Japan started producing samurai movies in the 50s and 60s. Akira Kurosawa directed quite a few early classics, each one considered not only a great samurai movie, but great movies period.







In the late 60s and 70s, samurai movies took kicked it up a notch to compete with Chinese kung-fu movies. (More about them later...)










This plus Godzilla, somehow, lead to this...



Anyhoo, back to reality.

Chinese and Japanese relations have, historically, been strained. Bruce Lee's film The Chinese Connection is about a Chinese martial arts school that must defend its honor against its Japanese rivals.




Recently, a film entitled Ip Man explored the same teritory. It is the 'real life' story of Bruce Lee's real life instructor.




Here are some of the Chinese 'kung fu' classics:






















Maybe one of the most ground breaking kung fu movies was Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon.




Of course, over the years there have been some pretty terrible martial arts movies that have diminished the grandeur of the genre:






One more thing... Thailand has martial arts movies, too. This next fight scene is one take. It's from a movie entitled The Protector.




Also - here's one more scene from Crouching Tiger...




And also also, martial arts films have influenced nearly every aspect of Western action film making...

Action Shots

The following fight sequence is from the 2005 film The Protector. You might want to watch this once more than once. It is one single shot - no cuts or edits.




The next scene is from Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon (2012). It's pretty much the opposite of The Protector.




Here's one more. It's from Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).

21st Century Cinema

Supersize Me (2004)

Bowling for Columbine (2002)

King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2004)

 Man on Wire (2008)

Lord of the Rings

Persepolis (2007)

The Triplets of Belleville (2003)

Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

Gone Nutty (2002)

No Country for Old Men (2007)

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

Cinema in the 90s

Unforgiven (1992)

 Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Pulp Fiction (1994)

Pulp Fiction (1994)

Forrest Gump (1994)

The Matrix (1999)

Thelma and Louise (1991)

Strange Days (1995)

Clerks (1994)

 Schindler's List (1993)

Philadelphia (1993)

 Dances with Wolves (1990)

More Mocumentaries

Best in Show








Waiting for Guffman

70s and 80s Extra Credit

Here's your prompt for the independent extra credit film critique. (Remember, the rule is that the film you are choosing should (1) either be from our class handouts on the 70s and 80s or okayed by me, and (2) a film you've never seen before.

Your answer should be thoughtful and thorough. You will be graded on content and quality. Overall, your task is to prove to me that (1) you watched the film and (2) gave it serious consideration. All work should be 100% original. There is no reason for any outside research. If you do include outside research it MUST be properly cited. Use SPECIFIC details from the film the support your responses.

1. Give a summary of the events of the films - significant characters, conflicts, events, etc.
2. Answer this question:  How is this film representative of films from the decade? (Review your notes and our class handout.)
3. Identify where on the realism/formalism continuum this film fits, and explain why.
4. Describe in detail your overall impression of the film.