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Masaki Kobayashi

Japanese film director (1916–1996)

9.20body-of-work score · ranked #99 of 2631 directors · 12 films in our library

A director's score is the sum of their films' composite canon scores — methodology.

Born
February 14, 1916 · Otaru
Died
October 4, 1996 · Tokyo
Nationality
Japan, Empire of Japan
Work
film director, film producer, writer, screenwriter
Reference
Wikipedia · Wikidata
Portrait of Masaki Kobayashi
新潮社 撮影者不明 · Public domain

Films in our library, ranked

Ranked by composite canon score across 20+ authoritative lists, awards and polls — our ordering, with every placement citing its evidence on the film's page.

  1. 1
    Harakiri切腹Must-See #286

    1962 · Japan · action, drama

    Letterboxd Top 250 #1 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (Japanese) 1962 #3 · Criterion Collection spine #302

    2.294 citations
  2. 2
    The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer人間の條件 完結篇

    1961 · Japan · war

    Letterboxd Top 250 #2 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (Japanese) 1961 #4

    1.382 citations
  3. 3
    Samurai Rebellion上意討ち 拝領妻始末

    1967 · Japan · drama

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (Japanese) 1967 #1 · Criterion Collection spine #310 · Roger Ebert's Great Movies

    1.293 citations
  4. 4
    Kwaidan怪談

    1964 · Japan · horror, fantasy

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (Japanese) 1964 #2 · Letterboxd Top 250 #243 · Criterion Collection spine #90

    0.983 citations
  5. 5
    Carmen Comes Homeカルメン故郷に帰る

    1951 · Japan · musical

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (Japanese) 1951 #4 · Kurosawa's 100 favorite films

    0.612 citations
  6. 6
    The Human Condition I: No Greater Love純愛変

    1959 · Japan · war

    Letterboxd Top 250 #9

    0.451 citation
  7. 7
    The Fossil化石

    1975 · Japan · drama

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (Japanese) 1975 #4

    0.431 citation
  8. 8
    Tokyo Trial東京裁判

    1983 · Japan · war

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (Japanese) 1983 #4

    0.431 citation
  9. 9
    Inn of Evilいのちぼうにふろう

    1971 · Japan · drama

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (Japanese) 1971 #5

    0.391 citation
  10. 10
    Hymn to a Tired Man日本の青春

    1968 · Japan · drama

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (Japanese) 1968 #7

    0.331 citation
  11. 11
    The Human Condition II: Road to Eternity人間の條件

    1959 · Japan · war

    Letterboxd Top 250 #23

    0.331 citation
  12. 12
    I Will Buy Youあなた買います

    1956 · Japan · drama

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (Japanese) 1956 #10

    0.291 citation

Complete filmography

All 22 directorial credits recorded on Wikidata, in chronological order; films in our library link to their canon-score page.