The difference between Western and Eastern samurai movies is exemplified best by Zatoichi. Written by, directed by, and starring cult hero Takeshi Kitano, the film continues the story of the legendary Japanese hero: a blind man, wandering the country, getting entangled in the fights of others.
It is the style in which the story is told that is most interesting. For instance, various scenes are scattered through the film which have absolutely no bearing on the plot. That just doesn’t happen in western films; every line of dialogue is usually spent building plot.
The sword fights are also very telling, generally consisting of a single well-placed blow per opponent, rather than the extended sword play found in western films. And it’s certainly an improvement, the action focussing the plot, rather than distracting from it.
Zatoichi is certainly a strange film, after having been force fed so many generic action films, but nothing short of excellent.