024 | 1039–1110 | based on the Panakaduwa copper plate – When juvenile prince Kirthi (Vijayabahu I) and his family were attacked by the Cholas, a high-ranking general named Budalna rescued the prince and helped the king win the kingdom. |
| Siri Parakum | 2013 | 1153–1186 | based on the historical legend of King Parakramabahu the Great |
| Vijayaba Kollaya | 2019 | 1521 | based on the Vijayabā Kollaya – the assassination of King Vijayabahu VI, the ruler of Kotte, by his three sons in 1521 and plundering the kingdom |
| Ahelepola Kumarihami | 2014 | 1814 | based on the tragic incidence, where King Sri Vikrama Rajasinha slaughtered the entire family of Ehelepola Nilame due to mistaken as a betrayer to the Kandyan Kingdom |
| Kivulegedara Mohottala | 1987 | 1817–1818 | based on freedom fighter Kivulegedara Mohottala and Great Rebellion of 1817–1818 |
| Vera Puran Appu | 1979 | 1812–1848 | based on freedom fighter Puran Appu |
| Gadera | 2022 | 1912–1913 | based on an expedition in British Garhwal |
East Asia
[edit]Chinese and Taiwanese history
[edit]| Title | Release date | Time period | Notes on setting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xuan Yuan: The Great Emperor | 2016 | 2698 BC | a Chinese drama film about the story of the Yellow Emperor |
| The Last Woman of Shang | 1964 | 1075–1046 BC | a Hong Kong film about Daji, a concubine of King Zhou of Shang |
| The Grand Substitution | 1965 | 607-581 BC | a Hong Kong film based on the play The Orphan of Zhao, set in the Jin state during the Spring and Autumn period |
| Sacrifice | 2010 | 607–581 BC | based on the play The Orphan of Zhao, set in the Jin state during the Spring and Autumn period |
| Confucius | 1940 | 551–479 BC | thought to be a lost film, but was rediscovered in 2001 and restored |
| Confucius | 2010 | 505–479 BC | starring Chow Yun-fat as Confucius |
| An Empress and the Warriors | 2008 | c. 475–221 BC | set in the Yan kingdom during the Warring states period |
| Little Big Soldier | 2010 | 475–221 BC | an action-comedy film set in the Warring States period, about a war between the Liang and Wey states |
| A Battle of Wits | 2006 | 375–369 BC | set in the reign of King Lie of Zhou |
| Qu Yuan | 1977 | c. 339−278 BC | about the tragedy of the great Chinese ancient poet Qu Yuan during the Warring States period |
| The Warring States | 2011 | c. 316 BC | set in the Warring States period (475–221 BC), loosely based on the rivalry between Sun Bin (d. 316 BC) and Pang Juan (d. 342 BC) |
| The Emperor's Shadow | 1996 | 259–210 BC | about a troubled friendship between Qin Shi Huang and the musician Gao Jianli |
| Wheat | 2009 | 260 BC | the story of women left behind when their husbands went to war during the Battle of Changping |
| First Emperor: The Man Who Made China | 2006 | 247–210 BC | documentary with reenactments of events in the life of Qin Shi Huang |
| The Emperor and the Assassin | 1998 | 227 BC | based on the assassination attempt by Jing Ke on Qin Shi Huang |
| Hero | 2002 | 227 BC | based on the assassination attempt by Jing Ke on Qin Shi Huang |
| The Great Conqueror's Concubine | 1994 | 206–202 BC | a Hong Kong film set in the Chu–Han Contention |
| White Vengeance | 2011 | 206–202 BC | loosely based on the Feast at Hong Gate and events in the Chu–Han Contention |
| The Last Supper | 2012 | 206–202 BC | based on events in the Chu–Han Contention |
| Dragon Blade | 2005 | 48 BC | about a fictional elite fighting force created by the Han dynasty to preserve peace in Northwestern China |
| Red Cliff | 2008 | 208–209 | epic war film based on the Battle of Red Cliffs |
| The Assassins | 2012 | 210 | set in China in the late 210s – the years preceding the end of the Han dynasty |
| The Lost Bladesman | 2011 | 219 | a Hong Kong film loosely based on the story of Guan Yu (d. 219) in the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms |
| Shadow | 2018 | 220−280 | set during the Three Kingdoms period |
| Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon | 2008 | 229 | a Hong Kong film about Zhao Yun, loosely based on parts of the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms |
| Mulan | 2009 | c. 386–534 | based on the legend of Hua Mulan |
| Mulan Joins the Army | 1939 | c. 567–571 | based on the legend of Hua Mulan |
| Xuanzang | 2016 | 602−664 | about the life of Xuanzang, a Buddhist monk and scholar during the Tang dynasty |
| Shaolin Temple | 1982 | 619–621 | starring Jet Li, based on the story of Shaolin Temple help Li Shimin |
| The Empress Wu Tse-tien | 1939 | 650–705 | based on the story of Wu Zetian |
| Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame | 2010 | 684–690 | a Hong Kong film based on a fictional account of Di Renjie, set in the reign of Wu Zetian |
| Warriors of Heaven and Earth | 2003 | 700 | an action-adventure film set in Xinjiang |
| Lady of the Dynasty | 2015 | 719−756 | about the life of Yang Guifei, one of the Four Beauties of China |
| The Promise | 2005 | 766–780 | set during the end of the Tang dynasty |
| Avalokitesvara | 2013 | 840−846 | set during the end of the Tang dynasty |
| House of Flying Daggers | 2004 | 859 | set during the end of the Tang dynasty |
| Trilogy of Swordsmanship (Part 2: The Tigress) | 1972 | 860s | a Hong Kong film (only Part 2) set during Pang Xun's rebellion |
| The Heroic Ones | 1970 | 880s | a Hong Kong film about Li Keyong's generals |
| General Stone | 1976 | 880s | a Hong Kong film about Li Cunxiao |
| The Banquet | 2006 | 907−979 | set during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period |
| Curse of the Golden Flower | 2006 | 928 | set during the Later Tang dynasty |
| All the King's Men | 1983 | 950s | a Taiwanese film about Chai Rong's last days |
| Great Liao's Empress Dowager | 1995 | 969–982 | a Chinese film about Empress Xiao Yanyan |
| Saving General Yang | 2013 | 980s | a Hong Kong film about the Generals of the Yang Family legends |
| The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter | 1983 | 980s | a Hong Kong film about the Generals of the Yang Family legends |
| The Eight Diagram Cudgel Fighter | 1985 | 980s | a Hong Kong film about the Generals of the Yang Family legends |
| Generals of the Yang Family | 1984 | 980s | a Chinese film about the Generals of the Yang Family legends |
| The Silk Road | 1988 | 1026 | a Japanese film about Western Xia |
| The 14 Amazons | 1972 | 1030s | a Hong Kong film about the Genearals of the Yang Family legends |
| Legendary Amazons | 2011 | 1030s | a Chinese film about the Genearals of the Yang Family legends |
| The Journey to Xixia Empire | 1997 | 1087 | a Chinese film about Western Xia (Xixia) |
| Full River Red | 2023 | 1146 | about a mystery case set in the beginning era of Southern Song dynasty |
| An End to Killing | 2013 | 1200s | about the conquest of China by Genghis Khan |
| Marco Polo | 1982 | 1254–1324 | an American-Italian television miniseries about the Venetian explorer who traveled to China and served in the court of Kublai Khan |
| The Black Rose | 1950 | 1272–1279 | English-language film about an English Saxon who travels China and meet a Mongol warlord |
| Reign of Assassins | 2010 | 1368–1644 | an assassin transforms herself to escape her past in Ming China |
| Brotherhood of Blades | 2014 | 1627 | set during the end of the Ming dynasty, under the reign of Chongzhen Emperor |
| Brotherhood of Blades II: The Infernal Battlefield | 2017 | 1627 | set during the end of the Ming dynasty, under the reign of Chongzhen Emperor |
| Fall of Ming | 2013 | 1642 | about the fall of the Ming dynasty |
| The Sino-Dutch War 1661 | 2000 | 1645–62 | based on the story of Koxinga (1624–1662), with the focus on the Siege of Fort Zeelandia |
| The Palace | 2013 | 1661–1722 | set during the reign of Kangxi Emperor |
| The Opium War | 1997 | 1839–42 | historical epic film about the First Opium War, told through the eyes of Lin Zexu and Charles Elliot |
| The Empress Dowager | 1975 | 1835–1908 | a Hong Kong film about Empress Dowager Cixi |
| Li Lianying: The Imperial Eunuch | 1991 | 1848–1911 | the Qing dynasty eunuch Li Lianying |
| The Warlords | 2007 | 1850–64 | set in the Qing dynasty during the Taiping Rebellion |
| Fearless | 2006 | 1868–1910 | a biographical film about late Qing dynasty martial artist Huo Yuanjia |
| The Last Tempest | 1976 | 1875−1908 | a Hong Kong film about the life of Guangxu Emperor |
| The Woman Knight of Mirror Lake | 2011 | 1875–1907 | a biographical film about revolutionary Qiu Jin |
| The Sino-Japanese War at Sea 1894 | 2012 | 1877−1895 | based on the events of the First Sino-Japanese War |
| Forever Enthralled | 2008 | 1894–1961 | biographical film about Peking opera artist Mei Lanfang |
| 1895 | 2008 | 1895 | a Taiwanese film about the Japanese invasion of Taiwan and the Hakka resistance |
| Blade of Fury | 1993 | 1898 | set during the Hundred Days' Reform |
| Empire of Silver | 2009 | 1899–1901 | a Hong Kong film set in the Qing dynasty during the Boxer Rebellion |
| 55 Days at Peking | 1963 | 1900 | an American film starring Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner and David Niven and set during the Boxer Rebellion |
| Red River Valley | 1997 | 1903–1904 | about the British expedition to Tibet |
| The Tokyo Trial | 2006 | 1904–1973 | presenting the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal from the point of view of Mei Ju-ao |
| The Last Emperor | 1987 | 1906–1967 | an Academy Award winning film about China's last emperor Puyi |
| Kawashima Yoshiko | 1990 | 1907−1948 | a Hong Kong film based on the life of Yoshiko Kawashima, a Manchu princess who was brought up as a Japanese and served as a spy in the service of the Japanese Kwantung Army and Manchukuo during the Second World War |
| Road to Dawn | 2007 | 1910 | about Sun Yat-sen's life in Penang from July to December 1910 |
| Magnificent 72 | 1980 | 1911 | about Lin Juemin and the Second Guangzhou Uprising, with a brief scene of Qiu Jin's arrest in 1907 |
| Bodyguards and Assassins | 2009 | 1911 | a Hong Kong film set in Colonial Hong Kong near the end of the Qing dynasty. The events in the film led to the Wuchang Uprising |
| The Battle for the Republic of China | 1981 | 1911 | a Taiwanese film about the Xinhai Revolution |
| 1911 | 2011 | 1911 | about the Xinhai Revolution |
| The Soong Sisters | 1997 | 1911–1949 | about the Soong sisters |
| The Founding of a Party | 2011 | 1921 | about the formation of the Chinese Communist Party in 1921 |
| 1921 | 2012 | 1921 | about the formation of the Chinese Communist Party in 1921 |
| Lai Shi, China's Last Eunuch | 1988 | 1924 | a Hong Kong film about the Last Eunuch in China |
| The Founding of an Army | 2017 | 1927 | about the founding of the People's Liberation Army |
| Night in Jinling | 1985 | 1927−1931 | about the Kuomintang turn against the Chinese Communist Party and the Shanghai massacre |
| Bridge | 1949 | 1927–1950 | the Chinese Civil War |
| Yangtse Incident | 1957 | 1927–1950 | a British film about the Royal Navy frigate HMS Amethyst getting caught up in the Chinese Civil War |
| Assembly | 2007 | 1927–1950 | epic war film set in the Chinese Civil War |
| The Bugle from Gutian | 2019 | 1929 | based on the 1929 Gutian Congress |
| Seediq Bale | 2011 | 1930 | film depicting the plight of Taiwanese aborigines of the Seediq tribe during the period of Taiwan under Japanese rule, and their role in the Wushe Incident |
| Cliff Walkers | 2021 | 1930s | set in the Imperial Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo in the 1930s before World War II erupts |
| Red Sorghum | 1987 | 1930s | set during the eastern province of Shandong during the Second Sino-Japanese War |
| A Murder Beside Yanhe River | 2014 | 1933–1937 | based on the murder case of Huang Kegong, who was a general of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army |
| 7-Man Army | 1976 | 1933 | a Hong Kong film depicting the Defense of the Great Wall |
| The National Anthem | 1999 | 1935 | about the composition of "The March of the Volunteers" |
| The Secret of China | 2019 | 1936 | about the communist journalist Edgar Snow meets Mao Zedong |
| The Xi'an Incident | 1981 | 1936 | about the Xi'an Incident |
| Eight Hundred Heroes | 1976 | 1937 | a Taiwanese film depicting the Defense of Sihang Warehouse |
| The Eight Hundred | 2020 | 1937 | the Defense of Sihang Warehouse |
| Black Sun: The Nanking Massacre | 1994 | 1937 | a Hong Kong film about the Nanking Massacre |
| Don't Cry, Nanking | 1995 | 1937 | the Nanking Massacre |
| City of Life and Death | 2009 | 1937 | dealing with the Battle of Nanjing and its aftermath, the Nanking Massacre |
| John Rabe | 2009 | 1937 | a biographical film about John Rabe and his experiences in the Nanking Massacre |
| The Flowers of War | 2011 | 1937 | about a group of escapees caught up in the 1937 Battle of Nanking |
| Heroes of the Eastern Skies | 1977 | 1937–1938 | a Taiwanese film based on the true story of a small group of Chinese flying aces in 1937 at the beginning of the Second Sino-Japanese War |
| The Spring River Flows East | 1947 | 1937–1945 | the trials and tribulations of a Chinese family through the Second Sino-Japanese War |
| Tunnel War | 1965 | 1937–1945 | about a small town defending itself by use of a network of tunnels during the Second Sino-Japanese War |
| Men Behind the Sun | 1988 | 1937–1945 | a Hong Kong film depicting war atrocities committed by the Japanese Unit 731 during World War II |
| On the Mountain of Tai Hang | 2005 | 1937–1945 | about the Eighth Route Army, set in the Second Sino-Japanese War |
| The Children of Huang Shi | 2008 | 1938 | about George Hogg leading 60 orphans across China in an effort to save them from conscription during the Second Sino-Japanese War |
| Hong Kong 1941 | 1983 | 1941–1945 | a Hong Kong film set in Japanese-occupied Hong Kong during World War II |
| Phurbu & Tenzin | 2014 | 1944–1980 | about the two monks in Tibet |
| Hundred Regiments Offensive | 2015 | 1945 | about the end of the Second Sino-Japanese war |
| The Crossing | 2014 | 1945–1949 | about the Second Sino-Japanese war and the siking of Taiping. |
| A City of Sadness | 1989 | 1947 | Taiwanese historical drama film sets immediately after WWII in the late 1940s. The film was the first to depict the February 28 Incident of 1947, an anti-government uprising that was quelled. |
| Decisive Engagement: The Liaoxi-Shenyang Campaign | 1991 | 1948 | about the Chinese Civil War (Liaoshen Campaign, Huaihai Campaign and Pingjin Campaign) |
| Fight for Nanjing, Shanghai and Hangzhou | 1999 | 1949 | about the war between the Communist troops and the Kuomintang troops in east China during the Chinese Civil War |
| The Great Military March Forward: Engulf the Southwest | 1998 | 1949 | about the war between the Communist troops and the KMT troops in southwest China during the Chinese Civil War |
| The Founding of a Republic | 2009 | 1949 | about the founding of the People's Republic of China |
| Mao Zedong 1949 | 2019 | 1949 | about the founding of the People's Republic of China |
| Where the Wind Settles | 2015 | 1949−2010 | a Taiwanese film about the lives of several mainland Chinese people who resettled in Taiwan near the end of the Chinese Civil War |
| Septet: The Story of Hong Kong | 2020 | 1950−2020 | a Hong Kong film divided into seven stories, each corresponding to a decade in Hong Kong's history, told from the view of ordinary people |
| Sniper | 2022 | 1950−1953 | based on a fictionalized account of the real life story of Zhang Taofang, a Chinese sniper fighting American soldiers in the Korean War |
| The Battle at Lake Changjin | 2021 | 1950 | about the Chinese People's Volunteer Army during the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir in the Korean War |
| The Battle at Lake Changjin II | 2022 | 1950 | about the Chinese People's Volunteer Army during the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir in the Korean War |
| The Sacrifice | 2020 | 1953 | about the Chinese People's Volunteer Army launching its last large-scale campaign during the Korean War, the Jincheng Campaign |
| 24 City | 2008 | 1958–1980 | A docudrama film about the generations of people who worked in state factories during the industrialization and were demolished during the modernization of China. |
| Coming Home | 2014 | 1966–1976 | set during the Cultural Revolution in China. |
| Aftershock | 2010 | 1976–2010 | the aftermath of the 1976 Tangshan earthquake |
| Deng Xiaoping | 2003 | 1978 | about Deng Xiaoping and the 3rd plenary session of the 11th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party |
Japanese history
[edit]Samurai cinema and Jidai-geki films
[edit]Jidai-geki 時代劇 is a genre of film, television, and theatre in Japan. Literally "period dramas", they are most often set during the Edo period of Japanese history, from 1603 to 1868. Some, however, are set much earlier—Portrait of Hell, for example, is set during the late Heian period—and the early Meiji era is also a popular setting. Jidaigeki show the lives of the samurai, farmers, craftsmen, and merchants of their time. Jidaigeki films are sometimes referred to as chambara movies, a word meaning "sword fight", though chambara is more accurately a subgenre of jidaigeki, which equates to historical period drama. In Japan, the term chanbara (チャンバラ), also commonly spelled "chambara", meaning "sword fighting" movies,[7] denotes the genre called samurai cinema in English, and is roughly equivalent to western cowboy and swashbuckler films. Jidaigeki may refer to a story set in a historical period, though not necessarily dealing with a samurai character or depicting swordplay. Jidaigeki rely on an established set of dramatic conventions including the use of makeup, language, catchphrases, and plotlines.
| Title | Director | Notable cast | Release date | Time period | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kōchiyama to Nao-zamurai | Ichitarō Kataoka, Matsunosuke Onoe, Kijaku Ōtani | 1916 | Based on the play of the same name. | ||
| Nao-zamurai | Jiro Yoshino | Shirogoro Sawamura | 1922 | Based on the play of the same name. | |
| A Diary of Chuji's Travels | Daisuke Itō | Denjirō Ōkōchi | 1927 | Awards: 1 Kinema Junpo Award | |
| Sword of Penitence | Yasujirō Ozu | Saburo Azuma, Kunimatsu Ogawa, Kanji Kawahara, Shoichi Nodera | 1927 | ||
| Jobless Samurai | Masahiro Makino | Kōmei Minami, Tōichirō Negishi, Tsuyako Okajima | 1928 | Awards: 1 Kinema Junpo Award | |
| Nao-zamurai | Kintarō Inoue | Chōjirō Hayashi, Ryūnosuke Tsukigata, Kōkichi Takada, Kinuko Wakamizu | 1930 | Based on the play of the same name. | |
| Jirokichi the Rat | Daisuke Itō | Denjirō Ōkōchi, Naoe Fushimi, Nobuko Fushimi | 1931 | ||
| Chūshingura Zenpen: Akōkyō no maki | Teinosuke Kinugasa | Tomio Aoki, Juzaburo Bando, Kōtarō Bandō | 1932 | ||
| Chūshingura – Ninjō-hen, Fukushū-hen | Daisuke Itō | Shinpachirō Asaka, Satoko Date, Sannosuke Fujikawa | 1934 | ||
| The Million Ryo Pot | Sadao Yamanaka | Denjirō Ōkōchi, Kiyozo, Kunitarō Sawamura | 1935 | ||
| The Avenging Ghost of Yukinojo, Part 1 | Teinosuke Kinugasa | Kazuo Hasegawa, Tokusaburo Arashi, Akiko Chihaya | 1935 | ||
| The Avenging Ghost of Yukinojo, Part 2 | Teinosuke Kinugasa | Kazuo Hasegawa, Tokusaburo Arashi, Akiko Chihaya | 1935 | ||
| Daibosatsu tōge: dai-ippen – Kōgen itto-ryū no maki | Hiroshi Inagaki | Fujiko Fukamizu, Ranko Hanai, Takako Irie | 1935 | ||
| The Avenging Ghost of Yukinojo, Part 3 | Teinosuke Kinugasa | Kazuo Hasegawa, Tokusaburo Arashi, Akiko Chihaya | 1936 | ||
| Daibosatsu tōge: Suzuka-yama no maki – Mibu Shimabara no maki | Hiroshi Inagaki | Fujiko Fukamizu, Kobunji Ichikawa, Momonosuke Ichikawa | 1936 | ||
| Humanity and Paper Balloons | Sadao Yamanaka | Chojuro Kawarazaki, Kanemon Nakamura, Shizue Yamagishi | 1937 | 18th century | |
| Chikemuri Takadanobaba | Hiroshi Inagaki, Masahiro Makino | Tsumasaburō Bandō, Tokuma Dan, Komako Hara | 1937 | ||
| Chushingura, Part One | Kajirō Yamamoto | Denjirō Ōkōchi, Kazuo Hasegawa, Yatarō Kurokawa | 1939 | 1701 | |
| Chushingura, Part Two | Kajirō Yamamoto | Denjirō Ōkōchi, Kazuo Hasegawa, Yatarō Kurokawa | 1939 | 1701 | |
| Singing Lovebirds | Masahiro Makino | Chiezō Kataoka, Takashi Shimura | 1939 | ||
| A Color Print of Edo | Kazuo Mori | Shinpachirō Asaka, Utaemon Ichikawa, Yaeko Kumoi | 1939 | ||
| The 47 Ronin | Kenji Mizoguchi | Chojuro Kawarasaki, Kanemon Nakamura, Kunitaro Kawarazaki, Yoshizaburo Arashi, Daisuke Katō | 1941 | 1701–1703 | Two-part film depicting the famous actions of the Forty-seven rōnin in 1701–1703. Part 2 was released on 1942.02.11. |
| Kikuchi sembon-yari: Shidonî tokubetsu kōgeki-tai | Tomiyasu Ikeda, Sentarō Shirai | Kanzo Yoshii, Utaemon Ichikawa, Kusuo Abe | 1944 | ||
| A Tale of Archery at the Sanjusangendo | Mikio Naruse | Kazuo Hasegawa, Kinuyo Tanaka, Sensho Ichikawa | 1945 | ||
| Utamaro and His Five Women | Kenji Mizoguchi | Minosuke Bandō, Kinuyo Tanaka, Kōtarō Bandō | 1946 | 1800s | |
| Surōnin makaritōru | Daisuke Itō | Tsumasaburō Bandō, Ryūtarō Ōtomo, Kusuo Abe | 1947 | ||
| Ore wa yojinbo | Hiroshi Inagaki | Chiezō Kataoka, Ryūnosuke Tsukigata, Achako Hanabishi | 1950 | ||
| Senritsu | Hideo Sekigawa | Utaemon Ichikawa, Haruyo Ichikawa | 1950 | ||
| Wakasama zamurai torimonochō: nazo no nōmen yashiki | Nobuo Nakagawa | Yatarō Kurokawa, Denjirō Ōkōchi, Seizaburō Kawazu | 1950 | ||
| Rashomon | Akira Kurosawa | Toshirō Mifune, Masayuki Mori, Machiko Kyō, Takashi Shimura | 1950 | 12th century | |
| Kanketsu Sasaki Kojirō: Ganryū-jima kettō | Hiroshi Inagaki | Tomoemon Otani, Toshirō Mifune, Hisako Yamane | 1951 | ||
| Five Men of Edo | Daisuke Itō | Tsumasaburō Bandō, Utaemon Ichikawa, Isuzu Yamada | 1951 | ||
| Vendetta of a Samurai | Kazuo Mori | Toshirō Mifune, Yuriko Hamada, Takashi Shimura | 1952 | early 17th century | Awards: 1 Blue Ribbon Award, 1 Mainichi Film Concours |
| The Life of Oharu | Kenji Mizoguchi | Kinuyo Tanaka, Tsukie Matsuura, Ichirō Sugai, Toshirō Mifune, Takashi Shimura | 1952 | 17th century | |
| The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail | Akira Kurosawa | Denjirō Ōkōchi, Susumu Fujita, Kenichi Enomoto | 1952 | 1185 | |
| Sword for Hire | Hiroshi Inagaki | Rentarō Mikuni, Danshirō Ichikawa, Shirley Yamaguchi | 1952 | ||
| Tsukigata Hanpeita | Kokichi Uchide | Hiroshi Aoyama, Masao Aoyama, Michiyo Azuma | 1952 | ||
| Ugetsu Monogatari | Kenji Mizoguchi | Masayuki Mori, Machiko Kyō, Kinuyo Tanaka | 1953 | c. 1598–1600 | Based on the novel of the same name, set in the Ōmi Province during the Azuchi-Momoyama period |
| Gate of Hell | Teinosuke Kinugasa | Kazuo Hasegawa, Machiko Kyō | 1953 | 1159 | Awards: 2 Academy Awards, 1 Golden Leopard, 1 New York Film Critics Circle Award, Palme d'Or, |
| Sansho the Bailiff | Kenji Mizoguchi | Kinuyo Tanaka, Yoshiaki Hanayagi, Kyōko Kagawa, Eitarō Shindō | 1954 | 794–1185 | Awards: 1 Silver Lion |
| Seven Samurai | Akira Kurosawa | Takashi Shimura, Toshirō Mifune | 1954 | 1586 | Awards: 2 Jussi Awards, 1 Mainichi Film Award, 1 Silver Lion |
| Akō gishi | Ryohei Arai | Yatarō Kurokawa | 1954 | ||
| Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto | Hiroshi Inagaki | Toshirō Mifune, Rentarō Mikuni | 1954 | 1600 | Awards: 1 Academy Award |
| The Crucified Lovers | Kenji Mizoguchi | Kazuo Hasegawa, Kyōko Kagawa, Eitarō Shindō | 1954 | Awards: 1 Blue Ribbon Award | |
| The Playful Fox and the Thousand Cherry Trees | Torajiro Saito | Takashi Wada, Yumiko Hasegawa | 1954 | ||
| Bloody Spear at Mount Fuji | Tomu Uchida | Chiezo Kataoka, Ryūnosuke Tsukigata, Chizuru Kitagawa | 1955 | 1603–1868 | Awards: 1 Blue Ribbon Award |
| Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple | Hiroshi Inagaki | Toshirō Mifune, Kōji Tsuruta | 1955 | ||
| The Lone Journey | Hiroshi Inagaki | Ryō Ikebe, Mariko Okada, Akihiko Hirata | 1955 | ||
| Tales of the Taira Clan | Kenji Mizoguchi | Narutoshi Hayashi, Raizō Ichikawa, Tatsuya Ishiguro | 1955 | Awards: 1 Mainichi Film Concours | |
| Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island | Hiroshi Inagaki | Toshirō Mifune, Kōji Tsuruta | 1956 | ||
| Akō Rōshi: Ten no Maki, Chi no Maki | Sadatsugu Matsuda | Harue Akagi, Ryūtarō Aoyagi, Ushio Akashi | 1956 | 1701 | |
| Yagyū Ren'yasai: Hidentsuki Kageshō | Katsuhiko Tasaka | Raizo Ichikawa, Shintaro Katsu, Yataro Kurokawa, Ryosuke Kagawa | 1956 | 1603–1868 | |
| Ghost of Hanging in Utusunomiya | Nobuo Nakagawa | Hiroshi Ogasawara, Akemi Tsukushi, Tetsurō Tamba | 1956 | ||
| Dandy Sashichi Detective Story: Six Famous Beauties | Nobuo Nakagawa | Tomisaburō Wakayama, Keiko Hibino, Misako Uji | 1956 | ||
| Throne of Blood | Akira Kurosawa | Toshirō Mifune, Isuzu Yamada, Takashi Shimura | 1957 | 16th century | |
| The Lord Takes a Bride | Sadatsugu Matsuda | Harue Akagi, Ushio Akashi | 1957 | ||
| Yagyu Secret Scrolls | Hiroshi Inagaki | Toshirō Mifune, Kōji Tsuruta, Yoshiko Kuga, Mariko Okada, Denjiro Okochi, Kyoko Kagawa | 1957 | ||
| Akadō Suzunosuke: Tsukiyo no kaijin | Bin Kado | Masaji Umeiwa, Narutoshi Hayashi, Tamao Nakamura | 1957 | ||
| Adauchi sōzenji baba | Masahiro Makino | Ryūtarō Ōtomo | 1957 | ||
| Souls in the Moonlight | Tomu Uchida | Chiezo Kataoka, Kinnosuke Nakamura, Yumiko Hasegawa | 1957 | Awards: 1 Mainichi Film Concours | |
| Sun in the Last Days of the Shogunate | Yuzo Kawashima | Frankie Sakai, Yōko Minamida, Sachiko Hidari, Yujiro Ishihara | 1957 | 1853–1867 | Awards: 1 Blue Ribbon Award, 1 Kinema Junpo Award, 1 Mainichi Film Concours |
| A Matter of Valor | Tatsuo Osone | Ennosuke Ichikawa, Danko Ichikawa, Yaeko Mizutani, Kōkichi Takada | 1957 | ||
| Akadō Suzunosuke: Shingetsu-to no yōki | Bin Kado | Masaji Umeiwa, Narutoshi Hayashi, Tamao Nakamura | 1957 | ||
| The Prodigal Son | Hiromichi Horikawa | Nakamura Senjaku II, Nakamura Ganjirō II, Eiko Miyoshi | 1957 | ||
| Demon Crusader | Kenji Misumi | Raizō Ichikawa, Yōko Uraji, Seizaburō Kawazu | 1957 | Based on the novel of the same name. | |
| The Idle Vassal: House of the Snake Princess | Yasushi Sasaki | Utaemon Ichikawa | 1957 | ||
| Yagyu Secret Scrolls, Part II | Hiroshi Inagaki | Toshirō Mifune, Kōji Tsuruta, Yoshiko Kuga, Mariko Okada, Nobuko Otowa, Eijirō Tōno | 1958 | ||
| Chushingura | Kunio Watanabe | Kazuo Hasegawa, Shintaro Katsu, Kōji Tsuruta, Raizō Ichikawa, Machiko Kyō | 1958 | ||
| Suzunosuke Akado: The Birdman with Three Eyes | Kazuo Mori | Masaji Umeiwa, Narutoshi Hayashi, Yatarō Kurokawa | 1958 | ||
| Detective Hibari: Case of the Golden Hairpins | Tadashi Sawashima | Hibari Misora, Kōtarō Satomi, Chiyonosuke Azuma | 1958 | ||
| The Ballad of Narayama | Keisuke Kinoshita | Kinuyo Tanaka, Teiji Takahashi, Yuuko Mochizuki | 1958 | Awards: 3 Kinema Junpo Awards, 3 Mainichi Film Concours | |
| The 7th Secret Courier for Edo | Kazuo Mori | Raizo Ichikawa, Michiko Ai, Tokiko Mita | 1958 | ||
| The Barbarian and the Geisha | John Huston | John Wayne, Eiko Ando, Sam Jaffe, Sō Yamamura | 1958 | 1856 | |
| The Hidden Fortress | Akira Kurosawa | Toshirō Mifune, Misa Uehara, Minoru Chiaki, Kamatari Fujiwara | 1958 | 16th century | Awards: 1 Silver Bear Award |
| Life of an Expert Swordsman | Hiroshi Inagaki | Toshirō Mifune, Yoko Tsukasa | 1959 | ||
| Hawk of the North | Toshikazu Kōno | Kinnosuke Nakamura, Keiko Ogawa, Yoshiko Sakuma | 1959 | ||
| The Ghost of Yotsuya | Nobuo Nakagawa | Shigeru Amachi, Noriko Kitazawa, Katsuko Wakasugi | 1959 | ||
| Kagerō Ezu | Teinosuke Kinugasa | Raizō Ichikawa, Fujiko Yamamoto, Osamu Takizawa | 1959 | ||
| Shinsengumi: Last Days of the Shogunate | Ko Sasaki | Chiezo Kataoka, Tomisaburō Wakayama, Yatarō Kurokawa | 1960 | ||
| The Story of Osaka Castle | Hiroshi Inagaki | Toshirō Mifune, Kyōko Kagawa, Akihiko Hirata | 1961 | c. 1610 | Set about a decade after the battle of Sekigahara |
| Samurai Hawk | Nobuo Nakagawa | Utaemon Ichikawa, Ryūji Shinagawa, Atsushi Watanabe | 1961 | ||
| Akō Rōshi | Sadatsugu Matsuda | Kusuo Abe, Kyōko Aoyama, Chiyonosuke Azuma | 1961 | ||
| Yojimbo | Akira Kurosawa | Toshirō Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Yoko Tsukasa, Isuzu Yamada | 1961 | 1860 | |
| Miyamoto Musashi | Tomu Uchida | Kinnosuke Nakamura, Akiko Kazami, Wakaba Irie | 1961 | ||
| Hangyakuji | Daisuke Itō | Kinnosuke Nakamura, Haruko Sugimura, Chiyonosuke Azuma | 1961 | Awards: 1 Blue Ribbon Award, 1 Mainichi Film Concours | |
| Sanjuro | Akira Kurosawa | Toshirō Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Keiju Kobayashi, Yūzō Kayama | 1962 | Sequel to the 1961 film Yojimbo. | |
| In Search of Mother | Tai Katō | Kinnosuke Nakamura, Hiroki Matsukata, Michiyo Kogure | 1962 | ||
| Shiro Amakusa, the Christian Rebel | Nagisa Oshima | Hashizō Ōkawa, Ryūtarō Ōtomo, Satomi Oka | 1962 | ||
| Princess Sen and Hideyori | Masahiro Makino | Hibari Misora, Kinnosuke Nakamura, Ken Takakura, Jūshirō Konoe | 1962 | 1615–1616 | |
| The Tale of Zatoichi | Kenji Misumi | Shintaro Katsu, Masayo Banri, Ryuzo Shimada, Hajime Mitamura, Shigeru Amachi | 1962 | ||
| Harakiri | Masaki Kobayashi | Tatsuya Nakadai, Rentarō Mikuni, Shima Iwashita, Akira Ishihama | 1962 | 1619–1630 | |
| The Tale of Zatoichi Continues | Kazuo Mori | Shintarō Katsu, Yoshie Mizutani, Masayo Banri, Tomisaburō Wakayama | 1962 | ||
| Chushingura | Hiroshi Inagaki | Matsumoto Hakuō I, Yūzō Kayama, Toshirō Mifune, Chūsha Ichikawa, Akira Kubo | 1962 | 1701–1703 | Another film about the Forty-seven rōnin. |
| Miyamoto Musashi: Showdown at Hannyazaka Heights | Tomu Uchida | Kinnosuke Nakamura, Wakaba Irie, Isao Kimura | 1962 | ||
| Shinobi no Mono | Satsuo Yamamoto | Raizō Ichikawa, Yūnosuke Itō, Shiho Fujimura | 1962 | 1575–1581 | Based on the novel of the same name. |
| Shinsengumi Chronicles | Kenji Misumi | Shigeru Amachi, San'emon Arashi, Saburō Date | 1963 | ||
| An Actor's Revenge | Kon Ichikawa | Kazuo Hasegawa, Fujiko Yamamoto | 1963 | Remake of the 1935 film An Actor's Revenge. | |
| Escape from Hell | Kazuo Inoue | Keiji Sada, Mariko Okada, Takahiro Tamura | 1963 | ||
| The New Tale of Zatoichi | Tokuzo Tanaka | Shintaro Katsu, Mikiko Tsubouchi | 1963 | ||
| Sengoku Yaro | Kihachi Okamoto | Yūzō Kayama, Yuriko Hoshi, Makoto Satō | 1963 | ||
| Castle of Owls | Eiichi Kudō | Ryūtarō Ōtomo, Minoru Ōki, Hizuru Takachiho | 1963 | ||
| Cruel Tales of Bushido | Tadashi Imai | Kinnosuke Nakamura, Eijirō Tōno, Kyōko Kishida | 1963 | ||
| Bloody Record of the Shinsengumi | Shigehiro Ozawa | Utaemon Ichikawa, Takeshi Katō, Kei Satō | 1963 | ||
| Brave Records of the Sanada Clan | Tai Kato | Kinnosuke Nakamura, Misako Watanabe | 1963 | ||
| Seventeen Ninja | Yasuto Hasegawa | Kōtarō Satomi, Jūshirō Konoe, Yuriko Mishima | 1963 | ||
| Zatoichi the Fugitive | Tokuzo Tanaka | Shintaro Katsu, Miwa Takada, Sachiko Murase | 1963 | ||
| Shinobi no Mono 2: Vengeance | Satsuo Yamamoto | Raizō Ichikawa, Shiho Fujimura | 1963 | 1582–1594 | Based on the novel of the same name. |
| Miyamoto Musashi: The Duel Against Yagyu | Tomu Uchida | Kinnosuke Nakamura, Wakaba Irie, Isao Kimura | 1963 | ||
| The Great Bandit | Senkichi Taniguchi | Toshirō Mifune, Tadao Nakamaru, Mie Hama | 1963 | ||
| Sleepy Eyes of Death: The Chinese Jade | Tokuzō Tanaka | Raizō Ichikawa, Tamao Nakamura, Shinobu Araki | 1963 | ||
| Zatoichi on the Road | Kimiyoshi Yasuda | Shintarō Katsu, Shiho Fujimura, Ryūzō Shimada | 1963 | ||
| Thirteen Assassins | Eiichi Kudo | Chiezo Kataoka, Kō Nishimura, Ryōhei Uchida | 1963 | ||
| Shinobi no Mono 3: Resurrection | Kazuo Mori | Raizō Ichikawa, Ayako Wakao, Saburō Date | 1963 | 1595–1600 | Based on the novel of the same name. |
| Miyamoto Musashi: The Duel at Ichijoji | Tomu Uchida | Kinnosuke Nakamura, Wakaba Irie, Isao Kimura | 1964 | ||
| Sleepy Eyes of Death: Sword of Adventure | Kenji Misumi | Raizō Ichikawa, Kōichi Aihara, San'emon Arashi | 1964 | ||
| Warrior of the Wind | Tai Katō | Hashizō Ōkawa, Hiroko Sakuramachi, Naoko Kubo | 1964 | ||
| The Third Ninja | Toshikazu Kōno | Kōtarō Satomi, Kōji Nanbara, Kei Satō, Kikuko Hōjō, Misako Watanabe | 1964 | 1572 | |
| Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold | Kazuo Ikehiro | Shintarō Katsu, Shōgo Shimada, Mikiko Tsubouchi | 1964 | ||
| Three Outlaw Samurai | Hideo Gosha | Tetsurō Tamba, Isamu Nagato, Mikijirō Hira, Yoshiko Kayama | 1964 | ||
| Sleepy Eyes of Death: Full Circle Killing | Kimiyoshi Yasuda | Raizō Ichikawa, Kyooko Azuma, Ryonosuke Azuma | 1964 | ||
| Assassination | Masahiro Shinoda | Tetsurō Tamba, Shima Iwashita | 1964 | ||
| Shinobi no Mono 4: Siege | Tokuzo Tanaka | Raizō Ichikawa, Saburō Date, Midori Isomura | 1964 | 1614–1615 | |
| Sleepy Eyes of Death: Sword of Seduction | Kazuo Ikehiro | Raizō Ichikawa, Michiko Ai, Akira Amemiya | 1964 | ||
| Fight, Zatoichi, Fight | Kenji Misumi | Shintarō Katsu, Nobuo Kaneko, Gen Kimura | 1964 | ||
| Adauchi | Tadashi Imai | Kinnosuke Nakamura, Takahiro Tamura, Tetsurō Tamba | 1964 | ||
| Onibaba | Kaneto Shindo | Nobuko Otowa, Jitsuko Yoshimura, Kei Satō | 1964 | ||
| The Scarlet Camellia | Yoshitarō Nomura | Shima Iwashita, Yoshi Katō, Sachiko Hidari | 1964 | Awards: 1 Blue Ribbon Award | |
| Adventures of Zatoichi | Kimiyoshi Yasuda | Shintarō Katsu, Miwa Takada, Eiko Taki | 1964 | ||
| Bakumatsu zankoku monogatari | Tai Katō | Sumiko Fuji, Chōichirō Kawarasaki, Isao Kimura | 1964 | Awards: 1 Blue Ribbon Award | |
| Shinobi no Mono 5: Mist Saizo Returns | Kazuo Ikehiro | Raizō Ichikawa, Yukiko Fuji, Shiho Fujimura | 1964 | 1616 | |
| Samurai Assassin | Kihachi Okamoto | Toshirō Mifune, Koshiro Matsumoto, Yunosuke Ito, Michiyo Aratama | 1965 | ||
| Kwaidan | Masaki Kobayashi | Rentarō Mikuni, Keiko Kishi, Michiyo Aratama, Misako Watanabe, Tatsuya Nakadai | 1965 | ||
| Sleepy Eyes of Death: Sword of Fire | Kenji Misumi | Raizō Ichikawa, Tamao Nakamura, Sanae Nakahara | 1965 | ||
| Red Beard | Akira Kurosawa | Toshirō Mifune, Yūzō Kayama | 1965 | ||
| Zatoichi's Revenge | Akira Inoue | Shintarō Katsu, Norihei Miki, Mikiko Tsubouchi | 1965 | ||
| Sleepy Eyes of Death: Sword of Satan | Kimiyoshi Yasuda | Raizō Ichikawa, Michiko Saga, Machiko Hasegawa | 1965 | ||
| Shinobi no Mono 6: Iga Mansion | Kazuo Mori | Raizō Ichikawa, Kaoru Yachigusa, Isao Yamagata | 1965 | 1637–1651 | |
| Samurai Spy | Masahiro Shinoda | Kōji Takahashi | 1965 | ||
| Muhōmatsu no isshō | Kenji Misumi | Shintarō Katsu, Ineko Arima, Ken Utsui | 1965 | ||
| Yotsuya Kaidan | Shirō Toyoda | Tatsuya Nakadai, Mariko Okada, Junko Ikeuchi | 1965 | ||
| Miyamoto Musashi: Musashi vs. Kojiro | Tomu Uchida | Kinnosuke Nakamura, Ken Takakura, Wakaba Irie | 1965 | ||
| Zatoichi and the Doomed Man | Kazuo Mori | Shintarō Katsu, Kanbi Fujiyama, Eiko Taki | 1965 | ||
| Sword of the Beast | Hideo Gosha | Mikijirō Hira, Go Kato | 1965 | ||
| Akuto | Kaneto Shindō | Eitarō Ozawa, Kyoko Kishida | 1965 | ||
| Zatoichi and the Chess Expert | Kenji Misumi | Shintarō Katsu, Mikio Narita, Chizu Hayashi | 1965 | ||
| Shinobi no Mono 7: Mist Saizo Strikes Back | Kazuo Mori | Raizō Ichikawa, Shiho Fujimura, Yūko Kusunoki | 1966 | 1616 | |
| The Sword of Doom | Kihachi Okamoto | Tatsuya Nakadai, Yūzō Kayama, Michiyo Aratama, Toshirō Mifune | 1966 | Based on the novel of the same name. | |
| Sleepy Eyes of Death: The Mask of the Princess | Akira Inoue | Raizō Ichikawa, Yaeko Mizutani, Ichirō Nakatani | 1966 | ||
| Kutsukake Tokijiro: Yukyo Ippiki | Tai Katō | Kinnosuke Nakamura, Kiyoshi Atsumi, Junko Ikeuchi | 1966 | ||
| Daimajin | Kimiyoshi Yasuda | Miwa Takada, Yoshihiko Aoyama, Jun Fujimaki | 1966 | ||
| Zatoichi's Vengeance | Tokuzō Tanaka | Shintarō Katsu, Shigeru Amachi, Jun Hamamura | 1966 | ||
| Zatoichi's Pilgrimage | Kazuo Ikehiro | Shintarō Katsu, Michiyo Ōkusu, Kunie Tanaka | 1966 | ||
| Sleepy Eyes of Death: Sword of Villainy | Kenji Misumi | Raizō Ichikawa, Shigeru Amachi, Shiho Fujimura | 1966 | ||
| Samurai Wolf | Hideo Gosha | Isao Natsuyagi, Ryōhei Uchida, Junko Miyazono | 1966 | ||
| The Blazing Sword | Hirokazu Ichimura | Tetsuko Kobayashi, Asahi Kurizuka, Shun'ya Wazaki | 1966 | ||
| Shinobi no Mono 8: Three Enemies | Kazuo Ikehiro | Raizō Ichikawa, Manami Fuji, Michiyo Ōkusu | 1966 | 1570–1573 | |
| The Magic Serpent | Tetsuya Yamauchi | Hiroki Matsukata, Tomoko Ogawa, Ryūtarō Ōtomo | 1966 | ||
| Band of Ninja | Nagisa Oshima | Yoshiyuki Fukuda, Toshirō Hayano, Hikaru Hayashi | 1967 | ||
| Bakumatsu: Tenamonya daizōdō | Kengo Furusawa | Makoto Fujita, Minoru Shiraki, Kei Tani | 1967 | ||
| Samurai Wolf II | Hideo Gosha | Isao Natsuyagi, Ichirō Nakatani, Bin Amatsu | 1967 | ||
| Samurai Rebellion | Masaki Kobayashi | Toshirō Mifune, Yoko Tsukasa | 1967 | ||
| Sleepy Eyes of Death: A Trail of Traps | Kazuo Ikehiro | Raizō Ichikawa, Nobuo Kaneko | 1967 | ||
| Zatoichi the Outlaw | Satsuo Yamamoto | Shintarō Katsu, Rentarō Mikuni, Kō Nishimura | 1967 | ||
| Zenigata Heiji | Tetsuya Yamauchi | Kazuo Funaki, Asao Koike, Akitake Kōno | 1967 | ||
| The Wife of Seishu Hanaoka | Yasuzō Masumura | Raizō Ichikawa, Ayako Wakao, Hideko Takamine | 1967 | Based on the novel of the same name. | |
| Eleven Samurai | Eiichi Kudo | Isao Natsuyagi, Kōtarō Satomi, Kōji Nanbara | 1967 | ||
| Zatoichi Challenged | Kenji Misumi | Shintarō Katsu, Jūshirō Konoe, Miwa Takada | 1967 | ||
| Sleepy Eyes of Death: Hell Is a Woman | Tokuzō Tanaka | Raizō Ichikawa, Miwa Takada, Yaeko Mizutani | 1968 | ||
| Kuroneko | Kaneto Shindō | Kichiemon Nakamura, Nobuko Otowa, Kei Satō | 1968 | Awards: 2 Mainichi Film Concours | |
| Sleepy Eyes of Death: In the Spider's Lair | Kimiyoshi Yasuda | Raizō Ichikawa, Mako Midori, Maka Sarijo | 1968 | ||
| The Saga of Tanegashima | Kazuo Mori | Rick Jason, Ayako Wakao, Eijirō Tōno, Shiho Fujimura, Jun Fujimaki | 1968 | 1543 | |
| Botan Dōrō | Satsuo Yamamoto | Miyoko Akaza, Kōjirō Hongō, Hajime Koshikawa | 1968 | Based on the short story of the same name. | |
| Kill! | Kihachi Okamoto | Tatsuya Nakadai, Etsushi Takahashi, Naoko Kubo, Shigeru Kōyama | 1968 | ||
| The Silent Stranger | Luigi Vanzi | Tony Anthony, Kenji Ohara, Rita Mura, Lloyd Battista | 1968 | 1865 | |
| Sleepy Eyes of Death: Castle Menagerie | Kazuo Ikehiro | Raizō Ichikawa, Naoko Kubo, Shiho Fujimura | 1969 | ||
| Samurai Banners | Hiroshi Inagaki | Toshirō Mifune, Kinnosuke Yorozuya, Akihiko Hirata | 1969 | ||
| Crimson Bat, the Blind Swordswoman | Sadatsugu Matsuda | Yōko Matsuyama, Chizuko Arai, Jun Tatara | 1969 | ||
| Goyokin | Hideo Gosha | Tatsuya Nakadai, Kinnosuke Nakamura, Tetsurō Tamba | 1969 | Awards: 2 Mainichi Film Concours | |
| Double Suicide | Masahiro Shinoda | Kichiemon Nakamura, Shima Iwashita | 1969 | Based on the play of the same name. | |
| The Devil's Temple | Kenji Misumi | Shintarō Katsu, Hideko Takamine, Michiyo Aratama | 1969 | ||
| Hitokiri | Hideo Gosha | Shintaro Katsu, Tatsuya Nakadai, Yukio Mishima | 1969 | ||
| Portrait of Hell | Shirō Toyoda | Hideyo Amamoto, Yōko Naitō, Tatsuya Nakadai | 1969 | ||
| Red Lion | Kihachi Okamoto | Toshirō Mifune, Shima Iwashita | 1969 | 1867–1868 | |
| Tengu-to | Satsuo Yamamoto | Tatsuya Nakadai, Ayako Wakao, Gō Katō | 1969 | ||
| Shinsengumi | Tadashi Sawashima | Toshirō Mifune, Keiju Kobayashi, Kinya Kitaoji, Rentarō Mikuni, Yoko Tsukasa | 1969 | ||
| The Fort of Death | Eiichi Kudō | Kanjūrō Arashi, Hideo Fujimoto, Teruo Fujinaga | 1969 | ||
| Zatoichi meets Yojimbo | Kihachi Okamoto | Toshirō Mifune, Shintarō Katsu, Ayako Wakao | 1970 | ||
| Mission: Iron Castle | Kazuo Mori | Hiroki Matsukata, Ryūnosuke Minegishi, Kōjirō Hongō, Michiyo Yasuda, Yōko Namikawa, Shiho Fujimura | 1970 | 1582 | |
| Bakumatsu | Daisuke Itō | Kinnosuke Nakamura, Toshirō Mifune, Keiju Kobayashi | 1970 | ||
| The Ambush: Incident at Blood Pass | Hiroshi Inagaki | Toshirō Mifune, Yūjirō Ishihara, Ruriko Asaoka | 1970 | ||
| Zatoichi Goes to the Fire Festival | Kenji Misumi | Shintarō Katsu, Reiko Ōhara, Pîtâ | 1970 | ||
| Zatoichi Meets the One-Armed Swordsman | Kimiyoshi Yasuda | Shintarō Katsu, Yu Wang, Watako Hamaki | 1971 | Awards: 1 Mainichi Film Concours | |
| Miyamoto Musashi: Swords of Death | Tomu Uchida | Kinnosuke Nakamura, Rentarō Mikuni, Teruo Matsuyama | 1971 | Awards: 1 Golden Charybdis | |
| En toiu onna | Tadashi Imai | Shinjirō Ehara, Shima Iwashita, Yoshi Katō | 1971 | ||
| Inochi bō ni furō (Inn of Evil) | Masaki Kobayashi | Tatsuya Nakadai, Komaki Kurihara, Wakako Sakai | 1971 | Awards: 5 Mainichi Film Concours, 1 Taormina International Film Festival Award | |
| Silence | Masahiro Shinoda | David Lampson, Mako Iwamatsu, Tetsurō Tanba, Shima Iwashita, Yoshiko Mita, Eiji Okada, Rokkō Toura, Noboru Matsuhashi | 1971 | 1638 | Based on the novel of the same name. |
| Zatoichi at Large | Kazuo Mori | Shintarō Katsu, Rentarō Mikuni, Hisaya Morishige | 1972 | Awards: 1 Mainichi Film Concours | |
| Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance | Kenji Misumi | Tomisaburō Wakayama, Fumio Watanabe, Tomoko Mayama | 1972 | 1655 | |
| Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx | Kenji Misumi | Tomisaburō Wakayama, Kayo Matsuo, Akiji Kobayashi | 1972 | ||
| Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades | Kenji Misumi | Tomisaburō Wakayama, Gō Katō, Yūko Hama | 1972 | ||
| Shadow Hunters | Toshio Masuda | Yūjirō Ishihara, Ruriko Asaoka, Ryōhei Uchida | 1972 | Based on the manga series of the same name. | |
| Kogarashi Monjirō | Sadao Nakajima | Bunta Sugawara, Gorō Ibuki, Takayuki Akutagawa | 1972 | ||
| Zatoichi in Desperation | Shintarō Katsu | Shintarō Katsu, Kiwako Taichi, Kyoko Yoshizawa | 1972 | ||
| Kogarashi Monjirō: kakawari gozansen | Sadao Nakajima | Bunta Sugawara, Etsuko Ichihara, Kunie Tanaka | 1972 | ||
| Shadow Hunters 2: Echo of Destiny | Toshio Masuda | Yūjirō Ishihara, Ryōhei Uchida, Mikio Narita | 1972 | Based on the manga series of the same name. | |
| Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in Peril | Takeichi Saitō | Tomisaburō Wakayama, Yoichi Hayashi, Michi Azuma | 1972 | ||
| Hanzo the Razor: Sword of Justice | Kenji Misumi | Shintaro Katsu | 1972 | ||
| Hanzo the Razor: The Snare | Yasuzo Masumura | Shintaro Katsu | 1973 | ||
| Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in the Land of Demons | Kenji Misumi | Tomisaburō Wakayama, Michiyo Ōkusu, Akihiro Tomikawa | 1973 | ||
| Hanzo the Razor: Who's Got the Gold? | Yoshio Inoue | Shintaro Katsu | 1974 | ||
| Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell | Yoshiyuki Kuroda | Tomisaburō Wakayama, Akihiro Tomikawa, Junko Hitomi | 1974 | ||
| Ryoma Ansatsu | Kazuo Kuroki | Yoshio Harada, Yūsaku Matsuda, Renji Ishibashi, Kaori Momoi | 1974 | ||
| Himiko (卑弥呼) | Masahiro Shinoda | Shima Iwashita, Masao Kusakari, Rie Yokoyama | 1974 | 3rd century | Experimental film about the ancient queen, Himiko |
| Shogun's Samurai | Kinji Fukasaku | Kinnosuke Yorozuya, Shinichi Chiba, Hiroki Matsukata | 1978 | 1623–1624 | |
| The Love Suicides at Sonezaki | Yasuzo Masumura | Ryudo Uzaki, Meiko Kaji | 1978 | Based on the play of the same name. | |
| Bandits vs. Samurai Squadron | Hideo Gosha | Tatsuya Nakadai, Junko Miyashita | 1978 | ||
| Swords of Vengeance: The Fall of Ako Castle | Kinji Fukasaku | Kinnosuke Yorozuya, Shinichi Chiba, Hiroki Matsukata, Tetsurō Tamba, Toshirō Mifune | 1978 | ||
| Hunter in the Dark | Hideo Gosha | Tatsuya Nakadai, Tetsurō Tamba, Yoshio Harada | 1979 | Awards: 1 Japanese Academy Award | |
| The Shogun Assassins | Sadao Nakajima | Hiroki Matsukata, Kinnosuke Nakamura, Ichirō Ogura | 1979 | Awards: 1 Japanese Academy Award | |
| G.I. Samurai | Kōsei Saitō | Shinichi Chiba | 1979 | Time Travel film. | |
| Kagemusha | Akira Kurosawa | Tatsuya Nakadai | 1980 | Awards: 2 BAFTA Awards, 1 César Award, 2 David di Donatello Awards, 1 Palme d'Or | |
| Tokugawa ichizoku no hōkai | Kōsaku Yamashita | Kinnosuke Nakamura, Hiroki Matsukata, Mikijirō Hira | 1980 | ||
| Shōgun | Jerry London | Richard Chamberlain, Toshirō Mifune, Yoko Shimada | 1980 | 1600 | American TV mini-series based on the novel by James Clavell, loosely based on William Adams, the English navigator who served as a key advisor to Tokugawa Ieyasu beginning in 1600. |
| Shogun Assassin | Robert Houston | Tomisaburo Wakayama | 1980 | English dubbed edit/compilation of the first two 1972 Lone Wolf and Cub films. | |
| Shogun's Ninja | Noribumi Suzuki | Hiroyuki Sanada, Shinichi Chiba, Etsuko Shihomi | 1980 | ||
| Sekigahara | Shin'ichi Kamoshita, Ichiro Takahashi | Hisaya Morishige, Gō Katō, Rentarō Mikuni, Toshirō Mifune | 1981 | Japanese TV mini-series that aired over 3 consecutive nights. | |
| Kazunomiya-sama otome | Kenji Sawai | Shinobu Ōtake, Mitsuko Mori, Kimiko Ikegami | 1981 | Television film | |
| Eijanaika | Shohei Imamura | Kaori Momoi, Shigeru Izumiya, Ken Ogata | 1981 | ||
| Shikake-nin Baian | Yasuo Furuhata | Katsuo Nakamura | 1981 | ||
| Samurai Reincarnation | Kinji Fukasaku | Shinichi Chiba, Kenji Sawada | 1981 | 1637–1638 | |
| Edo Porn | Kaneto Shindō | Ken Ogata, Toshiyuki Nishida, Yūko Tanaka | 1981 | Awards: 1 Blue Ribbon Award, 1 Hochi Film Award, 2 Japanese Academy Awards, 1 Yokohama Film Festival Award | |
| The Bushido Blade | Tom Kotani | Shinichi Chiba, Frank Converse, Mako Iwamatsu, Laura Gemser James Earl Jones, Toshirō Mifune | 1981 | 1854 | About the forced Opening of Japan in 1854. |
| Ninja Wars | Kōsei Saitō | Hiroyuki Sanada, Noriko Watanabe, Jun Miho | 1982 | Awards: 3 Japanese Academy Awards | |
| The Ballad of Narayama | Shōhei Imamura | Ken Ogata, Sumiko Sakamoto, Tonpei Hidari | 1983 | Awards: 1 Blue Ribbon Award, 1 Hochi Film Award, 3 Japanese Academy Awards, 2 Mainichi Film Concours, 1 Palme d'Or | |
| Legend of the Eight Samurai | Kinji Fukasaku | Hiroko Yakushimaru, Hiroyuki Sanada, Shinichi Chiba | 1983 | ||
| Hissatsu! | Masahisa Sadanaga | Makoto Fujita, Kunihiko Mitamura, Izumi Ayukawa | 1984 | ||
| Onna goroshi abura no jigoku | Ben Wada | Yūsaku Matsuda, Tomoko Ogawa, Jiro Sakagami | 1984 | Television film | |
| Ran | Akira Kurosawa | Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Terao, Jinpachi Nezu, Daisuke Ryu, Mieko Harada | 1985 | 16th century | Awards: 2 BAFTA Awards |
| Gonza the Spearman | Masahiro Shinoda | Hiromi Go, Shohei Hino, Shima Iwashita | 1986 | Awards: 1 Silver Bear | |
| Bakumatsu seishun graffiti: Ronin Sakamoto Ryoma | Yoshitaka Kawai | Tetsuya Takeda, Toshio Shiba, Takuro Yoshida | 1986 | Awards: 1 Hochi Film Award | |
| Shogun's Shadow | Yasuo Furuhata | Ken Ogata, Norihito Arai, Toshihiro Asari | 1989 | ||
| Rikyu | Hiroshi Teshigahara | Rentarō Mikuni, Tsutomu Yamazaki | 1989 | ||
| Death of a Tea Master | Kei Kumai | Eiji Okuda, Toshirō Mifune, Kinnosuke Nakamura | 1989 | Awards: 1 Japanese Academy Award, 1 Kinema Junpo Award, 1 Nikkan Sports Film Award, 1 Silver Hugo, 1 Silver Lion | |
| Heaven and Earth | Haruki Kadokawa | Enoki Takaaki, Tsugawa Masahiko, Asano Atsuko, Zaizen Naomi, Nomura Hironobu | 1990 | ||
| Sengoku Ransei no Abarenbo Saito Dosan Doto no Tenka Tori | Eiichi Kudō | Kumiko Akiyoshi, Shinichi Chiba, Ken Matsudaira | 1991 | Television film | |
| Journey of Honor | Gordon Hessler | Sho Kosugi, David Essex, Kane Kosugi, Toshirō Mifune | 1991 | 1600–1602 | Loosely based on the journey of samurai Hasekura Tsunenaga and his delegation to Spain in 1613. |
| Bakumatsu Jyunjyoden | Mitsuyuki Yakushiji | Ken Watanabe, Riho Makise, Tetta Sugimoto | 1991 | ||
| Mangetsu: Mr. Moonlight | Kazuki Ohmori | Saburō Tokitō, Bin Amatsu, Leo Morimoto | 1991 | Time Travel film. | |
| Gō-hime | Hiroshi Teshigahara | Rie Miyazawa, Tatsuya Nakadai, Toshiya Nagasawa | 1992 | Awards: 2 Japanese Academy Awards | |
| The Oil-Hell Murder | Hideo Gosha | Kanako Higuchi, Shin'ichi Tsutsumi | 1992 | ||
| Ihen kaidō | Kōsei Saitō | Ikkō Furuya, Mariko Fuji, Shōhei Hino | 1993 | Television film | |
| Kaettekite Kogarashi Monjiro | Kon Ichikawa | Atsuo Nakamura, Ryōko Sakaguchi, Ittoku Kishibe | 1993 | ||
| Crest of Betrayal | Kinji Fukasaku | Kōichi Satō, Saki Takaoka, Keiko Oginome, Tsunehiko Watase, Eriko Watanabe | 1994 | ||
| 47 Ronin | Kon Ichikawa | Ken Takakura, Kiichi Nakai | 1994 | ||
| Sharaku | Masahiro Shinoda | Hiroyuki Sanada, Frankie Sakai, Shima Iwashita, Tsurutarō Kataoka | 1995 | ||
| Bungo torimono ezu – Harikomi | Keiichi Ozawa | Hashinosuke Nakamura, Kinnosuke Nakamura, Sayuri Kokushō | 1996 | Television film | |
| Reborn From Hell: Samurai Armageddon | Kazumasa Shirai | Hiroyuki Watanabe, Tomorowo Taguchi, Yūko Moriyama | 1996 | Remake of the 1981 film Samurai Reincarnation. | |
| Legend of the Devil | Masaru Tsushima | Masaki Kyōmoto, Atsuo Nakamura, Daisuke Ryū | 1996 | ||
| Samurai Fiction: Episode One | Hiroyuki Nakano | Morio Kazama, Mitsuru Fukikoshi, Tomoyasu Hotei | 1998 | Awards: 1 Mainichi Film Concours, 1 Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival Award, 2 Sitges Awards | |
| Kunoichi ninpō-chō: Yagyū gaiden, Edo-bana jigoku-hen | Hitoshi Ozawa | Hitoshi Ozawa, Yūko Moriyama | 1998 | ||
| After the Rain | Takashi Koizumi | Akira Terao, Yoshiko Miyazaki, Shiro Mifune, Mieko Harada, Tatsuya Nakadai | 1999 | ||
| Owls' Castle | Masahiro Shinoda | Kiichi Nakai, Mayu Tsuruta, Riona Hazuki | 1999 | Based on the novel under the same name. | |
| Gohatto | Nagisa Oshima | Ryuhei Matsuda, Takeshi Kitano, Tadanobu Asano | 1999 | ||
| Dora-Heita | Kon Ichikawa | Kōji Yakusho, Yūko Asano, Tsurutarō Kataoka | 2000 | ||
| Gojoe | Sogo Ishii | Tadanobu Asano, Masatoshi Nagase, Daisuke Ryu, Jun Kunimura | 2000 | Awards: 1 Hochi Film Award | |
| Onmyoji | Yōjirō Takita | Mansai Nomura, Hideaki Ito, Hiroyuki Sanada | 2001 | ||
| Chūshingura 1/47 | Shunsaku Kawamo | Takuya Kimura, Kōichi Satō | 2001 | Television film. Remake of the 1932 film Chūshingura – Zempen: Akahokyō no maki. | |
| Kewaishi | Mitsutoshi Tanaka | Kippei Shîna, Miho Kanno, Chizuru Ikewaki | 2002 | Awards: 1 Tokyo International Film Festival Award | |
| Kumamoto Stories | Takashi Miike | Tōru Emori, Renji Ishibashi, Jinpachi Nezu, Mikijirō Hira, Mihoko Abe, Noriko Aota, Ayumi Asakura | 2002 | Includes 3 short films: Onna Kunishuu Ikki, Kikuchi-jo Monogatari: Sakimori-tachi no Uta, and Zuiketsu Genso: Tonkararin Yume Densetsu. | |
| The Sea Is Watching | Kei Kumai | Misa Shimizu, Nagiko Tōno, Masatoshi Nagase | 2002 | ||
| Ryoma's Wife, Her Husband and Her Lover | Jun Ichikawa | Noritake Kinashi, Kiichi Nakai, Kyōka Suzuki | 2002 | Awards: 1 Nikkan Sports Film Award | |
| Sabu | Takashi Miike | Tatsuya Fujiwara, Satoshi Tsumabuki | 2002 | Television film | |
| The Twilight Samurai | Yoji Yamada | Hiroyuki Sanada, Rie Miyazawa | 2002 | Awards: 12 Japanese Academy Awards | |
| When the Last Sword Is Drawn | Yōjirō Takita | Kiichi Nakai, Kōichi Satō, Yui Natsukawa, Takehiro Murata | 2003 | ||
| Aragami | Ryuhei Kitamura | Takao Osawa, Masaya Kato, Kanae Uotani, Tak Sakaguchi, Hideo Sakaki | 2003 | Awards: 1 Silver Raven | |
| Makai Tenshō | Hideyuki Hirayama | Yōsuke Kubozuka, Kumiko Asō, Tetta Sugimoto | 2003 | ||
| Azumi | Ryuhei Kitamura | Aya Ueto | 2003 | Based on the manga series of the same name. | |
| Zatōichi | Takeshi Kitano | Beat Takeshi, Tadanobu Asano, Yui Natsukawa | 2003 | ||
| Onmyoji 2 | Yōjirō Takita | Mansai Nomura, Hideaki Itō, Eriko Imai, Kyoko Fukada, Hayato Ichihara | 2003 | ||
| The Last Samurai | Edward Zwick | Tom Cruise, Timothy Spall, Ken Watanabe, Billy Connolly, Tony Goldwyn, Hiroyuki Sanada, Koyuki, Shin Koyamada | 2003 | 1877 | Fictional story based around the Satsuma Rebellion during the Meiji period. |
| Warau Iemon | Yukio Ninagawa | Toshiaki Karasawa, Koyuki, Teruyuki Kagawa, Hiroyuki Ikeuchi | 2004 | Awards: 2 Asia-Pacific Film Festival Awards, 1 Nikkan Sports Film Award | |
| Kibakichi | Tomo'o Haraguchi | Ryūji Harada, Nozomi Andō, Tatsuo Higashida | 2004 | ||
| Kibakichi 2 | Tomo'o Haraguchi | Ryūji Harada, Miki Tanaka, Aimi Nakajima | 2004 | ||
| Izo | Takashi Miike | Kazuya Nakayama, Takeshi Kitano, Bob Sapp | 2004 | ||
| The Hidden Blade | Yoji Yamada | Masatoshi Nagase, Takako Matsu, Yukiyoshi Ozawa | 2004 | ||
| Azumi 2: Death or Love | Shusuke Kaneko | Aya Ueto | 2005 | Based on the manga series of the same name. | |
| Ashura | Yōjirō Takita | Somegorō Ichikawa, Rie Miyazawa, Kanako Higuchi | 2005 | Awards: 1 Hochi Film Award, 1 Kinema Junpo Award, 1 Nikkan Sports Film Award, 1 Yokohama Film Festival Award | |
| Samurai Commando: Mission 1549 | Masaaki Tezuka | Yōsuke Eguchi, Kyōka Suzuki, Haruka Ayase | 2005 | Awards: 1 Asia-Pacific Film Festival Award | |
| Hana | Hirokazu Koreeda | Jun'ichi Okada, Rie Miyazawa, Arata Furuta | 2006 | Awards: 1 Nikkan Sports Film Award | |
| Love and Honor | Yoji Yamada | Kimura Takuya, Dan Rei, Takashi Sasano | 2006 | ||
| Kaidan | Hideo Nakata | Kumiko Asō, Takaaki Enoki, Reona Hirota | 2007 | Awards: 1 Yokohama Film Festival Award | |
| Sukiyaki Western Django | Takashi Miike | Hideaki Ito, Kōichi Satō, Yusuke Iseya | 2007 | ||
| Chacha | Hajime Hashimoto | Ryōko Gi, Mieko Harada, Takehiro Hira | 2007 | ||
| Yamazakura | Tetsuo Shinohara | Rena Tanaka, Noriyuki Higashiyama, Tetsuya Chiba | 2008 | ||
| Geisha Assassin | Gō Ohara | Minami Tsukui, Shigeru Kanai, Nao Nagasawa | 2008 | ||
| Ichi | Fumihiko Sori | Takao Osawa, Haruka Ayase, Shido Nakamura, Yōsuke Kubozuka | 2008 | ||
| Samurai Avenger: The Blind Wolf | Kurando Mitsutake | Kurando Mitsutake, Jeffrey James Lippold, Domiziano Arcangeli | 2009 | ||
| Ballad: Na mo naki koi no uta | Takashi Yamazaki | Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, Yui Aragaki, Akashi Takei | 2009 | ||
| Castle Under Fiery Skies | Mitsutoshi Tanaka | Toshiyuki Nishida, Shōzō Endō, Saki Fukuda | 2009 | ||
| Sword of Desperation | Hideyuki Hirayama | Etsushi Toyokawa, Chizuru Ikewaki, Koji Kikkawa | 2010 | ||
| 13 Assassins | Takashi Miike | Kōji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Yūsuke Iseya, Goro Inagaki, Masachika Ichimura, Mikijirō Hira | 2010 | Remake of the 1963 film 13 Assassins. | |
| Ōoku | Fuminori Kaneko | Ko Shibasaki, Kazunari Ninomiya, Hiroshi Tamaki | 2010 | Based on the manga series of the same name. | |
| The Sakurada Gate Incident | Junya Sato | Takao Ohsawa, Kyoko Hasegawa, Minosuke Bandō | 2010 | ||
| Abacus and Sword | Yoshimitsu Morita | Masato Sakai, Yukie Nakama, Kimimaro Ayanokōji | 2010 | ||
| Yamada: The Samurai of Ayothaya | Nopporn Watin | Seigi Ozeki, Kanokkorn Jaicheun, Sorapong Chatree | 2010 | Awards: 1 Thailand National Film Association Award | |
| The Winter Butterfly | Marcus Tozini | Sam Aoyama, Ikuma Isaac Fryman, Sharon Gee | 2010 | ||
| At River's Edge | Tetsuo Shinohara | Noriyuki Higashiyama, Rinko Kikuchi | 2011 | ||
| Scabbard Samurai | Hitoshi Matsumoto | Masatō Ibu, Jun Kunimura, Itsuji Itao | 2011 | ||
| Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai | Takashi Miike | Ichikawa Ebizō XI, Eita, Kōji Yakusho | 2011 | Remake of the 1962 film Harakiri. | |
| Shinobido | Toshiyuki Morioka | Aimi Satsukawa, Ryōichi Yuki, Ayaka Kikuchi | 2012 | ||
| The Dry Blade | Michael Fredianelli | Michael Nosé, Henry Lee, Carl Schreiber | 2012 | ||
| Rurouni Kenshin | Keishi Ōtomo | Takeru Sato, Emi Takei | 2012 | Based on the manga series of the same name. | |
| The Floating Castle | Shinji Higuchi and Isshin Inudo | Mansai Nomura | 2012 | Late 16th century | Set in feudal Japan, the film is based on the Siege of Oshi and depicts the struggle of Oshi's villagers in defending their fortress against Toyotomi Hideyoshi's campaign against the Hojo clan. |
| Unforgiven | Lee Sang-il | Ken Watanabe, Kōichi Satō, Akira Emoto | 2013 | Based on the 1992 American western of the same name. | |
| Mission Impossible: Samurai[8] | Katsuhide Motoki | Kuranosuke Sasaki, Kyoko Fukada, Tsuyoshi Ihara | 2014 | ||
| Zakurozaka no Adauchi[9] | Setsurō Wakamatsu | Kiichi Nakai, Hiroshi Abe, Ryōko Hirosue | 2014 | ||
| Kakekomi[10] | Masato Harada | Yo Oizumi, Erika Toda, Hikari Mitsushima | 2015 | ||
| Masterless | Craig Shimahara | Adam LaVorgna | 2015 | ||
| Silence | Martin Scorsese | Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Tadanobu Asano, Ciarán Hinds, Liam Neeson | 2016 | 1630s–1638 | Based on the novel of the same name. |
| Sekigahara | Masato Harada | Junichi Okada, Kasumi Arimura, Takehiro Hira, Masahiro Higashide, Kōji Yakusho | 2017 |
1600 |
Based on a novel by Ryōtarō Shiba about the Battle of Sekigahara. |
Gendai-geki films
[edit]Gendai-geki (現劇) is a genre of film and television or theater play in Japan. Unlike the jidai-geki genre of period dramas, whose stories are set in the Edo period, gendaigeki stories are contemporary dramas set in the modern world.
| Title | Release date | Time period | Notes on setting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laughing Under the Clouds | 2018 | 1868–1912 | Based on a manga series, set from the Meiji period to the Taishō period, including the life of the Emperor Meiji during the Meiji Restoration. |
| Lady Snowblood | 1973 | 1874–1894 | Based on the manga series of the same name. |
| Waga Koi wa Moenu | 1949 | 1880s | |
| Emperor Meiji and the Great Russo-Japanese War | 1958 | 1904–1905 | Dramatization of the Russo-Japanese War. |
| Fullmetal Alchemist | 2017 | 1927 | Based on a manga series, set during the Benito Mussolini's regime. |
| Gambler's Life: Unstoppable Bloodbath | 1969 | 1930s | Set in the early Shōwa period. |
| Flower of Chivalry Torn Asunder: Gambling Heir | 1969 | 1930s | Set in the early Shōwa period. |
| Onna jigoku uta: Shakuhachi benten | 1970 | ||
| Tora! Tora! Tora! | 1970 | 1941 | Detailing the events leading up to and including the Attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. |
| Midway | 1976 | 1942 | About the Battle of Midway between Japan and the United States in 1942. |
| The Bridge on the River Kwai | 1957 | 1942–1945 | About allied prisoners of war forced to work on the Burma Railway during World War II. |
| Letters from Iwo Jima | 2006 | 1945 | Japanese-language film directed by Clint Eastwood about the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945. |
| Hiroshima | 1995 | 1945 | Docu-drama about the events leading up to the use of the first atomic weapons in 1945. |
| Fueled: The Man They Called Pirate | 2016 | 1945–1960 | Based on a novel, from the Occupation of Japan to the 1960 U-2 incident during the Cold War era and the Japanese economic miracle. |
| Kids on the Slope | 2018 | 1966–1978 | Based on a manga series, set during the foundation of the Asian Development Bank to the opening of Narita International Airport, part of the Cold War era. |
| Destiny: The Tale of Kamakura | 2017 | 1976–1980 | Based on the manga, set from the Lockheed bribery scandals to the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott, part of the Cold War era. |
| Climber's High and Shizumanu Taiyō | 2008–2009 | 1985 | Historical dramas about the Japan Airlines Flight 123 incident. |
| Sadako vs. Kayako | 2016 | 2004–2009 | Based on Ring Trilogy and Ju-On by Koji Suzuki and Takashi Shimizu, one of the horror franchises in Japan. |
Korean and South Korean history
[edit]| Title | Release date | Time period | Notes on setting |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Great Battle | 2018 | 645 | Set during the Siege of Ansi. |
| Once Upon a Time in a Battlefield | 2003 | 660 | Set during the Battle of Hwangsanbeol. |
| A Frozen Flower | 2008 | 1330–1374 | Set during the late Goryeo dynasty. |
| Empire of Lust | 2015 | 14th century | Set during the reign of King Taejo. |
| Musa (film) | 2001 | 1375 | A story about diplomatic mission from the Goryeo travels to Ming China. |
| The Divine Weapon | 2008 | 1418–1450 | Set during the reign of Sejong the Great. |
| The King and the Clown | 2005 | 1494–1506 | Set during the reign of Yeonsangun of Joseon. |
| Blades of Blood | 2010 | 1500s | Set during the 16th century. |
| The Admiral: Roaring Currents | 2014 | 1597 | Depicts the Battle of Myeongnyang, a naval battle between Japan and Korea. |
| Shadows in the Palace | 2007 | 1600s | Set during the 17th century. |
| Sword in the Moon | 2003 | c. 1600 | Set during the beginning of the 17th century. |
| War of the Arrows | 2011 | 1636–37 | Set during the second Manchu invasion of Korea. |
| The Fortress | 2017 | 1636 | Set during the second Manchu invasion of Korea. |
| The Sword with No Name | 2009 | 1860s–1870s | Set during the 19th century, fictionalized account of the reign of Empress Myeongseong |
| Chi-hwa-seon | 2002 | 1843–97 | About the life of Korean painter Oh-won. |
| The Sound of a Flower | 2015 | 1867–84 | About the life of the Korean pansori singer Shin Jae-hyo. |
| The Good, the Bad, the Weird | 2008 | 1920–1930 | Loosely based on the seizure of 150,000 won in Manchuria. |
| The Last Princess | 2016 | 1925–1962 | About the life of Princess Deokhye. |
| Love, Lies | 2016 | 1943–1945 | Set during Korea under Japanese rule and World War II. |
| The Taebaek Mountains | 1994 | 1948–1950 | Set during the Yeosu–Suncheon rebellion and the Korean War |
| Taegukgi | 2004 | 1950–1953 | Set during the Korean War. |
| Welcome to Dongmakgol | 2005 | 1950–1953 | Set during the Korean War. |
| 71: Into the Fire | 2010 | 1950–1953 | Set during the Korean War. |
| The Front Line | 2011 | 1953 | Set during the Korean Armistice Agreement. |
| Gangnam Blues | 2014 | 1966–1970 | Set in the late 1960s to the 1970s about the development of Gangnam during the Park Chung-hee's regime. |
| Silmido | 2003 | 1970s | Based on a military uprising on Silmido island. |
| A Taxi Driver | 2017 | 1980 | Set during the Gwangju Uprising after the assassination of Park Chung-hee. |
| 1987: When the Day Comes | 2017 | 1987–1990 | Set during the June Struggle to the Revolutions of 1989. |
Southeast Asia
[edit]Filipino history
[edit]| Title | Release date | Time period | Setting | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banaue: Stairway to the Sky | 1975 | c. 500 BC | Philippines | The film depicts the Prehistory of the Philippines, and the construction of the Banaue Rice Terraces. |
| Lapu-Lapu | 1955 | 1491–1542 | Philippines | Chronicles the life of Lapu-Lapu and death of Ferdinand Magellan. |
| Lapu-Lapu | 2002 | 1491–1542 | Philippines | A remake of the 1955 film that chronicles the life of Lapu-Lapu. |
| José Rizal | 1998 | 1861–1896 | Philippines | A biographical film focusing on the Philippine National Hero, José Rizal. |
| Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon? | 1970 | 1870–1895 | Philippines | A period drama film that focuses on the Hispanicized Society of the Philippines during the colonial period. |
| Bonifacio: Ang Unang Pangulo | 2014 | 1872–1897 | Philippines | A biographical film chronicling the life of Andres Bonifacio from his founding of the Katipunan to his eventual execution. |
| El Presidente | 2012 | 1886–1962 | Philippines | A biographical film about the first Filipino president Emilio Aguinaldo. |
| Felix Manalo | 2015 | 1886–1963 | Philippines | A biographical film about Felix Manalo, founder and pioneer executive minister of the Iglesia ni Cristo. |
| Baler | 2008 | 1898 | Philippines | A romantic drama film set during the Siege of Baler. |
| Tiniente Rosario | 1937 | 1898–1901 | Philippines | A film about the Philippine Revolutionary Army and its female Sergeant officer.[11] |
| Heneral Luna | 2015 | 1898–1903 | Philippines | An epic war film detailing General Antonio Luna's leadership of the Filipino army during the Philippine–American War. |
| Aguila | 1980 | 1899–1945 | Philippines | Touted at the time as "the biggest event in local movie history" and "the biggest Filipino film ever made". |
| Tirad Pass: The Story of Gen. Gregorio del Pilar | 1997 | December 2, 1899 | Philippines | A movie about the Battle of Tirad Pass, a Philippine Campaign against Americans led by General Gregorio Del Pilar. |
| Amigo | 2010 | 1900s | Philippines | A film set during Philippine–American War |
| Rosario | 2010 | 1920s | Philippines | Depicts the life of Rosario (Manuel V. Pangilinan's grandmother), a girl during the Insular Government Period. |
| Santiago! | 1970 | 1941–1945 | Philippines | Depicting the Philippine campaign during World War II |
| Aishite Imasu 1941: Mahal Kita | 2004 | 1941–1945 | Philippines | About the Japanese Occupation of the Philippines in World War II |
| Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos | 1972 | 1942–1945 | Philippines | Movie set in Philippines during World War II |
| Alab ng Lahi | 2003 | 1945 | Philippines | The film depicts the Filipino Guerillas during the end of World War II led by Gregorio Magtangol and the friendship between a Japanese and Filipino soldier. |
| Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story | 2011 | 1951 | Philippines | The criminal life of Asiong Salonga that led to his assassination on October 7, 1951. |
| Boy Golden: Shoot to Kill, the Arturo Porcuna Story | 2013 | 1960s | Philippines | The life and death of Arturo "Boy Golden" Porcuna, who rose through the Manila underworld in the 1960s until his eventual murder. |
| Dekada '70 | 2002 | 1970s | Philippines | Based on the novel of the same name by Lualhati Bautista. The setting of the film is set during the period of Martial law. |
Mainland and Maritime Southeast Asia
[edit]| Title | Release date | Time period | Setting | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Killing Fields | 1984 | 1973–1979 | Cambodia | About the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia. The film begins in 1973. |
| First They Killed My Father | 2017 | 1975 | Cambodia | Set during the takeover of Phnom Penh by Khmer Rouge and the lives of captives in the jungle. |
| Krakatoa, East of Java | 1969 | 1883 | Indonesia | American film nominated for Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, featured the 1883 eruption of the volcano on the island of Krakatoa. |
| Paradise Road | 1997 | 1939–1945 | Indonesia | About the event of World War II on the island of Sumatra. |
| The Merdeka Trilogy: Merah Putih, Darah Garuda, and Hati Merdeka | 2009–11 | 1945–1949 | Indonesia | About the struggles of the Indonesians throughout the Indonesian National Revolution. |
| The Year of Living Dangerously | 1982 | 1965 | Indonesia | Directed by Peter Weir, about the Transition to the New Order (Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation) or vivere pericolosamente. |
| Mat Kilau | 2022 | 1890s | Malaysia | Fictionalized account of Mat Kilau within the historical setting of late 19th-century Pahang. |
| Leftenan Adnan | 2000 | 1940s | Malaysia | About the experiences of Adnan bin Saidi as a soldier during World War II. |
| Snow in Midsummer | 2023 | 1969 | Malaysia | The film deals with the 13 May Incident. |
| Never Shall We Be Enslaved | 1997 | 1885 | Myanmar | A two-part film depicting the events of the Third Anglo-Burmese War and the fall of Thibaw Min and his dynasty. |
| 1965 (film) | 2015 | 1963–1966 | Singapore | Singapore in Malaysia, 1964 race riots in Singapore (Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation) and National Day of 1965. |
| The Legend of Suriyothai | 2001 | 1520s–1548 | Thailand | The film is follows the course of the life of Queen Suriyothai, who given up her life in the defense of her husband, King Maha Chakkraphat, in a battle during the Burmese–Siamese War (1547–1549). |
| King Naresuan | 2007 | 1555–1592 | Thailand | The film is set after event in 2001 film The Legend of Suriyothai about King Naresuan who executes the plotters and declares Ayutthaya independent from the Toungoo Empire |
| Balibo | 2009 | 1975 | Timor-Leste | Australian film about the deaths of the Balibo Five, set during the Indonesian invasion of East Timor. |
| Blood Letter | 2011 | c. 1442 | Vietnam | About the retaliation of Tran Nguyen Vu (Nguyen Trai's grandchild) for his grandfather's death in 1442. The movie was based on Bui Anh Tan's bestselling novel of the same name. |
| The Rebel | 2007 | 1920s | Vietnam | Set in 1920s Vietnam under colonial French rule. |
| Indochine (film) | 1992 | 1940s–1954 | Vietnam | French film set in the twilight of colonial French Indochina during the 1930s. |
| The Scent of Green Papaya | 1993 | 1950s | Vietnam | Set in 1950s Saigon. |
| The Quiet American | 2002 | 1952 | Vietnam | Set in Vietnam in 1952, and pertaining to emerging violent factions in the area and early CIA involvement. |
| The White Silk Dress | 2006 | 1968 | Vietnam | Directed by Luu Huynh. It is about a tragedy in Vietnam War. |
See also
[edit]- Lists of historical films
- List of films based on actual events
- List of war films and TV specials
- List of World War II films
- East Asian period drama films
References
[edit]- ^ "'Maharaj' review: A royal slog". 21 June 2024.
- ^ "Chiyaan Vikram wraps up his portions in Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan". 29 August 2021.
- ^ "Akshay Kumar's Prithviraj to be based on epic titled Prithviraj Raso". 23 April 2021.
- ^ "Chhaava: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna join star-studded historical epic on Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj".
- ^ "Sardar Udham movie review: Vicky Kaushal is bewitching in one of the boldest, most traumatising Hindi films ever made". 16 October 2021.
- ^ "Sam Bahadur: Vicky Kaushal's Film to Release on This Date".
- ^ Hill (2002).
- ^ 超高速！参勤交代(2014). allcinema (in Japanese). Stingray. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
- ^ 柘榴坂の仇討(2014). allcinema (in Japanese). Stingray. Retrieved May 11, 2015.
- ^ "駆込み女と駆出し男(2015)". allcinema (in Japanese). Stingray. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
- ^ "Teniente Rosario". 17 June 1937 – via www.imdb.com.
| Subgenres | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Performing arts | |||
| Visual arts | |||
Categories:
- History of China on film
- History of Japan on film
- History of Korea on film
- Films set in Asia
- Films set in China
- Films set in India
- Films set in Japan
- Films set in Korea
- Films set in Vietnam
- Asian films
- Lists of historical films
- Lists of films by continent of production
- History of Sri Lanka on film
- Films set in Sri Lanka