In this profusely illustrated study (featuring many rare enlargements from the frame), Alain Silver traces the history of the samurai from his earliest, semimythical origins to his later, more formalised position in Japanese feudal society. The complex ethical codes of the time - which frequently shroud the samurai in even greater mystery for the nonspecialist viewer - are explained in clear, approachable terms, as well as the finer (but no less significant) points of dress, swordplay, and fighting ritual.
Most importantly, the author shows that the term "samurai" embraces a host of different warriors, often driven as much by thought of personal gain as by any high-flown concepts of honor - an aspect morrored in the equally varied films which have dealt with the phenomenon. These latter range from the often sardonic works of Kurosawa (Yojimbo, Sanjuro, with Toshiro Mifune), through the more contemplative essays of Kenji Mizoguchi or Daisuke Ito, to the violent pictures of Masaki Kobayashi (Hara-Kiri) and Hideo Gosha (Goyokin) - even the escapist serials featuring the blind masseur Zato Ichi and the female fighter Crimson Bat.
Here, indeed, in one volume, is a mine of information for anyone remotely interested in the Japanese Samurai Film, with valuable and extensive filmographies plus a glossary of all Japanese terms the reader is likely to encounter. At a single stroke Alain Silver provides all the essential keys for unlocking the mysteries of one of the cinema's most exciting genres.

Format: 25,5 x 17 cm, 242 pages, hardcover. With many black-and-white photos.
Year of publication: 1977
Condition: Book jacket torn and with signs of wear. Otherwise a good copy.