The Hidden Fortress
Japanese cinema reached its zenith with films from director Akira Kurosawa including "Rashomon", "Ikiru", "Seven Samurai", "Throne of Blood", and "The Hidden Fortress". Other distinguished Japanese directors of the period were Yasujirō Ozu whose masterpiece "Tokyo Story" was released in 1953 and Kenji Mizoguchi whose 1954 "Sansho the Bailiff" was one of his most highly revered films. The films of Japan were also influenced by and influential on American cinema.