FBG Movie Club - DotM: Akira Kurosawa (1 Viewer)

[KarmaPolice]

Month 1 Steven Spielberg
Month 2 Billy Wilder
Month 3 Martin Scorsese
Month 4 Denis Villeneuve
Month 5 George Miller
Month 6 Richard Linklater
Month 7 Ridley Scott
Month 8 Kelly Reichardt


I thought I knew where I was going with my DotM pick, but pivoted in the last month or so after discussions, but I was sure I wanted to try a foreign language director. I thought it was interesting that 80s and I both had the same lean in our picks in that they aren't favorites of ours and more directors that we wanted to explore more. I think I've said as much before, but for me part of that is that I know where many of my favorites operate in are the dark, depressing, contentious areas of movies. I'm not sure I want to spend a month defending my love of PTA, Bergman, Kubrick, Malick, or Aronofsky types of directors. Plus a few of those I have been enjoying slowly digging deeper on my own. As I posted in the other thread, 5 of my first 6 years were spent abroad because my dad was in the Air Force. I was born in Louisiana, then a year later he got stationed in Japan for 5 years. Not that I remember much from that time, but I've always been drawn to that region, along with the people, history, and culture. Who I thought I was going to land on for months were Ozu or Kore-eda, but I pivoted off those last month. Neither seem to have movies widely available, and I couldn't find a book that looked interesting on either. I had read a little into Miyazaki as well and thought about him for bit, but that didn't stick. So we will be going with the more "obvious" starting point but still a director I have seen shockingly few movies of. Part of the reason for my lack of writing last month was that I was reading his book titled Something Like an Autobiography. I am also slowly going through a huge book about him and his main acting collaborator titled The Emperor and the Wolf. For your consideration....

Month 9: Akira Kurosawa


Categories: Others around here are way more knowledgeable about him than I am and they might be able to suggest a way to split or watch some of his movies. Is suggesting watching a samurai and non-samurai movie too reductive?

Influences: Here was another huge reason why I went that way. I figured if there were people who didn't want to do foreign language, Kurosawa gave a huge pool of other movies to watch that would still add to the conversations.

THIS is a list of his favorite movies. 100 of them to choose from and 100 different directors. The American movies with nods to Kurosawa are plentiful, and people could watch any number of other Japanese directors and see influences as well.

 

[krista4]

Well crap. I've been horrible at participating here, but this is my favorite director of all time, so I need to step up my game. Maybe if I ever get settled with my move...

 

[krista4]

Is suggesting watching a samurai and non-samurai movie too reductive?

Yes.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Well crap. I've been horrible at participating here, but this is my favorite director of all time, so I need to step up my game. Maybe if I ever get settled with my move...

LOL. I was going to @ you but didn't want to be too pushy.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Is suggesting watching a samurai and non-samurai movie too reductive?

Yes.

I figured as much, which is why I think we've gotten away from that portion of the post the last few months. We will probably just drop that part, especially since we tend to lean to directors we aren't overly familiar with.

 

[KarmaPolice]

If my memory is correct he directed 31 movies? Regardless, I have seen 6: his debut, Rashomon, Ikiru, Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, and Ran.

Highest on my list to get to this month are: High and Low, The Bad Sleep Well, Drunken Angel, and Throne of Blood. I am open to any and all suggestions if there should be a different focus from those more versed in his movies.

 

[krista4]

If my memory is correct he directed 31 movies? Regardless, I have seen 6: his debut, Rashomon, Ikiru, Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, and Ran.

Highest on my list to get to this month are: High and Low, The Bad Sleep Well, Drunken Angel, and Throne of Blood. I am open to any and all suggestions if there should be a different focus from those more versed in his movies.

Other than High and Low, I think you've actually seen all my favorites already. On your "to-see" list, High and Low and Throne of Blood are the must-sees. I'd also add Kagemusha, Stray Dog, Sanjuro and The Hidden Fortress, not necessarily in that order. But really there is no way to go wrong, and between your already-seen list and your to-do list you're covering so much amazing stuff!

 

[Long Ball Larry]

I’m not done with my reichardt takes yet!!

 

[KarmaPolice]

I’m not done with my reichardt takes yet!!

Lol. Keep bringing them! People are still bumping older DotMs.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Since I missed the boat on Showing Up, I went searching for what might be a bridge movie to ramp up for September. What I landed on last night was:

Snow Trail (1947)

I was just going off title and description. It was surprisingly good (I had 0 expectations). It did loosely tie in some ways - aspect ratio, slow pace, beautiful shots of the environment. I was laughing a bit though, and that's something I don't remember doing during any Reichardt watches. It also had bits of action and a fantastic looking avalanche scene, so there was that too. The downfall was the version of the movie was quite choppy. For once I don't think it was my internet, it seemed more like the film was a bit obscure and damaged, so that is the version to stream too.

I will repost this in here. I had landed on this first because I saw it was Japanese subtitled and I thought the title sounded like a Reichardt movie. That was it. Then I read that it was Mifune's first movie, so that was a no brainer. I start the movie and saw Kurosawa's name listed as a writer of the movie and started laughing. I made the right choice this month, and I was really excited to start watching some and talking after reading his autobiography. He has such an interesting view on life and movies after growing up in the time and country he did. I wanted to watch and rewatch a few movies with that in mind. I also posted that I was a little bit into the biography of Kurosawa/Mifune and their relationship and collaborations. Lastly (plug your ears, Larry), Criterion Channel has both a collection of Kurosawa directed movies, and starring Mifune so selfishly I had a one stop shop for the month. I watched the intro to the Mifune short and there was some great info there and things to look for in Mifune's physicality and weird tics he brought to roles.

 

[KarmaPolice]

If my memory is correct he directed 31 movies? Regardless, I have seen 6: his debut, Rashomon, Ikiru, Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, and Ran.

Highest on my list to get to this month are: High and Low, The Bad Sleep Well, Drunken Angel, and Throne of Blood. I am open to any and all suggestions if there should be a different focus from those more versed in his movies.

Other than High and Low, I think you've actually seen all my favorites already. On your "to-see" list, High and Low and Throne of Blood are the must-sees. I'd also add Kagemusha, Stray Dog, Sanjuro and The Hidden Fortress, not necessarily in that order. But really there is no way to go wrong, and between your already-seen list and your to-do list you're covering so much amazing stuff!

So far my favorite has been Ikiru. I've had an f-d up month - cat dying, wife's aunt dying after her chemo meds actually worked, to my son totaling his car a couple nights ago and walking away with a scratch. This is a movie that I had been really thinking about leading up the month and wanting to rewatch. Now I want to even more. I was talking to 80s a bit ago and this is one that he said he hadn't seen. I hope he gets a chance to get to it this month. Another movie I fell in love with very recently was After Life by Kore-eda. That movie was the main reason I been heavily leaning toward doing him as my director with my suggested pairings being Ozu or Ikiru with it. I've seen a couple other Kore-eda movies since then and thought those were great as well.

That is my suggested double feature of the month. When I just looked it showed Ikiru on Max and Kanopy and After Life just on Criterion. But it's the turn of the month and I've seen that pop up on Kanopy with several other of his movies. Maybe the library or eephus can do some youtube voodoo? I hoped it was more accessible. I can't vouch for the Bill Nighy remake of Ikiru. I think I saw that on Netflix.

 

[Ilov80s]

Categories: Others around here are way more knowledgeable about him than I am and they might be able to suggest a way to split or watch some of his movies. Is suggesting watching a samurai and non-samurai movie too reductive?

He is famous for his samurai movies but I definitely encourage people to check out his non-samurai movies. High and Low might actually be his best movie period and it's about a the kidnapping of a business tycoon's son. He also has some really good Shakespeare adaptations where he takes a lot of liberty with the setting.

Throne of Blood is Macbeth. The Bad Sleep Well is Hamlet. Ran is King Lear.

Influences: Here was another huge reason why I went that way. I figured if there were people who didn't want to do foreign language, Kurosawa gave a huge pool of other movies to watch that would still add to the conversations.

I feel like 75% of the directors we've already done have at least said Seven Samurai was a massive influence on them.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Categories: Others around here are way more knowledgeable about him than I am and they might be able to suggest a way to split or watch some of his movies. Is suggesting watching a samurai and non-samurai movie too reductive?

He is famous for his samurai movies but I definitely encourage people to check out his non-samurai movies. High and Low might actually be his best movie period and it's about a the kidnapping of a business tycoon's son. He also has some really good Shakespeare adaptations where he takes a lot of liberty with the setting.

Throne of Blood is Macbeth. The Bad Sleep Well is Hamlet. Ran is King Lear.

Influences: Here was another huge reason why I went that way. I figured if there were people who didn't want to do foreign language, Kurosawa gave a huge pool of other movies to watch that would still add to the conversations.

I feel like 75% of the directors we've already done have at least said Seven Samurai was a massive influence on them.

High and Low is where I started last night. I am at the hour mark where the tone shifts after the scene on the train. I am loving it so far and can't wait to get back to it, I just needed to get to sleep for work today. I have many thoughts so far, but will wait until the movie is done.

Agree on Samurai and it's mentions and influences. It would be rare (Reichardt?) to see a director that doesn't list one of his movies as a favorite or an influence. I was reading something from Bergman that said one of his was a poor rip off of a Kurosawa (I think it was Virgin Spring?).

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Hidden Fortress was a big influence on George Lucas' crafting of A New Hope. Almost to the point of plagiarism.

 

[KarmaPolice]

I just saw that the 4k Criterion of Seven Samurai is coming out November 12th. Just in time for Christmas and/or 50% sale.

 

[KarmaPolice]

High and Low (1963)

I think I've said before that part of my struggle at the start of the month when I post is how I can and should talk about the movies. My general thoughts is that I watched one of the best movies I've seen in awhile and the DotM for September is well worth it even if I didn't watch another movie or don't like any others I watch this month (which I highly doubt will be the case). It's a sometimes jarring mix of tense kidnapping movie and part detailed police procedure. It does feel like 2 movies, but throughout it's runtime it is always fantastically directed and acted. Most importantly, it's smart - which adds to the tension.

Something that really stood out to me is the choices Kurosawa made in the 2 1/2s of the movie. The first part is largely in a confined space, but it is shot in such a way that it feels big and expansive. For a modern example, think Hateful Eight. On the flip side, when they are out in the city in the second half the shots are close and claustrophobic all while the camera is moving more.

Long story short, fantastic movie and a great start to the month. I think I will talk more specifically about plot or shots toward the end of the month to give anybody else watching it for the first time to come in as fresh as I did. It jumped up to the top of the list of movies to buy for my DotM purchase or for Christmas ideas.

The rest of the this week my plan is to drop back to the 40s and watch Drunken Angel and Stray Dog leading to a rewatch of Rashomon. Then I think a mini run of a group like Seven Samurai, Throne of Blood, Yojimbo/Sanjuro, and The Hidden Fortress sounds fun mixed in with some American remakes of some of these titles.

 

[Eephus]

That is my suggested double feature of the month. When I just looked it showed Ikiru on Max and Kanopy and After Life just on Criterion. But it's the turn of the month and I've seen that pop up on Kanopy with several other of his movies. Maybe the library or eephus can do some youtube voodoo? I hoped it was more accessible. I can't vouch for the Bill Nighy remake of Ikiru. I think I saw that on Netflix.

I found an English subtitled print of After Life on a rather dubious streaming site that I admit I've used before without apparent issues

 

[Don Quixote]

Long story short, fantastic movie and a great start to the month. I think I will talk more specifically about plot or shots toward the end of the month to give anybody else watching it for the first time to come in as fresh as I did. It jumped up to the top of the list of movies to buy for my DotM purchase or for Christmas ideas.

I’ve got the Criterion of “High and Low”. It is a great film and some good features — but I also feel like one that is probably due for a refresh, as just in HD. I finally broke down on their Seven Samurai last year and now wish just waited.

 

[Eephus]

Steven Soderbergh's Full Circle (2023) was an interesting variation on the basic premise of High and Low. It's been a few years since I've seen High and Low but I'm pretty sure it didn't involve voodoo and a celebrity chef.

It's a six episode Max series with no aspirations of a second season. There are a lot of characters with intersecting elliptical storylines but that was stated right there in the title so I shouldn't complain. I liked it but I'm a big Soderbergh honk so don't take my word for it.

 

[Long Ball Larry]

I watched Sanshiro Sugata, which I found on Plex. Unfortunately, it was not dubbed nor did it have subtitles so, I barely know what was what.

Some things were hard to tell if they were intentional or just the degradation of the film. There were times when there was no sound and I can’t really determine any reason why it wouldn’t be there.

 

[Eephus]

I watched Sanshiro Sugata, which I found on Plex. Unfortunately, it was not dubbed nor did it have subtitles so, I barely know what was what.

Some things were hard to tell if they were intentional or just the degradation of the film. There were times when there was no sound and I can’t really determine any reason why it wouldn’t be there.

There are decent subtitled prints of both parts on archive.org.

 

[Eephus]

Yojimbo (1961)

I intended to focus on Kurosawa's style and technique but got sucked into the story and characters and forgot my original mission. Yojimbo is a wonderfully entertaining movie full of twists and humor which would make it a very accessible starting point for viewers unfamiliar with the director.

The plot should be familiar to anyone who's seen A Fistful of Dollars: a nameless samurai inserts himself in the middle of a conflict between warring factions. It's set in the 19th century during the late Tokugawa shogunate so the timeframe is also contemporary with a lot of American Westerns. It was the first film to feature both of Kurosawa's favorite leading men: Toshiro Mifune and Tatsuya Nakadai. It's fun to watch Mifune's character stay one step ahead of his rivals. Nakadai is also strong in a more one-dimensional role. The supporting cast of comic and occasionally grotesque yakuza and villagers add color to the film.

The story has been remade several times which gives me a few tangents to pursue later in the month.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

I didn't know what it is but I've seen several AK movies, some of them twice but I never remember them for very long afterwards.

Rashomon, Ran, Kagemusha, Yojimbo, Hidden Fortress... And I think one or two more.

 

[Eephus]

Django (1966)

Sergio Corbucci's spaghetti western is an uncredited adaptation of Yojimbo although the similarities aren't obvious if you're not looking for them. Django like Sanjuro is an outsider whose appearance escalates tensions between rival gangs, in this case Mexican revolutionaries and CSA Red Shirts. Corbucci also pays homage to the coffins and superior weaponry from Yojimbo and he's not subtle about it.

Spaghetti westerns owe as much to exploitation films as they do to westerns or samurai stories. Django doesn't disappoint in this regard with lurid violence, a body count of 180 and lots of prostitutes. Corbucci does a nice job with the action scenes; a bar fight shot partially from a first person perspective is a standout. The dialog scenes are nothing special and the poor dub I watched didn't help.

I'm not going out on a limb when I say Yojimbo is the superior film but I appreciate Django's commitment to entertaining the audience.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Yojimbo (1961)

I intended to focus on Kurosawa's style and technique but got sucked into the story and characters and forgot my original mission. Yojimbo is a wonderfully entertaining movie full of twists and humor which would make it a very accessible starting point for viewers unfamiliar with the director.

The plot should be familiar to anyone who's seen A Fistful of Dollars: a nameless samurai inserts himself in the middle of a conflict between warring factions. It's set in the 19th century during the late Tokugawa shogunate so the timeframe is also contemporary with a lot of American Westerns. It was the first film to feature both of Kurosawa's favorite leading men: Toshiro Mifune and Tatsuya Nakadai. It's fun to watch Mifune's character stay one step ahead of his rivals. Nakadai is also strong in a more one-dimensional role. The supporting cast of comic and occasionally grotesque yakuza and villagers add color to the film.

The story has been remade several times which gives me a few tangents to pursue later in the month.

Had you seen this one before?

 

[KarmaPolice]

I agree Yojimbo would be a great entry point for somebody new to Kurosawa. Many of his movies approach that 3hr mark or go past it, and that can be a bit much to tackle from the start. Drunken Angel, Yojimbo, and Rashomon would give people 3 great, short movies to dip their toes in.

 

[Eephus]

Yojimbo (1961)

I intended to focus on Kurosawa's style and technique but got sucked into the story and characters and forgot my original mission. Yojimbo is a wonderfully entertaining movie full of twists and humor which would make it a very accessible starting point for viewers unfamiliar with the director.

The plot should be familiar to anyone who's seen A Fistful of Dollars: a nameless samurai inserts himself in the middle of a conflict between warring factions. It's set in the 19th century during the late Tokugawa shogunate so the timeframe is also contemporary with a lot of American Westerns. It was the first film to feature both of Kurosawa's favorite leading men: Toshiro Mifune and Tatsuya Nakadai. It's fun to watch Mifune's character stay one step ahead of his rivals. Nakadai is also strong in a more one-dimensional role. The supporting cast of comic and occasionally grotesque yakuza and villagers add color to the film.

The story has been remade several times which gives me a few tangents to pursue later in the month.

Had you seen this one before?

Not as I recall but a lot of spaghetti westerns are blended together in my memory.

 

[Long Ball Larry]

I was struggling with Seven Samurai, so I got the dvd of Stray Dog (1949). This kind of film noir is more my speed. I will say that it is a little hard to read the subtitles and fully grasp the visuals of the film. Interestingly, a missing gun is central to the plot of the film, just like river of grass.

The thing that most stood out to me was the way that Kurosawa framed shots with 3 people, usually the 2 detectives and a suspect. I had a hard time discerning any actual meaning to the way they were shot, but in one scene, he has a female suspect sitting down in the front of the frame, the older detective a little further back sitting down, and the young detective standing in the back. It is a super tight shot. Later, he has a person of interest on the right, the older detective in the middle walking back and forth, and the young detective standing on the left. There was at least one other shot like this, which I am forgetting now. Really interesting visual creations on the screen. Another interesting thing was having the main bad guy running toward the camera and flailing for his gun (well, the gun).

Also, he has a big fight in the middle of a vast lush field, just like Sanshiro sugata and several shots of the sky and flowers.

I started high and low before football and will continue with it this week. So far, it seems to me like Kurosawa was really interested in what could be shown by the camera within one shot without cutting. I know he is known for his extensive storyboarding.

 

[Long Ball Larry]

I can’t remember what it was now, but there were certain things in the movie that reminded me of the sopranos. I’ve watch some eps of that this week because HBO has been running the whole series leading up to the wise guy documentary, so maybe I am just making it up, but if I can remember, you will be the first to know…

 

[Eephus]

I was struggling with Seven Samurai, so I got the dvd of Stray Dog (1949). This kind of film noir is more my speed. I will say that it is a little hard to read the subtitles and fully grasp the visuals of the film. Interestingly, a missing gun is central to the plot of the film, just like river of grass.

The thing that most stood out to me was the way that Kurosawa framed shots with 3 people, usually the 2 detectives and a suspect. I had a hard time discerning any actual meaning to the way they were shot, but in one scene, he has a female suspect sitting down in the front of the frame, the older detective a little further back sitting down, and the young detective standing in the back. It is a super tight shot. Later, he has a person of interest on the right, the older detective in the middle walking back and forth, and the young detective standing on the left. There was at least one other shot like this, which I am forgetting now. Really interesting visual creations on the screen. Another interesting thing was having the main bad guy running toward the camera and flailing for his gun (well, the gun).

Also, he has a big fight in the middle of a vast lush field, just like Sanshiro sugata and several shots of the sky and flowers.

I started high and low before football and will continue with it this week. So far, it seems to me like Kurosawa was really interested in what could be shown by the camera within one shot without cutting. I know he is known for his extensive storyboarding.

I noticed his framing in Yojimbo, particularly how he combined composition and camera movement. There were some great long lens shots of Sanjuro running while the camera panned that I also vaguely remember from Seven Samurai.

Kurosawa is part of a generation of filmmakers who had to alter how they saw the image as the industry moved to widescreen. His first Tohoscope picture was The Hidden Fortress (1958); he seemed completely comfortable with the widescreen frame by the time he made Yojimbo, his third picture for the studio.

 

[Eephus]

Last Man Standing (1996)

One more Yojimbo adaptation before moving on. This one credits Kurosawa and Ryuzo Kukishima's original script and follows the story and characters much more closely than Django did. Director/writer Walter Hill signed onto the project under the condition that the remake wouldn't be a western. He updated the story to the prohibition era and shot it in a film noir style but it still resembles a western thanks to its desolate border town locale.

Bruce Willis stars as the Sanjuro character. His performance is restrained but he's still kind of a wise guy especially in his narration which hints at a depth that isn't as evident in his on-screen actions. Some of the narration is necessary because the plot is a bit muddled even for someone like me who's watched the same story twice in recent days. This may be a result of Hill having to trim 20 minutes from the final cut. Bruce Dern plays the corrupt local sheriff and has to perform an expository function a couple of times to tell the other characters what is happening. Christopher Walken appears halfway through as a machine gun toting Unosuke character. His backstory includes his throat being slit so he speaks in a raspy whisper which causes his scenes with Willis to resemble an ASMR video. The other gangster characters are given little to work with and the Irish and Italian gangs aren't as sharply delineated as in the other versions of the story.

I'm a big Walter Hill fan but I was disappointed by this film. Kurosawa is one of his cinematic idols but I think his reverence may have worked against him. Hill's version strips the life and humor from the original leaving only darkness and violence.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Last Man Standing (1996)

One more Yojimbo adaptation before moving on. This one credits Kurosawa and Ryuzo Kukishima's original script and follows the story and characters much more closely than Django did. Director/writer Walter Hill signed onto the project under the condition that the remake wouldn't be a western. He updated the story to the prohibition era and shot it in a film noir style but it still resembles a western thanks to its desolate border town locale.

Bruce Willis stars as the Sanjuro character. His performance is restrained but he's still kind of a wise guy especially in his narration which hints at a depth that isn't as evident in his on-screen actions. Some of the narration is necessary because the plot is a bit muddled even for someone like me who's watched the same story twice in recent days. This may be a result of Hill having to trim 20 minutes from the final cut. Bruce Dern plays the corrupt local sheriff and has to perform an expository function a couple of times to tell the other characters what is happening. Christopher Walken appears halfway through as a machine gun toting Unosuke character. His backstory includes his throat being slit so he speaks in a raspy whisper which causes his scenes with Willis to resemble an ASMR video. The other gangster characters are given little to work with and the Irish and Italian gangs aren't as sharply delineated as in the other versions of the story.

I'm a big Walter Hill fan but I was disappointed by this film. Kurosawa is one of his cinematic idols but I think his reverence may have worked against him. Hill's version strips the life and humor from the original leaving only darkness and violence.

I did a first watch if Fistful of Dollars the other night and just picked this up from the library as a possibility. The other was some funny looking sci-fi joint with Rutger Hauer.

Tonight and tomorrow on my day off I wanted to pivot a bit and just watch a couple contemporary movies by Japanese directors. I have 4 that look really good, but i was going to look even deeper in a bit to see if something else jumps up.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Another reason i liked going with this region for movies this month is ii will be a great springboard for horror month coming up next. I was going to post some of my favorite Japanese horror movies toward the end of the month.

 

[Eephus]

I've never seen any films by Masaki Kobayashi so I'm going to watch one of his samurai movies next before doubling back to Kurosawa.

 

[KarmaPolice]

I've never seen any films by Masaki Kobayashi so I'm going to watch one of his samurai movies next before doubling back to Kurosawa.

Surprisingly, I have seen one. I watched Harakiri back in the video store days as I went through the foreign language section.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes and River

These two gems are on Prime and made by the same director, and as far as I can tell, the same writing and acting team. Both are very low budget movies shot on a phone, but also very smart, inventive, and funny. I keep seeing references to another movie I gush about, One Cut of the Dead, and I think it's a fair comparison as far as the look and feel of that one and it's heart and humor. These two deal with time, so very much right in my wheelhouse. In the first one a cafe owner discovers his tv shows him 2mins into the future. The second one plays as a workplace comedy as people get stuck in a 2min time loop. I had a blast with both of these and highly recommend them. Nothing really to with Kurosawa and his movies, they were just the two I landed on last night looking at modern movies.

 

[Eephus]

Harakiri (1962)

Harakiri is a samurai film directed by Masaki Kobayashi, a contemporary of Kurosawa. It tells the story of a disgraced ronin Tsugumo who enters the grounds of the rival Iyu clan and asks to be allowed to commit suicide. The screenplay was written by Shinobu Hashimoto who also wrote eight of Kurosawa's films. The plot unfolds via a pair of flashbacks, one told to Tsugumo by the Iyu leader and the other told by Tsugumo. The Iyu's story is quite traditional while Tsugumo's flashback is more anguished and melodramatic as his motivation is gradually revealed.

I'm sure I missed some cultural context but the film is critical of the Bushido code even though the characters remain bound by its principles. Harakiri is largely interior shots of the Iyu estate. Kobayashi's style is formally composed and often static but when his camera pans and zooms, there is added power because of its infrequency. The movie is heavy on dialog and light on action until it erupts at the end but it definitely held my interest throughout. It's an excellent movie that deserves to be considered along with Kurosawa's work in the pantheon of samurai films.

 

[Long Ball Larry]

I will eventually get back to seven samurai, but stray dog and high and low were definitely more my speed. I still feel like I miss a fair amount by having to read the subtitles.

High and Low logline: find someone to love you as much as Gondo loves ladies’ shoes. This actually felt like a few different movies. The first part with the power struggle for the business was somewhat different from the internal struggle that gondo goes through about whether to pay the ransom which is a lot different from the police tailing the kidnapper which is a lot different than the final meeting between gondo and the kidnapper. Felt like 4 or 5 short films that connected together. I guess there are a lot of themes that the title of the film could relate to, but I wondered at one point if it related to the camera angles, since the part where gondo and the police and his family are waiting to hear from the kidnapper feels a little like 12 angry men, which is known for how it very intentionally used camera angles to create the feeling of the room. But I didn’t totally discern that from this movie. Though it was very interesting how all the people in the room were positioned and would move and almost freeze in a position while gondo or someone else spoke or intensely thought. At times it almost felt like a whose line is it anyway game of standing, sitting, lying.

I found the final scene very interesting and actually could have done with some more direct insight on the kidnapper throughout the film. While the final scene was powerful, it didn’t totally feel like the right resolution of the arc of the movie.

 

[Eephus]

Kurosawa (2000)

This is a documentary directed by Adam Low for the PBS series Great Performances a couple of years after Kurosawa's death. It's a decent survey of the great man's life with archival footage and excerpts from his autobiography (oddly voiced by English actor Paul Scofield). It seemed geared for American audiences with a segment on The Magnificent Seven and A Fistful of Dollars, as well as too much on his abortive co-production of Tora, Tora, Tora.

I learned more about Kurosawa especially in the context of 20th century Japanese history than I did about him as an artist. I thought it was a little short on scenes from his masterpieces to illustrate why he is so revered as a filmmaker and the interviews with Kurosawa himself didn't tell any secrets about his style and technique. The filmmakers reunited cast and crew from some of Kurosawa's films to reminisce about the man and his movies. These were nice but mostly non-revelatory. The documentary spent a lot of time on Kurosawa's late career perhaps because there is a lot of behind-the-scenes footage of the making of those films.

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[Eephus]

Ran (1985)

Kurosawa's late career masterpiece combines King Lear with Japanese folk tales for a story of an aging warlord driven to madness after dividing his domain among his three sons. It's a grand epic with breathtaking locations and a couple of massive action scenes but it works equally well on a more intimate scale as the warlord discovers the impermanence of the world he built on the bodies of his rivals.

The documentary I just watched provide some insights into the personal and professional struggles the director dealt with in his 60s and 70s. Because of this, Ran has a darker, more apocalyptic tone than The Seven Samurai or Yojimbo. The characters are less likeable and honorable while the battles are portrayed more as mindless slaughter than as acts of heroism. The attack on the third castle reminded me of a silent film in the way the sounds of war were replaced by Toru Takemitsu's music. The climactic battle was similar to Kagemusha with its cavalry and infantry charges across the screen rather than meleeing in the center.

On the surface, Kurosawa's technique seems simple and unfussy but every shot is composed with care. The camera is often a distant and stationary observer of the drama which allows the audience time to absorb the details of the characters and their settings. Tatsuya Nakadai excellent performance as the warlord incorporates elements of Noh in his facial expressions. Mieko Harada steals every scene she appears in as the femme fatale Lady Kaede.

Ran is a great film without any significant nits for me to pick. It sure was easier to write stuff about Ridley Scott's or George Miller's work.

 

[Ilov80s]

Ran (1985)

Kurosawa's late career masterpiece combines King Lear with Japanese folk tales for a story of an aging warlord driven to madness after dividing his domain among his three sons. It's a grand epic with breathtaking locations and a couple of massive action scenes but it works equally well on a more intimate scale as the warlord discovers the impermanence of the world he built on the bodies of his rivals.

The documentary I just watched provide some insights into the personal and professional struggles the director dealt with in his 60s and 70s. Because of this, Ran has a darker, more apocalyptic tone than The Seven Samurai or Yojimbo. The characters are less likeable and honorable while the battles are portrayed more as mindless slaughter than as acts of heroism. The attack on the third castle reminded me of a silent film in the way the sounds of war were replaced by Toru Takemitsu's music. The climactic battle was similar to Kagemusha with its cavalry and infantry charges across the screen rather than meleeing in the center.

On the surface, Kurosawa's technique seems simple and unfussy but every shot is composed with care. The camera is often a distant and stationary observer of the drama which allows the audience time to absorb the details of the characters and their settings. Tatsuya Nakadai excellent performance as the warlord incorporates elements of Noh in his facial expressions. Mieko Harada steals every scene she appears in as the femme fatale Lady Kaede.

Ran is a great film without any significant nits for me to pick. It sure was easier to write stuff about Ridley Scott's or George Miller's work.

Incredible movie given he was 75 making it. It’s probably the biggest production he made. Have you seen Kagemusha from the same era?

 

[Eephus]

Incredible movie given he was 75 making it. It’s probably the biggest production he made. Have you seen Kagemusha from the same era?

Yes, I watched Kagemusha last year. It may be recency bias but I liked Ran better. Kagemusha was bit confusing at times and I couldn't totally buy its central conceit of the thief turned daimyo.

 

[Ilov80s]

Incredible movie given he was 75 making it. It’s probably the biggest production he made. Have you seen Kagemusha from the same era?

Yes, I watched Kagemusha last year. It may be recency bias but I liked Ran better. Kagemusha was bit confusing at times and I couldn't totally buy its central conceit of the thief turned daimyo.

Oh yeah I agree Ran is the better movie. I’ve seen some float the idea Kagemusha was the trial of run for Ran.

 

[Eephus]

Incredible movie given he was 75 making it. It’s probably the biggest production he made. Have you seen Kagemusha from the same era?

Yes, I watched Kagemusha last year. It may be recency bias but I liked Ran better. Kagemusha was bit confusing at times and I couldn't totally buy its central conceit of the thief turned daimyo.

Oh yeah I agree Ran is the better movie. I’ve seen some float the idea Kagemusha was the trial of run for Ran.

Kurosawa himself said he considered Kagemusha to be a dress rehearsal for Ran but I don't know the context for that statement. The global success of Kagemusha helped Kurosawa secure funding for Ran which was huge because he had alienated many in the Japanese film industry.

 

[Ilov80s]

Incredible movie given he was 75 making it. It’s probably the biggest production he made. Have you seen Kagemusha from the same era?

Yes, I watched Kagemusha last year. It may be recency bias but I liked Ran better. Kagemusha was bit confusing at times and I couldn't totally buy its central conceit of the thief turned daimyo.

Oh yeah I agree Ran is the better movie. I’ve seen some float the idea Kagemusha was the trial of run for Ran.

Kurosawa himself said he considered Kagemusha to be a dress rehearsal for Ran but I don't know the context for that statement. The global success of Kagemusha helped Kurosawa secure funding for Ran which was huge because he had alienated many in the Japanese film industry.

Interesting. Any idea here he had alienated them?

 

[Eephus]

Incredible movie given he was 75 making it. It’s probably the biggest production he made. Have you seen Kagemusha from the same era?

Yes, I watched Kagemusha last year. It may be recency bias but I liked Ran better. Kagemusha was bit confusing at times and I couldn't totally buy its central conceit of the thief turned daimyo.

Oh yeah I agree Ran is the better movie. I’ve seen some float the idea Kagemusha was the trial of run for Ran.

Kurosawa himself said he considered Kagemusha to be a dress rehearsal for Ran but I don't know the context for that statement. The global success of Kagemusha helped Kurosawa secure funding for Ran which was huge because he had alienated many in the Japanese film industry.

Interesting. Any idea here he had alienated them?

His films for Toho frequently went over budget and his own production of Dodes'ka-den was a bomb.

Maybe alienated was the wrong choice of words but the Japanese film industry changed significantly in the 15 years between Red Beard and Kagemusha and Kurosawa was viewed as a bit of a relic.

That's my expert opinion based on watching the PBS documentary.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Incredible movie given he was 75 making it. It’s probably the biggest production he made. Have you seen Kagemusha from the same era?

Yes, I watched Kagemusha last year. It may be recency bias but I liked Ran better. Kagemusha was bit confusing at times and I couldn't totally buy its central conceit of the thief turned daimyo.

Oh yeah I agree Ran is the better movie. I’ve seen some float the idea Kagemusha was the trial of run for Ran.

Kurosawa himself said he considered Kagemusha to be a dress rehearsal for Ran but I don't know the context for that statement. The global success of Kagemusha helped Kurosawa secure funding for Ran which was huge because he had alienated many in the Japanese film industry.

Interesting. Any idea here he had alienated them?

His films for Toho frequently went over budget and his own production of Dodes'ka-den was a bomb.

Maybe alienated was the wrong choice of words but the Japanese film industry changed significantly in the 15 years between Red Beard and Kagemusha and Kurosawa was viewed as a bit of a relic.

That's my expert opinion based on watching the PBS documentary.

I also get the impression that even before that era he was at odds with the Japanese film industry for his love of Westerns and American cinema and his movies reflecting that.

 

[Eephus]

Incredible movie given he was 75 making it. It’s probably the biggest production he made. Have you seen Kagemusha from the same era?

Yes, I watched Kagemusha last year. It may be recency bias but I liked Ran better. Kagemusha was bit confusing at times and I couldn't totally buy its central conceit of the thief turned daimyo.

Oh yeah I agree Ran is the better movie. I’ve seen some float the idea Kagemusha was the trial of run for Ran.

Kurosawa himself said he considered Kagemusha to be a dress rehearsal for Ran but I don't know the context for that statement. The global success of Kagemusha helped Kurosawa secure funding for Ran which was huge because he had alienated many in the Japanese film industry.

Interesting. Any idea here he had alienated them?

His films for Toho frequently went over budget and his own production of Dodes'ka-den was a bomb.

Maybe alienated was the wrong choice of words but the Japanese film industry changed significantly in the 15 years between Red Beard and Kagemusha and Kurosawa was viewed as a bit of a relic.

That's my expert opinion based on watching the PBS documentary.

I also get the impression that even before that era he was at odds with the Japanese film industry for his love of Westerns and American cinema and his movies reflecting that.

Not enough kaiju

 

[Eephus]

A.K. (1985)

I had planned to watch another version of King Lear while Ran was still fresh in my mind but they all seemed stagebound and uncinematic by comparison. The only exception was Grigori Kozintsev's 1971 version which looks wild but I wasn't in the mood for a Soviet take on Shakespeare tonight.

A.K. is Chris Marker's documentary shot during the making of Ran. Marker was a part of the French New Wave who's probably best known for his short La Jetee. I've seen a few of his films and found them provocative but oddly entertaining. At his best, Marker challenged the notion of what film is. A.K. isn't nearly that ambitious but it still defies some conventions of a behind the scenes "making of" documentary. Usually you get some interviews with the director and stars along with impressive looking sequences of the crew capturing magic on film. A.K. is more like cinema verite of Kurosawa and his crew doing mostly mundane things on location. Marker made the curious decision not to subtitle any of the dialog so unless you speak Japanese, you have no idea what Kurosawa is talking about. Supposedly this was because Marker felt the text on the screen detracts from the visual images but I thought it also captures Marker's personal experience watching Kurosawa work. There is voiceover but it's delivered from the perspective of Marker (he did the narration himself in the French original but the version I watched was dubbed by American avant garde directory Robert Kramer. To be honest, Marker's narration is kind of pretentious; I'd much rather have heard Kurosawa directly even via subtitles.

It's 74 minutes but at times it seems longer than the original. In some ways, it also feels too short and incomplete; there's a closeup of Kurosawa watching the scene, he says cut and the credits roll. It's still fascinating to see Kurosawa interact with cast and crew. He seems cheerful and rarely raises his voice but takes care over small details. My favorite scene was the crew spending all day spraying grass with gold paint for a nighttime shoot of the warlord riding a horse through the golden field with a huge artificial moon projected behind him. The 75 year old Kurosawa is said to have put in a full twelve hour day setting up the shot but the entire scene ended up on the cutting room floor.

A. K. (chris Marker, 1985) : chris marker : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Chris MarkerAkira kurosawa RAN 1985

archive.org

 

[Eephus]

Short interview clip of Kurosawa describing his dealings with government censors during the making of his first film Sanshiro Sugata (1943)