Three Outlaw Samurai (Criterion Collection)

Tetsuro Tamba, Isamu Nagato. This first film by Hideo Gosha is among the most canonized chambara (sword-fighting) films. An origin-story offshoot of a Japanese television series of the same name, Three Outlaw Samurai is a classic in its own right. In it, a wandering, seen-it-all ronin becomes entangled in the dangerous business of two other samurai hired to execute a band of peasants who have kidnapped the daughter of a corrupt magistrate. With remarkable storytelling economy and thrilling action scenes, this is an expertly mounted tale of revenge and loyalty. In Japanese with English subtitles. 1964/b&w/93 min/NR/widescreen.