The Akira Kurosawa Thread

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by ando here, Mar 23, 2019.

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  1. stepeanut

    stepeanut The gloves are off

    I’m not the biggest fan of Kurosawa (I prefer the work of several other Japanese directors over his). However, I would spring for a comprehensive BD box set along the lines of Criterion’s recent Ingmar Bergman’s Cinema, as I’m more interested in his early, non-samurai films.

    Slightly surprised that no one has yet mentioned Ikiru as a personal favourite; it’s a lovely film.
     
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  2. stepeanut

    stepeanut The gloves are off

    You’re unlikely to find a BFI DVD set, even an older one, in a dollar store (or U.K. equivalent, Poundland), but I wish you luck.

    Here’s another “dubious” release from them that you might enjoy:

    [​IMG]
     
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  3. ando here

    ando here Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    North Pole
    Thanks. Man, gangster films. I will say Kurosawa superceded the genre early with Drunken Angel. It's really more of a reluctant buddy film (doctor/young thug) than typical yakuza film, certainly. The drawback - and it's more obvious with this film because the script is fairly threadbare - is the lack of a female voice for balance, or alternative take.
    [​IMG]
    Its strange lack of reflection - in the writing and narrative - make it a dry run. (Shimura's female assistant, although smart and compassionate, hardly has any influence in the lives or fate of either character). Perhaps with this film it was a deliberate ploy. But K finds far more balance with later projects although his perspective is almost always centered around the male as primary protagonist.
     
    Last edited: Mar 24, 2019
  4. stepeanut

    stepeanut The gloves are off

    That is one of the major weaknesses in his oeuvre, for me, and one of the elements that elevates the works of Mizoguchi and Naruse over Kurosawa. But we’ve been down this road before, and I’d rather say something positive about Kurosawa, so I’ll just point out that No Regrets for Our Youth is a fine, female-centric film, starring the great Setsuko Hara, best known for her work with that other Japanese master Yasujirō Ozu.
     
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  5. ando here

    ando here Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
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    Road? No, that was just an observation about the tone of Drunken Angel. Yes, I've seen No Regrets, which is not what I would consider a completely Kurosawa film. I've always felt it lacked a compelling conflict and/or any intriguing dynamism. It's essentially a glorified propaganda film. U.S. forces still occupied Japan and apparent pacifist themed material got through the censors. Wasn't the lead actress his wife at some point?

    Drunken Angel is also a criticism of the corrosion of Japanese life under The Western Influence. From the radioactive sludge in the center of town to the boogie-woogie big band music (a female Japanese entertainer doing her best and somewhat embarrassing Cab Calloway impression) to the corrupted young Mifune character, Kurosawa illustrates the poisoning influence of America, specifically, though not overtly. (I think he goes a bit far in the bar scene with the rude, black G.I.) The onus, however, is mostly on the Japanese populace, especially the youth, who had apparently been the most susceptible and misled. The analogy of the old drunken doctor (angel) and his corrupted younger patient paints the picture without K having to spell it out.
     
    Last edited: Mar 24, 2019
  6. stepeanut

    stepeanut The gloves are off

    In other threads on Japanese cinema.

    Setsuko Hara famously never married.
     
  7. ando here

    ando here Forum Resident Thread Starter

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    Ah, I'm thinking of The Most Beautiful. That featured his wife, Yōko Yaguchi.

    Despite the analogy, the emphasis on male virility (or lack thereof) and cultural criticism K makes Drunken Angel a fascinating watch. How exactly he does that is not easy to identify but it's certainly what sets him apart from filmmakers who tackle similar material/themes yet are not nearly as compelling.
     
    Last edited: Mar 24, 2019
  8. The Hud

    The Hud Breath of the Kingdom, Tears of the Wild

    Better picture quality and sound.
     
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  9. ruben lopez

    ruben lopez Nunc Est Bibendum

    Location:
    Barcelona Spain
    Big Kurosawa fan here,High And Low and The Bad Sleep Well are probable my favs,but in color Ran and Kagemusa are so beautifully shot.
    From the Sakespeare adaptations probably throne Of Blood is the best for me.
    He did so many good ones!
     
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  10. jawaka1000

    jawaka1000 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Netherlands
    You are right.
    [​IMG]
     
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  11. jawaka1000

    jawaka1000 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Netherlands
    There is one film I saw as a kid that made a huge impression on me and for 20 years I had no clue which film it was .
    Then when I started buying all Kurosawa's movies on dvd I suddenly realised which film it was.

    Dersu Uzala.
    [​IMG]

    Dersu Uzala (1975) - IMDb
     
  12. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Yeah I was impressed when I seen this when it came out. Lovely color.
     
  13. ando here

    ando here Forum Resident Thread Starter

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    Thanks. This is one I haven't seen. Ordering a copy now.

     
  14. ruben lopez

    ruben lopez Nunc Est Bibendum

    Location:
    Barcelona Spain
    How could i forget Derzu Uzala!!:doh:
     
  15. Claus LH

    Claus LH Forum Resident

    No one likes "AK's Dreams"? I do. Sumptuous, reflective, not necessarily his greatest, but in its own way a beautiful collection of moods and moments.
     
  16. Dillydipper

    Dillydipper Space-Age luddite

    Location:
    Central PA
    Yes, I'm more of a Kagemusha/Ran/Dreams kind of guy myself...at that point in college, I was focusing more on how the Japanese do magic with color, and the way they were putting composition into the forefront better than a lot of national scopes of cinematography, in a way Hollywood never dared. Not saying there isn't something to appreciate every era of Kurosawa's run, just that it was a point of particular fascination for me.

    Especially as I was putting more scrutiny into comics in those "pre-graphic-novel" days, and how manga shared that aesthetic with their film directors. We may have "invented" comix, but for my generation, Marvel had "taught us to forget" a lot that the rest of the world was still respectful of.
     
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  17. stepeanut

    stepeanut The gloves are off

    Yeah, I like it well enough.
     
  18. ando here

    ando here Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    North Pole
    [​IMG]
    Strange, but I've always looked past K's 1960 film, Scandal - until tonight. One salient point about a thread like this is how it can persuade a reconsideration of unheralded releases. As no one has mentioned it yet I'll assume it's an overlooked film among the SHF crowd as well. :) So, if you've got an hour or two...
     
  19. stepeanut

    stepeanut The gloves are off

    I own the MoC DVD of Scandal, and, again, really enjoyed the film on my one viewing, several years ago now. I will revisit it at some point, but, as always, I have a growing unwatched pile to work through.

    [​IMG]
     
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  20. ando here

    ando here Forum Resident Thread Starter

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    That's promising. I've enjoyed watching Mifune in his non-samurai roles. He admitted that his best work was with Kurosawa. Looking forward to this one.
     
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  21. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Hell In The Pacific.
     
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  22. stepeanut

    stepeanut The gloves are off

    1950, btw, not 1960.
     
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  23. ando here

    ando here Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
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    Thanks. Typo, of course. Mifune was no longer slick by '60. :D
     
    Last edited: Mar 25, 2019
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  24. daniel peterson

    daniel peterson Forum Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Guys, thank you for this thread. I have not yet watched any of Kurosawa's films. Which one would you recommend for the beginning of the journey through the realm of Japanese cinematography?
     
  25. ando here

    ando here Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
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    If you have access to a decent film library that has titles prior to 1960 browse through their Japanese offerings and pick a title that appeals to you. As far as Kurosawa films go I'll recommend Rashomon (1950), mostly because it's the one that introduced me to Japanese cinema and remains as fascinating now as the first time I viewed it. :)
     
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