Akira Kurosawa Samurai Collection [Blu-ray]

Collection of five historical action adventures from Japanese director Akira Kurosawa.

In 'Seven Samurai' (1954), knowing that bandits are planning to attack their village after the coming harvest, its inhabitants hire a group of seven samurai to protect them. Led by Kambei (Takashi Shimura), the group includes four hardened warriors, Kambei's new disciple and Kikuchiyo (Toshirô Mifune), the orphaned son of a farmer who is posing as a samurai and is determined to prove his worth.
The samurai begin arming and training the villagers as well as fortifying their homes as they prepare for the coming attack, fully aware that the odds are stacked against them.

In 'Throne of Blood' (1957), after securing a great victory in battle for their lord Tsuzuki (Takamaru Sasaki), samurai commanders and friends Taketoki Washizu (Mifune) and Yoshiaki Miki (Minoru Chiaki) meet a mysterious spirit in the Spider's Web Forest who prophesies their rise to power. When the first part of the spirit's prediction comes true, Washizu tells his wife Asaji (Isuzu Yamada) about the rest of the prophecy and her ambition leads him to commit murder, an act which seals both of their fates.

'The Hidden Fortress' (1958) follows the exploits of Tahei (Chiaki) and Matashichi (Kamatari Fujiwara), two peasants hoping to make their fortunes by becoming soldiers. They run into trouble when they are mistaken for members of the Akizuki clan which has just been defeated after a fierce battle. Meanwhile, Rokurota Makabe (Mifune), a renowed Akizuki general, is attempting to escort Princess Yuki (Misa Uehara) to safety.
When he encounters the two peasants, he realises they may be useful to him but as the four of them travel together, they face many challenges and Tahei and Matashichi's cowardice and greed could jeopardise Makabe's mission.

In 'Yojimbo' (1961) wandering samurai Sanjuro Kuwabatake (Mifune) arrives in a rural town in 19th century Japan which is overrun with criminals and is being fought over by two rival gangs. Determined to free the townsfolk from the oppressive grip of the gangsters, Sanjuro sparks open war between the two sides in the hope that they will destroy each other.
However, his plans are complicated by the arrival of Unosuke (Tatsuya Nakadai), the younger brother of one of the gang leaders who prefers guns to swords and upsets the balance of power in the town.

Finally, in the sequel 'Sanjuro' (1962), Sanjuro Tsubaki encounters a clan of samurai who have been betrayed by the local superintendent. They had intended to present a formal accusation of corruption within their clan but would have been crushed by the superintendent's men had Sanjuro not defended them.
Sanjuro soon finds himself embroiled in a plot to kidnap the local chamberlain and facilitate a power grab by the superintendent, but jaded as he is, Sanjuro feels he must also object to the behaviour of his fellow samurai.

Region B

This is a UK import. As Australia and New Zealand share Region B with the UK, it will play on any standard Blu-ray player in Australia and New Zealand.
Want to know more? See our region guide.

Actors: Takashi Shimura, Toshirô Mifune, Yoshio Inaba, Seiji Miyaguchi, Minoru Chiaki, Daisuke Katô, Keiko Tsushima, Isao Kimura
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Format: Blu-ray
Languages: Japanese
Subtitles: English
Number of Discs: 6
Run Time: 660 Minutes
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Release date: 1 December 2025

• 6-disc set featuring five classic Kurosawa films in High Definition
• Akira Kurosawa: It is Wonderful to Create (2002, 195 mins): five episodes of the Toho Masterworks series split over five discs, that take an in-depth look at each of the films included in this collection. Each episode includes interviews with not only Kurosawa himself but a host of cast and crew
• Audio commentary on Seven Samurai by film critic Adrian Martin
• Philip Kemp selected scenes commentary on Seven Samurai (1999, 20 mins): film critic and writer Philip Kemp analyses key scenes from the film
• The Art of Akira Kurosawa (2013, 49 mins): Asian-cinema expert Tony Rayns discusses Kurosawa's career and influence
• My Life in Cinema (1993, 116 mins): a conversation between filmmakers Akira Kurosawa and Nagisa Oshima filmed for the Directors Guild of Japan in 1993 - the two legendary directors discuss Kurosawa's life, career and legacy
• Introduction to Throne of Blood by Sir Ian McKellen (2016, 2 mins)
• Introduction to Throne of Blood by Mamoun Hassan (2012, 7 mins): the late writer, director, and producer introduces a screening of Akira Kurosawa’s film at the BFI Southbank
• Audio commentary on Throne of Blood by Japanese film expert Michael Jeck
• Macbeth (1945, 16 mins): two scenes from Shakespeare’s famous Scottish tragedy, with Wilfrid Lawson and Cathleen Nesbitt as a fine murderous duo
• Audio commentary on The Hidden Fortress by Japanese-film expert Tony Rayns
• BFI Screen Epiphanies: Steven Berkoff (2015, 18 mins): in a wide-ranging discussion with journalist Ian Hadyn Smith, the actor, writer and theatre director reflects on The Hidden Fortress, the talents of Toshiro Mifune and his first viewing of the film in the late 1950s
• Interview with George Lucas (2001, 8 mins)
• Original trailer
• Sword For Hire (2024, 25 mins): Kurosawa scholar Jasper Sharp discusses Yojimbo and Sanjuro in this analytical assessment
• Audio commentary on Yojimbo by film critic Philip Kemp
• Introduction to Sanjuro (2003, 5 mins): filmmaker Alex Cox introduces Sanjuro
• Audio commentary on Sanjuro by Japanese-Australian filmmaker Kenta McGrath
• Out of the Dust Storm and into the Koi Pond (2025, 18 mins): Nic Wassell considers the role of nature as a background to the machinations of mankind in role of nature as a background to the machinations of mankind in Yojimbo and Sanjuro
• Alex Cox on Kurosawa (2003, 9 mins): the director discusses the life and work of Akira Kurosawa
• Original Japanese trailers
• Seven Samurai trailer (2024)
• Image galleries for Seven Samurai, Yojimbo and Sanjuro