Subscribe to watch - 14-day free trial, then £6.99 a month
Sanshiro Sugata
Kurosawa’s assured debut film about a young man’s spiritual journey through the study and practice of judo.
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Overview
The director’s debut film, introducing the first Akira Kurosawa hero: a feckless judo champ who discovers social responsibility and finds illumination in the lotus pond. Little by little Sanshiro learns the truth about life and in the celebrated climax on the windswept heath he finds that strength is not enough – but that endurance is.
Related
The Kingdom The Kingdom
Crime 2024 111 mins Director: Julien Colonna
A teenager is taken to a Corsican villa where her fugitive mob boss father is hiding, before an assassination attempt forces them to go on the run.
Sex & Fury Sex & Fury
Crime 1973 89 mins Director: Norifumi Suzuki
This wildly violent ‘70s Japanese sexploitation film about a gambler hunting her father’s killers was a key influence on Tarantino’s Kill Bill series.
Nightcrawler Nightcrawler
Crime 2014 118 mins Director: Dan Gilroy
Jake Gyllenhaal stars as a crime journalist scouring the streets of after-dark LA in a stylish thriller that examines the morals of mass media.
G.B.H. Grievous Bodily Harm G.B.H. Grievous Bodily Harm
Thriller 1983 73 mins Director: David Kent-Watson
A bouncer is enlisted to fight off a mob boss, in this barmy, shot-on-video cult actioner from famed Mancunian hardman Cliff Twemlow.
Benny's Video Benny's Video
Crime 1992 110 mins Director: Michael Haneke
Michael Haneke’s drama explores a teenager’s obsession with screen violence, and his inability to distinguish between reality and fiction.
El Mariachi El Mariachi
Crime 1992 82 mins Director: Robert Rodriguez
A travelling mariachi is mistaken for a murderous criminal, in Robert Rodriguez’s infamous ‘no budget’ exemplar of DIY action cinema.
This Sporting Life This Sporting Life
Sport 1963 129 mins Director: Lindsay Anderson
Lindsay Anderson’s fantastic first feature masterfully dissects the brutal life struggles of a rough-edged rugby footballer on and off the field.
The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner
Documentary 1975 46 mins Director: Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog’s moving portrait of a record-breaking ski jumper.
Achilles' Heel Achilles' Heel
Sport 1973 56 mins Director: Alan Clarke
Alan Clarke’s film of a day in the life of a professional footballer as he deals with the newfound pressures of money, glamour and celebrity in the 1970s game.
The Great Game The Great Game
Comedy 1952 77 mins Director: Maurice Elvey
Goals and glamour go together in this high-scoring drama of football league corruption with Thora Hird, Diana Dors and John Laurie.
Monty the Lamb Monty the Lamb
Short documentary 2006 12 mins Director: Paul Kelly
A day in the life of North London non-leaguers Hendon F.C., seen through the eyes of their club mascot, carpet fitter Dave Garner.
Playing Away Playing Away
Sport 1986 102 mins Director: Horace Ové
A cricketing comedy of manners exploring white and black stereotypes, from pioneering British filmmaker Horace Ové.
The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail
Martial arts 1952 59 mins Director: Akira Kurosawa
Adapted from Noh and Kabuki theatre, Kurosawa’s classic tale of deception sees a lord and his bodyguard disguise themselves as monks to bypass an enemy roadblock.
The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail
Martial arts 1952 59 mins Director: Akira Kurosawa
Adapted from Noh and Kabuki theatre, Kurosawa’s classic tale of deception sees a lord and his bodyguard disguise themselves as monks to bypass an enemy roadblock.
The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail
Martial arts 1952 59 mins Director: Akira Kurosawa
Adapted from Noh and Kabuki theatre, Kurosawa’s classic tale of deception sees a lord and his bodyguard disguise themselves as monks to bypass an enemy roadblock.
Rashomon Rashomon
Crime 1950 88 mins Director: Akira Kurosawa
Credited with bringing Japanese cinema to worldwide audiences, Akira Kurosawa’s breakthrough tells the story of a murder in the woods from four differing perspectives.
Drunken Angel Drunken Angel
Film noir 1948 98 mins Director: Akira Kurosawa
Part gangster film, part melodrama and part social critique, Akira Kurosawa's first critical success follows the troubled friendship between a disillusioned doctor and a young yakuza.
Sanjuro Sanjuro
Crime 1962 96 mins Director: Akira Kurosawa
In Akira Kurosawa's comedy, a ronin runs rings around nine young samurai while cleaning up a spot of corruption in local government.
I Live in Fear I Live in Fear
Drama 1955 103 mins Director: Akira Kurosawa
Toshiro Mifune delivers an outstanding performance as a paranoid man striving to move his family to Brazil to escape the nuclear holocaust which he fears is imminent.
The Bad Sleep Well The Bad Sleep Well
Crime 1960 151 mins Director: Akira Kurosawa
The first film made by Akira Kurosawa's own production company is a dark tale of greed, corporate corruption and revenge.
Dragon's Return Dragon's Return
Drama 1968 85 mins Director: Eduarda Grecnera
A reclusive potter nicknamed ‘Dragon’, exiled from his isolated homestead, returns years later, aiming to win back the trust of the villagers.
Battleship Potemkin (Music by Pet Shop Boys) Battleship Potemkin (Music by Pet Shop Boys)
Historical drama 1925 75 mins Director: Sergei M. Eisenstein
Marking the centenary of Sergei Eisenstein’s landmark film, with thrilling music by Pet Shop Boys.
The Ice Storm The Ice Storm
Comedy 1997 113 mins Director: Ang Lee
An impressive ensemble cast populate Ang Lee’s riveting portrait of family life in 1970s America.
Chicken Town Chicken Town
Comedy 2025 90 mins Director: Richard Bracewell
Two old schoolfriends join forces with an elderly neighbour to fence a shed full of weed, in this sprightly, easy-going British comedy.
Les Amants du Pont-Neuf Les Amants du Pont-Neuf
Drama 1991 126 mins Director: Léos Carax
A homeless addict (Denis Lavant) and a young painter (Juliette Binoche) with failing eyesight forge a bond on the streets of Paris.
Pharaoh Pharaoh
Historical drama 1965 146 mins Director: Jerzy Kawalerowicz
Dazzling epic, in which the young Pharaoh Ramses XIII clashes with Egypt's clergy over influence on the affairs of the state and its coffers.