formal combat

His samurai films like *Sanjuro* and *Harakiri* dissect formal combat through ritualized duels that explore honor, mortality, and the philosophy of violence.

He choreographed formal combat into balletic action sequences in films like *Hard Boiled* and *The Killer*, treating gunfights as structured artistic performances.

His films like *Ashes of Time* present formal martial combat as aestheticized, melancholic rituals that prioritize style and emotional resonance over mere action.