Even among the more underrated Akira Kurosawa films are timeless masterpieces.
If films like “Dersu Uzala” and “The Idiot” and “Kagemusha” aren’t talked about as much, it’s because the best-known Kurosawa titles — “Seven Samurai,” “Rashomon,” “Throne of Blood” — also happen to be among the most influential movies ever made, casting their shadow over the Spaghetti Western genre, “Star Wars,” and so many more.
Just within the past few weeks, a movie loosely based on “Seven Samurai,” Zack Snyder’s misbegotten “Rebel Moon Part 2,” started streaming, Spike Lee confirmed he’ll direct an adaptation of “High and Low,” and, let’s face it, there’d probably be no “Shogun” at all without the Kurosawa-immortalized Japanese samurai culture onscreen. Probably no director other than Fritz Lang and John Ford has influenced as many genres as Kurosawa, who died in 1998.
But instead of focusing so much on his impact, look at the films.
If films like “Dersu Uzala” and “The Idiot” and “Kagemusha” aren’t talked about as much, it’s because the best-known Kurosawa titles — “Seven Samurai,” “Rashomon,” “Throne of Blood” — also happen to be among the most influential movies ever made, casting their shadow over the Spaghetti Western genre, “Star Wars,” and so many more.
Just within the past few weeks, a movie loosely based on “Seven Samurai,” Zack Snyder’s misbegotten “Rebel Moon Part 2,” started streaming, Spike Lee confirmed he’ll direct an adaptation of “High and Low,” and, let’s face it, there’d probably be no “Shogun” at all without the Kurosawa-immortalized Japanese samurai culture onscreen. Probably no director other than Fritz Lang and John Ford has influenced as many genres as Kurosawa, who died in 1998.
But instead of focusing so much on his impact, look at the films.
- 4/25/2024
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
Ugetsu
Blu-ray
Criterion
1953 / B&W / 1:33 / Street Date June 6, 2017
Starring: Mitsuko Mito, Masayuki Mori, Kikue Mouri, Sakae Ozawa, Kinuyo Tanaka
Cinematography: Kazuo Miyagawa
Film Editor: Mitsuzô Miyata
Written by Matsutarô Kawaguchi, Yoshikata Yoda
Produced by Masaichi Nagata
Music: Fumio Hayasaka, Tamekichi Mochizuki, Ichirô Saitô
Directed by Kenji Mizoguchi
In 1941 Orson Welles was busy giving the film industry a hot foot with Citizen Kane, a bullet-train of a movie whose rhythms sprang from the ever accelerating hustle and bustle of contemporary American life. That same year one of Japan’s greatest filmmakers, Kenji Mizoguchi, was taking his sweet time with a four hour samurai epic set 240 years in the past, The 47 Ronin.
The story of a band of loyal soldiers seeking revenge on a corrupt landowner, The 47 Ronin plays out in a precisely measured, ceremonial style, its 241 minutes leading up to the moment when the fierce band of brothers...
Blu-ray
Criterion
1953 / B&W / 1:33 / Street Date June 6, 2017
Starring: Mitsuko Mito, Masayuki Mori, Kikue Mouri, Sakae Ozawa, Kinuyo Tanaka
Cinematography: Kazuo Miyagawa
Film Editor: Mitsuzô Miyata
Written by Matsutarô Kawaguchi, Yoshikata Yoda
Produced by Masaichi Nagata
Music: Fumio Hayasaka, Tamekichi Mochizuki, Ichirô Saitô
Directed by Kenji Mizoguchi
In 1941 Orson Welles was busy giving the film industry a hot foot with Citizen Kane, a bullet-train of a movie whose rhythms sprang from the ever accelerating hustle and bustle of contemporary American life. That same year one of Japan’s greatest filmmakers, Kenji Mizoguchi, was taking his sweet time with a four hour samurai epic set 240 years in the past, The 47 Ronin.
The story of a band of loyal soldiers seeking revenge on a corrupt landowner, The 47 Ronin plays out in a precisely measured, ceremonial style, its 241 minutes leading up to the moment when the fierce band of brothers...
- 7/1/2017
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
The awards were first introduced in 1946 by the Mainichi Shinbun (毎日新聞) newspaper, which is the oldest daily Japanese one, since it has been on circulation since 1872. Nowadays, it is one of the three largest in the country, and it is noteworthy that two of its general directors were elected Prime Ministers.
The first winners were:
Best Film: Aru yo no tonosama (Teinosuke Kinugasa)
Best Firector: Tadashi Imai (Minshu no teki)
Best Script: Osone ke no ashita (Eijiro Hisaita)
Best Actor: Eitaro Ozawa (Osone ke no ashita)
Best Soundtrack: Minshu no teki (Fumio Hayasaka)
Since 1962, a year after the death of Noburo Ofuji, one of the pioneers of Japanese anime, a new award was introduced in his name, for the best anime of the season. The first winner was Osamu Tezuka, with “Story of a Certain Street Corner.”With the rise of the anime industry during the 80’s, the major studios started dominating the award,...
The first winners were:
Best Film: Aru yo no tonosama (Teinosuke Kinugasa)
Best Firector: Tadashi Imai (Minshu no teki)
Best Script: Osone ke no ashita (Eijiro Hisaita)
Best Actor: Eitaro Ozawa (Osone ke no ashita)
Best Soundtrack: Minshu no teki (Fumio Hayasaka)
Since 1962, a year after the death of Noburo Ofuji, one of the pioneers of Japanese anime, a new award was introduced in his name, for the best anime of the season. The first winner was Osamu Tezuka, with “Story of a Certain Street Corner.”With the rise of the anime industry during the 80’s, the major studios started dominating the award,...
- 2/26/2016
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Akira Kurosawa goes full tilt humanist with this emotionally wrenching, vastly insightful look at human nature. A faceless bureaucrat, alone and empty, is diagnosed with stomach cancer. He rebels and breaks down, but then finds a way to give meaning to his life even as he's losing it. Kurosawa one-ups the Italian Neorealists by seeing hope and value even in the oblivion of the human condition. Ikiru Blu-ray The Criterion Collection 221 1952 / Color / 1:37 flat Academy / 143 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / To Live / Street Date November 24, 2015 / 39.95 Starring Takashi Shimura, Shinichi Himori, Haruo Tanaka, Minoru Chiaki, Miki Odagiri, Bokuzen Hidari Cinematography Asakazu Nakai Production Designer So Matsuyama Original Music Fumio Hayasaka Written by Shinobu Hashimoto, Akira Kurosawa and Hideo Oguni Produced by Sojiro Motoki Directed by Akira Kurosawa
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Criterion has made slow but steady progress upgrading its impressive Akira Kurosawa library from DVD to Blu-ray. The newest...
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Criterion has made slow but steady progress upgrading its impressive Akira Kurosawa library from DVD to Blu-ray. The newest...
- 12/1/2015
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
(Region B) Akira Kurosawa's unquestioned top rank classic remains a fascinating study of truth and justice. A forest encounter left a man murdered and his wife raped. Or did something entirely different happen? The witnesses Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura and Machiko Kyo give radically differing testimony. This UK edition offers a full commentary by Japanese film expert Stuart Galbraith IV. Rashômon Region B UK Blu-ray BFI 1950 / B&W / 1.33:1 / 88 min. / Street Date September 21, 2015 / Available at Amazon UK / £15.99 Starring Toshiro Mifune, Machiko Kyo, Masayuki Mori, Takashi Shimura, Minoru Chiaki, Kichijiro Ueda, Fumiko Honma. Cinematography Kazuo Miyagawa Art Direction So Matsuyama Film Editor Akira Kurosawa Original Music Fumio Hayasaka Written by Shinobu Hashimoto, Akira Kurosawa from stories by Ryunosuke Akutagawa Produced by Minoru Jingo, Masaichi Nagata Directed by Akira Kurosawa
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
This reviewer doesn't review most foreign discs, but with major studios licensing out their libraries, there are...
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
This reviewer doesn't review most foreign discs, but with major studios licensing out their libraries, there are...
- 11/3/2015
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
This is by far the coolest story I’ve ever had the chance to write up.
According to Exclaim, Doxy Records released, last month, a new, four LP vinyl box set, of soundtracks from the films of none other than the great auteur himself, Akira Kurosawa. The box includes soundtracks to Rashomon, Ikiru, Seven Samurai, Record Of A Living Being/I Live In Fear, Throne of Blood, and The Hidden Fortress.
The films were all scored by composers Fumio Hayasaka and Masaru Sato, and will all come in the form of a massive four LP set, with a gatefold sleeve that comes with full color artwork. Personally, I don’t know a more amazing music release than this.
While his films as a whole are obviously some of the most amazing pieces of cinema ever to hit the screen, but something that tends to get a little glossed over are...
According to Exclaim, Doxy Records released, last month, a new, four LP vinyl box set, of soundtracks from the films of none other than the great auteur himself, Akira Kurosawa. The box includes soundtracks to Rashomon, Ikiru, Seven Samurai, Record Of A Living Being/I Live In Fear, Throne of Blood, and The Hidden Fortress.
The films were all scored by composers Fumio Hayasaka and Masaru Sato, and will all come in the form of a massive four LP set, with a gatefold sleeve that comes with full color artwork. Personally, I don’t know a more amazing music release than this.
While his films as a whole are obviously some of the most amazing pieces of cinema ever to hit the screen, but something that tends to get a little glossed over are...
- 6/7/2010
- by Joshua Brunsting
- CriterionCast
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