Samurai/Jidaigeki movies available on 4K Blu-ray, ranked by transfer quality.
dir. Carl Rinsch
The 2013 Keanu Reeves version gets a mediocre reception in every thread. Most comments acknowledge the film is not great but the disc looks good. The steelbook design earned some appreciation despite the film's reputation. The 1941 Japanese original is the one Criterion collectors actually want, and it still doesn't have a proper Blu-ray in the collection.
Capelight Pictures · 4K + Blu-ray
dir. Travis Knight
S-Tier Laika 4K. Shout Factory's steelbook release of the Laika stop-motion films has been well-received, and people who loved Coraline's 4K immediately asked for Kubo. The steelbooks have been as low as $18.63 USD each. The stop-motion detail is the kind of thing that rewards a 4K presentation, and this one scores a perfect 5.0 overall.
Laika
dir. Akira Kurosawa
Criterion and BFI both released Yojimbo/Sanjuro in 4K, and the BFI version has Dolby Vision while the Japanese release is SDR. Packaging disappointed some collectors because BFI used a cardboard slip instead of a hardbox like Seven Samurai got. People want matching hardboxes for the whole Kurosawa 4K run, but space-conscious collectors are fine with slimmer packaging. The SDR debate matters here since the Criterion release also lacks HDR grading.
Criterion Collection · 4K + Blu-ray
The BFI vs. Criterion debate dominated every thread. BFI has HDR and what people call the best authoring house in the world (Fidelity in Motion), while Criterion has the deeper extras catalog. Most people who already own the Criterion Blu-ray went BFI for the encode quality bump. The BFI hardbox at $35 USD from OrbitDVD was considered a steal compared to the typical $42-60 USD range for rigid box editions. Criterion's 4K is SDR, which stung given BFI was offering HDR of the same restoration. Seeing it in theaters during the 4K restoration tour was almost too sharp for some viewers, with bald cap seams visible for the first time.
In feudal Japan, during a bloody war between clans, two cowardly and greedy peasants, soldiers of a defeated army, stumble upon a mysterious man who guides them to a fortress hidden in the mountains.
BFI · 4K + Blu-ray
A nameless ronin, or samurai with no master, enters a small village in feudal Japan where two rival businessmen are struggling for control of the local gambling trade. Taking the name Sanjuro Kuwabatake, the ronin convinces both silk merchant Tazaemon and sake merchant Tokuemon to hire him as a personal bodyguard, then artfully sets in motion a full-scale gang war between the two ambitious and unscrupulous men.
StudioCanal's A-Tier 4K has people asking when Criterion or someone else will do the definitive release. The 35mm theatrical screenings keep fueling demand for Kurosawa in the best possible presentation.
StudioCanal · 4K + Blu-ray
dir. Terence Young
In 1870, Japanese ambassador Sakaguchi and his entourage travel by train to Washington to deliver a valuable sword to the President of the United States, a gift from the Emperor of Japan. On board the same train are two robbers, Link and Gauche, ready to make their move…
Returning to their lord's castle, samurai warriors Washizu and Miki are waylaid by a spirit who predicts their futures. When the first part of the spirit's prophecy comes true, Washizu's scheming wife, Asaji, presses him to speed up the rest of the spirit's prophecy by murdering his lord and usurping his place. Director Akira Kurosawa's resetting of William Shakespeare's "Macbeth" in feudal Japan is one of his most acclaimed films.
BFI
dir. Kenji Mizoguchi
In 16th century Japan, peasants Genjuro and Tobei sell their earthenware pots to a group of soldiers in a nearby village, in defiance of a local sage's warning against seeking to profit from warfare. Genjuro's pursuit of both riches and the mysterious Lady Wakasa, as well as Tobei's desire to become a samurai, run the risk of destroying both themselves and their wives, Miyagi and Ohama.
dir. Kenji Misumi
Ogami Itto battles a group of female ninja in the employ of the Yagyu clan and must eliminate a traitor who plans to sell his clan's secrets to the Shogunate.
Well Go USA · 4K Ultra HD
Aspiring to an easy job as personal physician to a wealthy family, Noboru Yasumoto is disappointed when his first post after medical school takes him to a small country clinic under the gruff doctor Red Beard. Yasumoto rebels in numerous ways, but Red Beard proves a wise and patient teacher. He gradually introduces his student to the unglamorous side of the profession, ultimately assigning him to care for a prostitute rescued from a local brothel.
