Ghost Of Tsushima: 10 Samurai Films You MUST Watch After Finishing The Story
After you've explored Ghost of Tsushima these are the essential films to watch.
Ghost of Tsushima has finally been released, and players are getting acquainted with its story and vast open-world. With that in mind, there really isn't a better time to get familiar with its inspirations.
No matter what stage of the game players are at, it is abundantly clear that Ghost of Tsushima pays homage to samurai films in almost every corner of its expansive open-world.
Studio Sucker Punch Productions has expressed its love for Japanese Samurai films and it is evident in every facet of the game. The team enlisted industry veteran Shigeru "Ume" Umebayashi, who has worked on samurai films such as The Real Shaolin and True Legend, to be part of the soundtrack. This has given the game a fitting audio landscape but it is not the only part of the game which has been inspired by film.
The developer then went further and worked on a cinema mode that is called "Kurosawa Mode" in homage to Akira Kurosawa, one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. With the huge cinematic influences in the game, many will wonder which are the best samurai films to watch once they have finished the game.
These 10 samurai films will not only make fans familiar with cinematic classics but will also give insight into some of the inspiration behind Ghost of Tsushima...
10. Ran (1985)
While Ghost of Tsushima named its black and white cinema mode "Kurosawa Mode", the director actually made a number of colour-filled features. Ran is an example of the director's international appeal and is an action drama that addresses family through an epic tale. This film proved to be the last epic made by Kurosawa, but it is one of his best.
It was perhaps one of Kurosawa's most painstaking projects, as the director painted each shot over ten years before filming commenced and it seems this planning was worthwhile.
The film is visually rich and uses a tried and tested story which is inspired by Shakespeare's King Lear. As a result, the film was nominated for four Academy Awards upon release and it is an essential watch for fans of the director. The acclaimed title is a masterpiece and is one of Kurosawa's highest regarded works.
While this feature is in colour, fans may notice that Sucker Punch has taken elements from this film in order to develop a vibrant visual palette. The fantastic colorwork of Kurosawa may not be reflected in the mode that is named after him, but the vast array of colours the director imbued into his later works is sure to have made an impact on Tsushima.