For more than 50 years from 1910 when mass production of films started in Japan,
nearly half of the 300-odd films produced annually had feudal themes where the
protagonists were either samurai or gangsters (yakuza), who had a samurai-like
code of conduct. Such films were called jidaigeki (period films). Feudal themes
being filmed in such large numbers over such a long period is something that has
no parallel anywhere in the world.
Such themes, which could be said to belong to the genre of action or stunt films
loved by audiences the world over, also reflected the Japanese desire to identify
with the samurai. The positive impact of these films was to lift the morale and the
self-respect of the Japanese, but at the same time they definitely led to the growth
of a militant spirit in the country.
Kurosawa made his directorial debut in 1943 with Sanshiro Sugata, just before
the Japanese collapse. It is the story of a judo expert who was inspired by the
samurai spirit at a time when the samurai class had ceased to exist. The scene
where the protagonist knocks down an American boxer was seen as symbolizing
the victory of the Japanese samurai spirit against western aggressiveness. The film
was a runaway hit so a second part was also made.