Kinejun's Top 200 Japanese Films

[caucasoididiot]

Kinema Junpou is a Japanese film magazine dating back to 1919, and recently I stumbled onto their 2009 list of the 200 all time best Japanese films.




Many are no surprise, such as Seven Samurai coming in at #2, and Kurosawa being generally well-represented. I'm happy to see some of my own favorites making it in, like Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence and Sono's Noriko's Dinner Table (I think I've settled on this as my favorite among his, but had wondered if that was because of a personal resonance). The first two Tetsuo films make the list, and while I'd have to double check, I suspect Vital hadn't yet been released (if it had, I'd have certainly included it). Kitano is there, with Boiling Point rated highest (3-4x10月, which I rewatched just a couple of nights ago; while excellent, I'd have substituted Hana-bi). Totoro made the cut along with several other Miyazakis, as did Itami's The Funeral. Cure and Shall We Dance? also made it. Honda's original Gojira is honored, as is The Human Vapor. I've only seen that last as a severely reedited US release and could imagine a good movie having been in there.

A Crayon SHin-chan movie made the list? Not having seen it, I can't say. He is an interesting character. I also spotted a couple Tora-san movies in there, something I feel I really should catch one of these days.

I was surprised not to see Kwaidan in there, and was surprised to see The Man Who Stole the Sun ranking so close to the top. I caught it awhile back and liked it, but not to a top ten level (I seem to remember AFC asking about that at the time). I'm wondering if its political subtext on Japanese nuclearization gives it significantly more impact to a home audience.

Anyway, here's the list (with the nutty enumeration fixed it only goes to 198; the Japanese for "D'oh!" is something like, "Ah! Machigaeta!):

Edit:
I forgot that the censor has a problem with phonetic Japanese. Everywhere below you see something like "KINOpoopieA" read "KINOSH(I)TA."

1 / TOKYO STORY / 1953 / OZU
2 / SEVEN SAMURAI / 1954 / KUROSAWA
3 / FLOATING CLOUDS / 1955 / NARUSE
4 / SUN IN THE LAST DAYS OF THE SHOGUNATE / 1957 / KAWASHIMA
5 / BATTLES WITHOUT HONOR & HUMANITY / 1973 / FUKASAKU
6 / TWENTY-FOUR EYES / 1954 / KINOpoopieA
7 / RASHOMON / 1950 / KUROSAWA
8 / SAZEN TANGE AND THE POT WORTH A MILLION RYO / 1935 / YAMANAKA
9 / THE MAN WHO STOLE THE SUN / 1979 / HASEGAWA
10 / THE FAMILY GAME / 1983 / MORITA
11 / STRAY DOG / 1949 / KUROSAWA
12 / TYPHOON CLUB / 1985 / SOMAI
13 / IKIRU / 1952 / KUROSAWA
14 / SUZAKI PARADISE RED LIGHT / 1956 / KAWASHIMA
15 / HIGH AND LOW / 1963 / KUROSAWA
16 / A FUGITIVE FROM THE PAST / 1965 / UCHIDA
17 / HARAKIRI / 1962 / KOBAYASHI
18 / INTENTIONS OF MURDER / 1964 / IMAMURA
19 / TOKYO OLYMPIAD / 1965 / ICHIKAWA
20 / THE CASTLE OF SAND / 1974 / NOMURA
21 / FAILED YOUTH / 1974 / KUMASHIRO
22 / NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND / 1984 / MIYAZAKI
23 / HUMANITY AND PAPER BALLOONS / 1937 / YAMANAKA
24 / YOJIMBO / 1961 / KUROSAWA
25 / FIGHTING ELEGY / 1966 / SUZUKI
26 / FALL GUY / 1982 / FUKASAKU
27 / BOILING POINT / 1990 / KITANO
28 / UGETSU / 1953 / MIZOGUCHI
29 / CHIKAMATSU MONOGATARI / 1954 / MIZOGUCHI
30 / SHE WAS LIKE A WILD CHRYSANTHEMUM / 1955 / KINOpoopieA
31 / FLOWING / 1956 / NARUSE
32 / SAMURAI VENDETTA / 1959 / MORI
33 / BRANDED TO KILL / 1967 / SUZUKI
34 / VENGEANCE IS MINE / 1979 / IMAMURA
35 / ZIGEUNERWEISEN / 1980 / SUZUKI
36 / HERE’S TO THE GIRLS / 1949 / KINOpoopieA
37 / THE BALL AT THE ANJO HOUSE / 1947 / YOSHIMURA
38 / LATE SPRING / 1949 / OZU
39 / TILL WE MEET AGAIN / 1950 / IMAI
40 / THE LIFE OF OHARU / 1952 / MIZOGUCHI
41 / A BLOODY SPEAR AT MOUNT FUJI / 1955 / UCHIDA
42 / THE LOWER DEPTHS / 1957 / KUROSAWA
43 / THE CHASE / 1958 / NOMURA
44 / FLOATING WEEDS / 1959 / OZU
45 / GOOD MORNING / 1959 / OZU
46 / DESPERATE OUTPOST / 1959 / OKAMOTO
47 / HER BROTHER / 1960 / ICHIKAWA
48 / CRUEL STORY OF YOUTH / 1960 / OSHIMA
49 / THE GRACEFUL BRUTE / 1962 / KAWASHIMA
50 / PROXY WAR / 1973 / FUKASAKU
51 / THE WANDERERS / 1973 / ICHIKAWA
52 / THE YOUTH KILLER / 1976 / HASEGAWA
53 / MUDDY RIVER / 1981 / OGURI
54 / THE FUNERAL / 1984 / ITAMI
55 / HIMATSURI / 1985 / YANAGIMACHI
56 / MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO / 1988 / MIYAZAKI
57 / CURE / 1997 / KUROSAWA
58 / NORIKO’S DINNER TABLE / 2005 / SONO
59 / I WAS BORN, BUT… / 1932 / OZU
60 / WHAT DID THE LADY FORGET? / 1937 / OZU
61 / SINGING LOVEBIRDS / 1939 / MAKINO
62 / THE LIVE OF MATSU THE UNTAMED / 1943 / INAGAKI
63 / CARMEN COMES HOME / 1951 / KINOpoopieA
64 / THE HUMAN CONDITION / 1959-61 / KOBAYASHI
65 / THE HUMAN VAPOR / 1960 / HONDA
66 / SANJURO / 1962 / KUROSAWA
67 / THE INSECT WOMAN / 1963 / IMAMURA
68 / PALE FLOWER / 1964 / SHINODA
69 / YEARNING / 1964 / NARUSE
70 / TOKYO DRIFTER / 1966 / SUZUKI
71 / JAPAN’S LONGEST DAY / 1967 / OKAMOTO
72 / THE PROFOUND DESIRE OF THE GODS / 1968 / IMAMURA
73 / THE HUMAN BULLET / 1968 / OKAMOTO
74 / BIG TIME GAMBLING BOSS / 1968 / YAMApoopieA
75 / I, THE EXECUTIONER / 1968 / KATO
76 / BOY / 1969 / OSHIMA
77 / DOUBLE SUICIDE / 1969 / SHINODA
78 / IT’S TOUGH BEING A MAN / 1969-95 / YAMADA
79 / TAKE CARE, RED RIDING HOOD / 1970 / MORITANI
80 / RED PEONY GAMBLES HER LIFE / 1970 / KATO
81 / KAOYAKU / 1971 / KATSU
82 / WET SAND IN AUGUST / 1971 / FUJITA
83 / OUTLAW KILLERS: THREE MAD DOG BROTHERS / 1972 / FUKASAKU
84 / CONFIDENTIAL: SECRET MARKET / 1974 / TANAKA
85 / CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO / 1979 / MIYAZAKI
86 / KAGEMUSHA / 1980 / KUROSAWA
87 / CRAZY THUNDER ROAD / 1980 / ISHII
88 / CRAZED FRUIT / 1981 / NEGISHI
89 / NIPPON-KOKU FURUYASHIKI—MURA / 1982 / OGAWA
90 / P. P. RIDER / 1983 / SOMAI
91 / MERRY CHRISTMAS MR. LAWRENCE / 1983 / OSHIMA
92 / THE GIRL WHO CUT TIME / 1983 / OBAYASHI
93 / LOVE HOTEL / 1985 / SOMAI
94 / RAN / 1985 / KUROSAWA
95 / COMIC MAGAZINE / 1986 / TAKITA
96 / CASTLE IN THE SKY / 1986 / MIYAZAKI
97 / TETSUO: THE IRON MAN / 1989 / TSUKAMOTO
98 / MOVING / 1993 / SOMAI
99 / SONATINE / 1993 / KITANO
100 / KIDS RETURN / 1996 / KITANO
101 / CRAYON SHIN-CHAN: ARASHI WO YOBU – MOURETSU! OTONA TEIKOKU NO GYAKUSHUU / 2001 / MIZUSHIMA
102 / THE TWILIGHT SAMURAI / 2002 / YAMADA
103 / BRIGHT FUTURE / 2003 / KUROSAWA
104 / RAMBLERS / 2003 / YAMApoopieA
105 / SUMMER DAYS WITH COO / 2007 / HARA
106 / A DIARY OF CHUJI’S TRAVELS / 1927 / ITO
107 / CAPRICIOUS YOUNG MAN / 1936 / ITAMI
108 / SISTERS OF THE GION / 1936 / MIZOGUCHI
109 / THE STORY OF THE LAST CHRYSANTEMUM / 1939 / MIZOGUCHI
110 / SANSHIRO SUGATA / 1943 / KUROSAWA
111 / WARE MABOROSHI NO SAKANA O MITARI / 1950 / ITO
112 / EARLY SUMMER / 1951 / OZU
113 / LIGHTNING / 1952 / NARUSE
114 / MOTHER / 1952 / NARUSE
115 / JIROCHO SANGOKUCHI / 1952-54 / MAKINO
116 / GODZILLA / 1954 / HONDA
117 / STREET OF SHAME / 1956 / MIZOGUCHI
118 / CRAZED FRUIT / 1956 / NAKAHIRA
119 / THRONE OF BLOOD / 1957 / KUROSAWA
120 / TOKYO TWILIGHT / 1957 / OZU
121 / WASHI TO TAKA / 1957 / INOUE
122 / ENJO / 1958 / ICHIKAWA
123 / THE HIDDEN FORTRESS / 1958 / KUROSAWA
124 / GHOST STORY OF YOTSUYA / 1959 / NAKAGAWA
125 / LATE AUTUMN / 1960 / OZU
126 / WHEN A WOMAN ASCENDS THE STAIRS / 1960 / NARUSE
127 / HITO MO ARUKEBA / 1960 / KAWASHIMA
128 / TEN DARK WOMEN / 1961 / ICHIKAWA
129 / THE LAST WAR / 1961 / MATSUBAYASHI
130 / A WIFE CONFESSES / 1961 / MASUMURA
131 / FOUNDRY TOWN / 1962 / URAYAMA
132 / DESTINY’S SON / 1962 / MISUMI
133 / THE OUTCAST / 1962 / ICHIKAWA
134 / THE ELEGANT LIFE OF MR. EVERYMAN / 1963 / OKAMOTO
135 / THE THIRTEEN ASSASSINS / 1963 / KUDO
136 / WOMAN IN THE DUNES / 1964 / TESHIGAHARA
137 / RED BEARD / 1965 / KUROSAWA
138 / SEISAKU’S WIFE / 1965 / MASUMURA
139 / STORY OF A PROSTITUTE / 1965 / SUZUKI
140 / THE HITMAN / 1967 / MORI
141 / LIKE A SHOOTING STAR / 1967 / MASUDA
142 / A COLT IS MY PASSPORT / 1967 / NOMURA
143 / IT’S TOUGH BEING A MAN / 1969 / YAMADA
144 / GO, GO SECOND TIME VIRGIN / 1969 / WAKAMATSU
145 / GENDAI SEI HANZAI ZEKKYO HEN: RIYU NAKI BOKO / 1969 / WAKAMATSU
146 / DODES’KA-DEN / 1970 / KUROSAWA
147 / HAKUCYU NO SYUGEKI / 1970 / NISHIMURA
148 / MINAMATA / 1972 / TSUCHIMOTO
149 / THE MORNING SCHEDULE / 1972 / HANI
150 / MESUNEKOTACHI NO YORU / 1972 / TANAKA
151 / AKAI TORI NIGETA? / 1973 / FUJITA
152 / TORA SAN’S FORGET ME NO / 1973 / YAMADA
153 / SANRIZUKA: HETA BURAKU / 1973 / OGAWA
154 / STREET OF JOY / 1974 / KUMASHIRO
155 / SHIRANUI SEA / 1975 / TSUCHIMOTO
156 / GRAVEYARD OF HONOR / 1975 / FUKASAKU
157 / PREPARATION FOR THE FESTIVAL / 1975 / KUROKI
158 / IN THE REALM OF THE SENSES / 1976 / OSHIMA
159 / LULLABY OF THE EARTH / 1976 / MASUMURA
160 / HOUSE / 1977 / OBAYASHI
161 / THE DEVIL’S BOUNCING BALL SONG / 1977 / ICHIKAWA
162 / SHINJUKU MIDAREGAI: IKUMADE MATTE / 1977 / SONE
163 / MOUNT HAKKODA / 1977 / MORITANI
164 / RAPE! 13TH HOUR / 1977 / HASEBE
165 / THIRD BASE / 1978 / HIGASHI
166 / SHOUJO SHOFU: KEMONOMICHI / 1980 / KUMASHIRO
167 / STATION / 1981 / FURUHATA
168 / ATTACKED WOMEN / 1981 / TAKAHASHI
169 / ANGEL GUTS: RED PORNO / 1981 / IKEDA
170 / SOMETHING LIKE IT / 1981 / MORITA
171 / THE IMPERIAL NAVY / 1981 / MATSUBAYASHI
172 / TRANSFER STUDENT / 1982 / OBAYASHI
173 / BURST CITY / 1982 / ISHII
174 / THE MAKIOKA SISTERS / 1983 / ICHIKAWA
175 / INUJINI SESI MONO / 1986 / IZUTSU
176 / THE SEA AND POISON / 1986 / KUMAI
177 / VIOLENT COP / 1989 / KITANO
178 / THE STING OF DEATH / 1990 / OGURI
179 / A SCENE AT THE SEA / 1991 / KITANO
180 / THE ROCKING HORSEMEN / 1992 / OBAYASHI
181 / TETSUO II: BODY HAMMER / 1992 / TSUKAMOTO
182 / WHERE IS THE MOON? / 1993 / SAI
183 / SHALL WE DANCE? / 1996 / SUO
184 / TOKIWA: THE MANGA APARTMENT / 1996 / ICHIKAWA
185 / GAKKO III: THE NEW VOYAGE / 1998 / YAMADA
186 / FACE / 2000 / SAKAMOTO
187 / KAZA-HANA / 2000 / SOMAI
188 / SWING GIRLS / 2004 / YAGUCHI
189 / NOBODY KNOWS / 2004 / KOREEDA
190 / THE REASON / 2004 / OBAYASHI
191 / BREAK THROUGH! / 2004 / IZUTSU
192 / WHO’S CAMUS ANYWAY? / 2005 / YANAGIMACHI
193 / MEMORIES OF MATSUKO / 2006 / NAKASHIMA
194 / HULA GIRLS / 2006 / LEE SANG-IL
195 / WHAT THE SNOW BRINGS / 2005 / NEGISHI
196 / DEPARTURES / 2008 / TAKITA
197 / ALL AROUND US / 2008 / HASHIGUCHI
198 / CHILDREN OF THE DARK / 2008 / SAKAMOTO

[Torgo]

My first reaction was "Seven Samurai was #2? What the hell is #1?"

So this Tokyo Story is better than Kurosawa's epic? I'm going to have to seek it out.

[caucasoididiot]

I've heard great things about that one and Ozu in general, but have never caught any. I have to do something about that.

[Torgo]

I also haven't seen Human Vapor, as I've been waiting for a DVD release of it. I was hoping once MGM went on demand it wouldn't be long, but I'm still waiting.

Good to see Honda honored with two films on that list, though I was kind of surprised that while Godzilla is an obvious choice, that the other one chosen wasn't Matango.

[caucasoididiot]

Yes, I'd definitely agree. I have the Matango DVD and pull it out every so often.

[afriendlychicken]

Tokyo Story is a great film, but you know what these list are like. I, personally, wouldn't put an Ozu film over any Kurosawa film, and I like Ozu. I agree with what Kurosawa said of his films "They're like green tea over rice." If you want to see what seems like the same movie innumerable times, then you'll like Ozu.

And not one Mizoguchi film in the top 10. Although, I'm glad Koreeda is represented with "Nobody Knows."

And I agree on "Kwaidan." In fact, Masaki Kobayashi is the least represented great director on this list. I'm also a bit surprised not see Shohei Imamura's "Black Rain." I Believe both these films were on the 1999 version of this list.

[caucasoididiot]

I wish I knew how this list was generated, whether it's reader polls, editor's picks or what. Do you by any chance have the '99 list for comparison?

Looking at him on imdb, I notice that Ozu died on his 60th birthday. What a present!

[afriendlychicken]

Here's a link to the 1999 version: mubi.com/topics/kinema-junpos-top-100-japanese-films-of-the-20th-century

Personally, this new list looks like a cross between the Japanese audiences input and appeasing the critics. Since Ozu is now considered the "Best Japanese Director Ever" by a majority of the western critics his film jumps into the number one spot.

The 1999 list definitely feels more like a critics list.

And "Still Walking" better be on the next list!

Hmm, Kwaidan wasn't on this list either. My memory served me wrong.

[caucasoididiot]

That is an interesting comparison, though hard to keep that many straight. Once allowing for films that hadn't been released yet, it's interesting to see how different movies rose or fell. Totoro is the top Miyazaki there, I think, despite being below Nausica in the later list. Sonatine was the only Kitano I saw there, and while a lot of fans pick that as his best, Boiling Point is far above it in the later one.

[reaperg]

Aw, "Gojira" way down at 116? While I admit my bias, it spawned a worldwide pop culture icon and a whole genre of film and TV. Plus, Kurosawa himself would've rated it much higher.

I do have a boot of the Japanese "Human Vapor", and it is indeed awesome.

[reaperg]

Aw, "Gojira" way down at 116? While I admit my bias, it spawned a worldwide pop culture icon and a whole genre of film and TV. Plus, Kurosawa himself would've rated it much higher.

I do have a boot of the Japanese "Human Vapor", and it is indeed awesome. And I'm glad to see "House" here, it's a hoot and a half, but no "Battle Royale"?

[angilasman]

Dec 18, 2011 10:52:35 GMT -5 reaperg said:

Aw, "Gojira" way down at 116? While I admit my bias, it spawned a worldwide pop culture icon and a whole genre of film and TV. Plus, Kurosawa himself would've rated it much higher.

Kurosawa's 100 favorite film list (compiled only a few years before his death) is awesome. It has MASH, The Thin Man, Gojira, and My Neighbor Totoro in it!


Anyway, this list is pretty good - if only to give me little reminders of other Japanese films I need to see. It's great to see Kurosawa, Miyazaki, and Honda represented, but I take issue with the order. I mean, I love Stray Dog, but better than Ikiru?