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

Sortable table
Title Release date Time period Setting Notes
The Beast1988 1981Afghanistanduring 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
Kandahar2001 1996–2001AfghanistanAfghanistan 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
Nomad2006 18th centuryKazakhstanabout the early years of Ablai Khan (early 18th century), a Kazakh khan in part of what is now Kazakhstan.
Genghis Khan1950 1158–1227MongoliaLife of the Mongol emperor Genghis Khan focusing on the succession of his throne.
Genghis Khan1965 1158–1227MongoliaThe life and conquests of the Mongol emperor Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan: To the Ends of the Earth and Sea2007 1158–1227MongoliaJapanese-Mongolian film about the life of Genghis Khan
Mongol2007 1172–1192MongoliaMongolian language film depicting the early life of Genghis Khan, focusing on the years 1172–1192
The Conqueror1956 1178–1203MongoliaEnglish-language film starring John Wayne as Genghis Khan
Queen Mandukhai the Wise1988 1449–1510MongoliaMongolian language film about the life of Queen Mandukhai (1449–1510) who reunited the Mongols.
Tsogt Taij1945 1581–1637MongoliaMongolian language film about the patriotic struggle of Prince Tsogt Taij (1581–1637).
Kundun1997 1950Tibetan American film depicting the early life of the 14th Dalai Lama and the 1950 invasion of Tibet and subsequent events
The Golden Horde1951 1220UzbekistanEnglish-language film about an English knight who leads the defense of Samarkand against Genghis Khan

South Asia

Indian subcontinent history

Sortable table
Title Release Period Note on setting
Mohenjo Daro2016 2500–2000 BCFictional story set in Mohenjo-daro, a city of the Bronze Age Indus Valley civilization.
Siddhartha1972 563/480–483/400 BCAbout the life of a boy and his search for a meaningful way of life
Gautama Buddha2007 563/480–483/400 BCAbout the life of Gautama Buddha
Amrapali1966 500 – ? BCBased on the life of Ambapali in India
Sikandar1941 326 BCSet 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
Asoka2001 268–232 BCfictionalized account of the reign of Ashoka (r. ), of the Mauryan Empire in India
Gautamiputra Satakarni 2017 2nd century CE about the achievements of Satavahana dynasty ruler Gautamiputra Satakarni who defeated Indo-Sythians, Alcon-Hunns etc.
Mayura1975 345–365Based on the Kadamba dynasty's King Mayurasharma set in India
Rajaraja Cholan1973 947–1014About the life history of great king Raja Raja Chola
Ponniyin Selvan2022[1] 947–1014About the life history of great king Raja Raja Chola
Ambikapathy1937 1083Tamil, a love story set in India in 1083
Samrat Prithviraj2022 1178–1192Based on Prithviraj Raso by Chand Bardai narrating the life of Prithviraj Chauhan[2]
Rudhramadevi 2015 1262–1289 Based on the life of Rudrama Devi and her achievements during her ruling period
Padmaavat2018 1303Based on Padmavat by Malik Muhammad Jayasi about Padmavati, a legendary Rajput queen, and her kingdom's war with the Sultan of Delhi, Alauddin Khilji
Urumi2011 1500Historical fiction on Portuguese colonial rule in Malabar
Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea2021 1505–1601Based 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-Akbar2008 1560sSet during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar, and his marriage to a Hindu Rajput princess Jodhaa
Mughal-e-Azam1960 1570/1580Set 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 Story2005 1627–1658Story of Shah Jahan and his Queen Mumtaz Mahal and history of the monument Taj Mahal built to honour Mumtaz Mahal after her death.
Pawankhind20221660

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 Warrior2020 1670Biopic of Tanaji Malusare and centered around Maratha expedition of Kondhana also called Battle of Singhad.
Hari Hara Veera Mallu 2022 17th century Telugu film; based on the life of legendary outlaw Veera Mallu
Bajirao Mastani2015 1720–1740Based loosely on the life of Bajirao I and his controversial marriage to his Muslim wife Mastani albeit with lot of inaccuracies.
Veerapandiya Kattabomman1959 1760–1799About the resistance of Veerapandiya Kattabomman to the Company rule in India, rule of the East India Company
Panipat: The Great Betrayal2019 1761Based on the Third Battle of Panipat.
Laal Kaptaan2019 1764–1789A revenge drama set after the events of the Battle of Buxar
Thugs of Hindostan2018 1795–1800sBased on a band of Thugs resisting the East India Company's rule in India.
Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja2009 1796–1797Life of Pazhassi Raja—an Indian royal resisting the East India Company
Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy2019 1806–1847Based on the life of Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy
The Deceivers1988 1825About Thugees in India in 1825
Veer2010 1825Set during the 1825 Pindari movement of Rajasthan, when India was ruled by the East India Company
Shatranj Ke Khiladi1977 1856Entailing 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.
Junoon1978 1857About 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 Rising2005 1857About Mangal Pandey and the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857.
Gandhi1982 1869–1948About the life of Mohandas K. Gandhi
Sardar1993 1875–1950Life 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 Savarkar2001 1883–1966About life and times of great revolutionary Swatantryaveer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar
Lagaan2001 1893A 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 Hero2005 1897–1945About Indian freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose
Alluri Seetarama Raju1974 1898–1924Based 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[3]
A Passage To India1984 1920sBased on E. M. Forster's novel about two British woman who visit India during the British Raj and their adventures there.
Paradesi2013 1930sBased on the lives affected by plantation.
Madrasapattinam 2010 1940s A fictional account about the love story between a British woman and an Indian man during the Raj
Zubeidaa2001 1940s/1950sa 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 Katha2001 1947Another 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 Ram2000 1948Tamil, 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 Pani2003 1970sabout a widowed mother and her young son set in a late 1970s village in Punjab, Pakistan which is coming under radical influence
19712007 1971based on the plight of Indian prisoners of war in the aftermath of 1971 war between India and Pakistan
Border1997 1971about 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 AD 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 AD 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 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

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.
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

Sortable table
Title Release date Time period Notes on setting
Vijaya Kuweni2012543–505 BCbased on the historical tale of Wijaya-Kuveni
Aba2008437–367 BCbased on the historical legend of King Pandukabhaya
Mahindagamanaya2011250 BCbased on arrival of Buddhism to Sri Lanka
Maharaja Gemunu2015161–137 BCbased on the odyssey of King Dutugamunu
Aloko Udapadi2017103 BC and c. 89–77 BCbased on the odyssey of King King Valagamba
Siri Daladagamanaya2012300sbased on venerated of Tooth relic to Sri Lanka
The God King1974473based on the historical clash between brothers Kasyapa and Moggalana on Sigiriya Rock
Siri Parakum20131153–1186based on the historical legend of King Parakramabahu I the Great
Kivulegedara Mohottala19871817–1818based on freedom fighter Kivulegedara Mohottala and Great Rebellion of 1817–1818
Vera Puran Appu19791812–1848based on freedom fighter Puran Appu
Gadera20221912–1913based on an expedition in British Garhwal

East Asia

Chinese and Taiwanese history

Sortable table
Title Release date Time period Notes on setting
The Last Woman of Shang19641075–1046 BCa Hong Kong film about Daji, a concubine of King Zhou of Shang
Sacrifice2010607–581 BCbased on the play The Orphan of Zhao, set in the Jin state during the Spring and Autumn period
Confucius1940551–479 BCthought to be a lost film, but was rediscovered in 2001 and restored
Confucius2010505–479 BCstarring Chow Yun-fat as Confucius
Little Big Soldier2010475–221 BCan action-comedy film set in the Warring States period, about a war between the Liang and Wey states
A Battle of Wits2006375–369 BCset in the reign of King Lie of Zhou
The Warring States2011ca. 316 BCset 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 Shadow1996259–210 BCabout a troubled friendship between Qin Shi Huang and the musician Gao Jianli
Wheat2009260 BCthe story of women left behind when their husbands went to war during the Battle of Changping
The Emperor and the Assassin1998227 BCbased on the assassination attempt by Jing Ke on Qin Shi Huang
Hero2002227 BCbased on the assassination attempt by Jing Ke on Qin Shi Huang
The Great Conqueror's Concubine1994206–202 BCa Hong Kong film set in the Chu–Han Contention
White Vengeance2011206–202 BCloosely based on the Feast at Hong Gate and events in the Chu–Han Contention
The Last Supper2012206–202 BCbased on events in the Chu–Han Contention
Red Cliff2008208–209epic war film based on the Battle of Red Cliffs
The Assassins2012210set in China in the late 210s – the years preceding the end of the Han dynasty
The Lost Bladesman2011219a Hong Kong film loosely based on the story of Guan Yu (d. 219) in the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon2008229a Hong Kong film about Zhao Yun, loosely based on parts of the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms
An Empress and the Warriors2008ca. 350set in the Former Yan during the Sixteen Kingdoms period
Mulan2009ca. 386–534based on the legend of Hua Mulan
Mulan Joins the Army1939ca. 567–571based on the legend of Hua Mulan
Shaolin Temple1982619–621starring Jet Li, based on the story of Shaolin Temple help Li Shimin
The Empress Wu Tse-tien1939650–705based on the story of Wu Zetian
Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame2010684–690a Hong Kong film based on a fictional account of Di Renjie, set in the reign of Wu Zetian
Warriors of Heaven and Earth2003700an action-adventure film set in Xinjiang
The Promise2005766–780set during the end of the Tang dynasty
House of Flying Daggers2004859set during the end of the Tang dynasty
Trilogy of Swordsmanship (Part 2: The Tigress)1972860sa Hong Kong film (only Part 2) set during Pang Xun's rebellion
The Heroic Ones1970880sa Hong Kong film about Li Keyong's generals
General Stone1976880sa Hong Kong film about Li Cunxiao
Curse of the Golden Flower2006928set during the Later Tang dynasty
All the King's Men1983950sa Taiwanese film about Chai Rong's last days
Great Liao's Empress Dowager1995969–982a Chinese film about Empress Xiao Yanyan
Saving General Yang2013980sa Hong Kong film about the Generals of the Yang Family legends
The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter1983980sa Hong Kong film about the Generals of the Yang Family legends
The Eight Diagram Cudgel Fighter1985980sa Hong Kong film about the Generals of the Yang Family legends
Generals of the Yang Family1984980sa Chinese film about the Generals of the Yang Family legends
The Silk Road19881026a Japanese film about Western Xia
The 14 Amazons19721030sa Hong Kong film about the Genearals of the Yang Family legends
Legendary Amazons20111030sa Chinese film about the Genearals of the Yang Family legends
The Journey to Xixia Empire19971087a Chinese film about Western Xia (Xixia)
Marco Polo19821254–1324an 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
Fall of Ming20131368–1644
Brotherhood of Blades20141368–1644
The Sino-Dutch War 166120001645–62based on the story of Koxinga (1624–1662), with the focus on the Siege of Fort Zeelandia
The Opium War19971839–42historical epic film about the First Opium War, told through the eyes of Lin Zexu and Charles Elliot
The Empress Dowager19751835–1908a Hong Kong film about Empress Dowager Cixi
Li Lianying: The Imperial Eunuch19911848–1911the Qing dynasty eunuch Li Lianying
The Warlords20071850–64set in the Qing dynasty during the Taiping Rebellion
Fearless20061868–1910a biographical film about late Qing dynasty martial artist Huo Yuanjia
The Woman Knight of Mirror Lake20111875–1907a biographical film about revolutionary Qiu Jin
Forever Enthralled20081894–1961biographical film about Peking opera artist Mei Lanfang
Empire of Silver20091899–1901a Hong Kong film set in the Qing dynasty during the Boxer Rebellion
55 Days at Peking19631900an American film starring Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner and David Niven and set during the Boxer Rebellion
Red River Valley19971903–1904about the British expedition to Tibet
The Tokyo Trial20061904–1973presenting the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal from the point of view of Mei Ju-ao
The Last Emperor19871906–1967an Academy Award winning film about China's last emperor Puyi
Road to Dawn20071910about Sun Yat-sen's life in Penang from July to December 1910
Magnificent 7219801911about Lin Juemin and the Second Guangzhou Uprising, with a brief scene of Qiu Jin's arrest in 1907
Bodyguards and Assassins20091911a 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
191120111911about the Xinhai Revolution
The Soong Sisters19971911–1949about the Soong sisters
The Founding of a Party20111921about the formation of the Chinese Communist Party in 1921
Bridge19491927–1950the Chinese Civil War
Yangtse Incident19571927–1950a British film about the Royal Navy frigate HMS Amethyst getting caught up in the Chinese Civil War
Assembly20071927–1950epic war film set in the Chinese Civil War
Seediq Bale20111930film 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.
A Murder Beside Yanhe River20141933–1937based on the murder case of Huang Kegong, who was a general of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army
7-Man Army19761933a Hong Kong film depicting the Defense of the Great Wall
Black Sun: The Nanking Massacre19941937a Hong Kong film about the Nanking Massacre
Don't Cry, Nanking19951937the Nanking Massacre
City of Life and Death20091937dealing with the Battle of Nanjing and its aftermath, the Nanking Massacre
John Rabe20091937a biographical film about John Rabe and his experiences in the Nanking Massacre
The Flowers of War20111937about a group of escapees caught up in the 1937 Battle of Nanking
The Spring River Flows East19471937–1945the trials and tribulations of a Chinese family through the Second Sino-Japanese War
Tunnel War19651937–1945about a small town defending itself by use of a network of tunnels during the Second Sino-Japanese War
Men Behind the Sun19881937–1945a Hong Kong film depicting war atrocities committed by the Japanese Unit 731 during World War II
On the Mountain of Tai Hang20051937–1945about the Eighth Route Army, set in the Second Sino-Japanese War
The Children of Huang Shi20081938about George Hogg leading 60 orphans across China in an effort to save them from conscription during the Second Sino-Japanese War
Hong Kong 194119831941–1945a Hong Kong film set in Japanese-occupied Hong Kong during World War II
Phurbu & Tenzin20141944–1980about the two monks in Tibet.
The Crossing20141945–1949about the Second Sino-Japanese war and the siking of Taiping.
A City of Sadness19891947Taiwanese 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 Engagement19911949about the Chinese Civil War (Liaoshen Campaign, Huaihai Campaign and Pingjin Campaign)
The Founding of a Republic20091949about the founding of the People's Republic of China
24 City20081958–1980A docudrama film about the generations of people who worked in state factories during the industrialization and were demolished during the modernization of China.
Coming Home20141966–1976set during the Cultural Revolution in China.
Aftershock20101976–2010the aftermath of the 1976 Tangshan earthquake

Japanese history

Samurai cinema and Jidai-geki films

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,[4] 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
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 Awards: 1 Blue Ribbon Award, 1 Hochi Film Award, 3 Japanese Academy Awards, 2 Mainichi Film Concours, 1 Palme d'Or
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[5] Katsuhide Motoki Kuranosuke Sasaki, Kyoko Fukada, Tsuyoshi Ihara 2014
Zakurozaka no Adauchi[6] Setsurō Wakamatsu Kiichi Nakai, Hiroshi Abe, Ryōko Hirosue 2014
Kakekomi[7] 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

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 Clouds20181868–1912Based 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 Snowblood19731874–1894Based on the manga series of the same name.
Waga Koi wa Moenu19491880s
Emperor Meiji and the Great Russo-Japanese War19581904–1905Dramatization of the Russo-Japanese War.
Fullmetal Alchemist20171927Based on a manga series, set during the Benito Mussolini's regime.
Gambler's Life: Unstoppable Bloodbath19691930sSet in the early Shōwa period.
Flower of Chivalry Torn Asunder: Gambling Heir19691930sSet in the early Shōwa period.
Onna jigoku uta: Shakuhachi benten1970
Tora! Tora! Tora!19701941Detailing the events leading up to and including the Attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.
Midway19761942About the Battle of Midway between Japan and the United States in 1942.
The Bridge on the River Kwai19571942–1945About allied prisoners of war forced to work on the Burma Railway during World War II.
Letters from Iwo Jima20061945Japanese-language film directed by Clint Eastwood about the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945.
Hiroshima19951945Docu-drama about the events leading up to the use of the first atomic weapons in 1945.
Fueled: The Man They Called Pirate20161945–1960Based 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 Slope20181966–1978Based 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 Kamakura20171976–1980Based 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 Taiyō2008–20091985Historical drama about Japan Airlines Flight 123 incident.
Sadako vs. Kayako20162004–2009Based on Ring Trilogy and Ju-On by Koji Suzuki and Takashi Shimizu, one of the horror franchises in Japan.

Korean and South Korean history

Sortable table
Title Release date Time period Notes on setting
The Great Battle 2018645 Set during the Siege of Ansi.
Once Upon a Time in a Battlefield 2003660 Set during the Battle of Hwangsanbeol.
A Frozen Flower 20081330–1374 Set during the late Goryeo dynasty.
Empire of Lust 2015 14th century Set during the reign of King Taejo.
Musa (film) 20011375 A story about diplomatic mission from the Goryeo travels to Ming China.
The Divine Weapon 20081418–1450 Set during the reign of Sejong the Great.
The King and the Clown 20051494–1506 Set during the reign of Yeonsangun of Joseon.
Blades of Blood 20101500s Set during the 16th century.
The Admiral: Roaring Currents 20141597 Depicts the Battle of Myeongnyang, a naval battle between Japan and Korea.
Shadows in the Palace 20071600s Set during the 17th century.
Sword in the Moon 2003ca. 1600 Set during the beginning of the 17th century.
War of the Arrows 20111636–37 Set during the second Manchu invasion of Korea.
The Fortress 20171636 Set during the second Manchu invasion of Korea.
The Sword with No Name 20091860s–1870s Set during the 19th century, fictionalized account of the reign of Empress Myeongseong
Chi-hwa-seon 20021843–97 About the life of Korean painter Oh-won.
The Sound of a Flower 20151867–84 About the life of the Korean pansori singer Shin Jae-hyo.
The Good, the Bad, the Weird 20081920–1930 Loosely based on the seizure of 150,000 won in Manchuria.
The Last Princess 20161925–1962 About the life of Princess Deokhye.
Love, Lies 20161943–1945 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 20041950–1953 Set during the Korean War.
Welcome to Dongmakgol 20051950–1953 Set during the Korean War.
71: Into the Fire 20101950–1953 Set during the Korean War.
The Front Line 20111953 Set during the Korean Armistice Agreement.
Gangnam Blues 20141966–1970 Set in the late 1960s to the 1970s about the development of Gangnam during the Park Chung-hee's regime.
Silmido 20031970s Based on a military uprising on Silmido island.
A Taxi Driver 20171980 Set during the Gwangju Uprising after the assassination of Park Chung-hee.
1987: When the Day Comes 20171987–1990 Set during the June Struggle to the Revolutions of 1989.

Southeast Asia

Filipino history

Sortable table
Title Release date Time period Setting Notes
Banaue: Stairway to the Sky1975c. 500 BC.PhilippinesThe film depicts the Prehistory of the Philippines, and the construction of the Banaue Rice Terraces.
Lapu-Lapu19551491–1542PhilippinesChronicles the life of Lapu-Lapu and death of Ferdinand Magellan.
Lapu-Lapu20021491–1542PhilippinesA remake of the 1955 film that chronicles the life of Lapu-Lapu.
José Rizal19981861–1896PhilippinesA biographical film focusing on the Philippine National Hero, José Rizal.
Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon?19701870–1895PhilippinesA period drama film that focuses on the Hispanicized Society of the Philippines during the colonial period.
Bonifacio: Ang Unang Pangulo20141872–1897PhilippinesA biographical film chronicling the life of Andres Bonifacio from his founding of the Katipunan to his eventual execution.
El Presidente20121886–1962PhilippinesA biographical film about the first Filipino president Emilio Aguinaldo.
Felix Manalo20151886–1963PhilippinesA biographical film about Felix Manalo, founder and pioneer executive minister of the Iglesia ni Cristo.
Baler20081898PhilippinesA romantic drama film set during the Siege of Baler.
Tiniente Rosario19371898–1901PhilippinesA film about the Philippine Revolutionary Army and its female Sergeant officer.[8]
Heneral Luna20151898–1903PhilippinesAn epic war film detailing General Antonio Luna's leadership of the Filipino army during the Philippine–American War.
Aguila19801899–1945PhilippinesTouted 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 Pilar1997December 2, 1899PhilippinesA movie about the Battle of Tirad Pass, a Philippine Campaign against Americans led by General Gregorio Del Pilar.
Amigo20101900sPhilippinesA film set during Philippine–American War
Rosario20101920sPhilippinesDepicts the life of Rosario (Manuel V. Pangilinan's grandmother), a girl during the Insular Government Period.
Santiago!19701941–1945PhilippinesDepicting the Philippine campaign during World War II
Aishite Imasu 1941: Mahal Kita20041941–1945PhilippinesAbout the Japanese Occupation of the Philippines in World War II
Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos19721942–1945PhilippinesMovie set in Philippines during World War II
Alab ng Lahi20031945PhilippinesThe 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 Story20111951PhilippinesThe criminal life of Asiong Salonga that led to his assassination on October 7, 1951.
Boy Golden: Shoot to Kill, the Arturo Porcuna Story20131960sPhilippinesThe life and death of Arturo "Boy Golden" Porcuna, who rose through the Manila underworld in the 1960s until his eventual murder.
Dekada '7020021970sPhilippinesBased 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

Sortable table
Title Release date Time period Setting Notes
The Killing Fields19841973–1979CambodiaAbout 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 Java19691883IndonesiaAmerican film nominated for Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, featured the 1883 eruption of the volcano on the island of Krakatoa.
Paradise Road19971939–1945IndonesiaAbout the event of World War II on the island of Sumatra.
The Merdeka Trilogy: Merah Putih, Darah Garuda, and Hati Merdeka2009–111945–1949IndonesiaAbout the struggles of the Indonesians throughout the Indonesian National Revolution.
The Year of Living Dangerously19821965IndonesiaDirected 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 Adnan20001940sMalaysiaAbout 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 Enslaved19971885MyanmarA two-part film depicting the events of the Third Anglo-Burmese War and the fall of Thibaw Min and his dynasty.
1965 (film)20151963–1966SingaporeSingapore in Malaysia, 1964 race riots in Singapore (Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation) and National Day of 1965.
The Legend of Suriyothai20011520s–1548ThailandThe 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 Naresuan20071555–1592ThailandThe 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
Balibo20091975Timor-LesteAustralian film about the deaths of the Balibo Five, set during the Indonesian invasion of East Timor.
Blood Letter2011c. 1442VietnamAbout 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 Rebel20071920sVietnamSet in 1920s Vietnam under colonial French rule.
Indochine (film)19921940s–1954VietnamFrench film set in the twilight of colonial French Indochina during the 1930s.
The Scent of Green Papaya19931950sVietnamSet in 1950s Saigon.
The Quiet American20021952VietnamSet in Vietnam in 1952, and pertaining to emerging violent factions in the area and early CIA involvement.
The White Silk Dress20061968VietnamDirected by Luu Huynh. It is about a tragedy in Vietnam War.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Chiyaan Vikram wraps up his portions in Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan".
  2. ↑ "Akshay Kumar's Prithviraj to be based on epic titled Prithviraj Raso". 23 April 2021.
  3. ↑ "Sardar Udham movie review: Vicky Kaushal is bewitching in one of the boldest, most traumatising Hindi films ever made". 16 October 2021.
  4. ↑ Hill (2002).
  5. ↑ 超高速！参勤交代(2014). allcinema (in Japanese). Stingray. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  6. ↑ 柘榴坂の仇討(2014). allcinema (in Japanese). Stingray. Retrieved May 11, 2015.
  7. ↑ "駆込み女と駆出し男(2015)". allcinema (in Japanese). Stingray. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Teniente Rosario". 17 June 1937 – via www.imdb.com.
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