Learning through Film - Japan

In the interest of right brain/left brain balance, today is film day.

Here, in no particular order, are 5 Japanese films that will give you a better insight to Japanese culture.

1. Seven Samurai - Perhaps the greatest film ever made. I'm not claiming it's the 'best' (a futile discussion if ever there was one), but it sure is great.
   There is no question that you're in the hands of a master filmmaker here (Kurosawa, of course), but that doesn't stop it from being Fun with a capital 'F'. An added bonus is the commentary track that explains many cultural points in the movie.
2. Audition - Horror doesn't come any more horrific than in this Miike Takashi spectacle. One of those 'only from Japan' films, this isn't a cheesy slasher film. This is the horror of everyday life.
3. After Life - Is about the after life... It's funny, with interesting characters and a unique view of what happens 'on the other side'.
4. Bounce Ko Gals - This movie about high school girls who engage in 'compensated dating' with business men could have been cheap and tasteless, but it isn't. It's a peek 'behind the curtain' of a phenomenon that you know is there, but you'll never see.
5. Princess Mononoke - I could have flipped a coin to choose between this and three other Miyazaki films. All have their charms, but this is my personal favorite.

I could name a dozen more, but I won't. At least not today...