A retelling of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy King Lear against a samurai backdrop. Lord Hidetora is a warlord who transfers his kingdom to his eldest son. A power struggle ensues, incited by how two disinherited younger sons.

Is Kurosawa the greatest director ever? We’d be hard-pressed to argue. Some may prefer his earlier classics like Rashômon and Seven Samurai, but we adore this majestic epic, which re-purposes Shakespeare into an awesome feudal saga of tremendous spectacle, unforgettable in sight and sound.