Akira Kurosawa's "Dersu Uzala" (1975) is an oddity in the director's oeuvre, but nonetheless, or precisely because of it, beloved by many. It has a historical setting, though it has no samurais and very little action. It focuses on the lyric moments of humanity which have always been integral to the beauty of Kurosawa's cinema. The film is based on Vladimir Arsenev's novel about his expeditions to Ussuria in the early 20th century during which he became acquainted with an aging hunter living in the woods, gathering all he needs from the environment. The simple charm of the story probably fascinated Kurosawa and offered a perfect basis for that time in his career.
Before making "Derzu Uzala", Kurosawa had suffered both a professional and a personal tragedy as his first film in color "Dodes'ka-den" (1970) became a huge financial flop, and subsequently Kurosawa tried to commit suicide. Thus, in the early 1970's Kurosawa had truly lost his faith in cinema, the modern world, and life itself (for a moment at least). For this level of desolation, Arsenev's story offered a perfect means of meditation since its setting was far from capitalism and modern life as well as contemporary cinema. After all, "Derzu Uzala" is, at its heart, a story about total unselfishness, utter humility, and the beauty of life in touch with nature.
What is more, Kurosawa uses a veritably lingering narrative which is combined with ascetic aesthetics. Overall, the style is very stripped. The gorgeous shots of the Russian landscape may be sublime, but it is really the landscape that is sublime. The form that shows it is naturalistic. "Dersu Uzala" is far from the surrealistic poetry combined with Gorky's realism that characterized Kurosawa's previous film, "Dodes'ka-den". It is much simpler. It gave Kurosawa a moment to contemplate the values and ideals of life that were dearest to him.
In all its simplicity, "Dersu Uzala" tells us about the friendship between two different men: a Russian soldier, Arsenev, and a self-reliant hunter, Dersu. It studies the conflict of nature and civilization which forces a life of nature to diminish. The heart-rending tale is heavy with nostalgic yearning for the past and a melancholic sense of emptiness for the future.
All this might sound sentimental, but somehow Kurosawa manages to create a character out of Dersu that is not idealized in a sentimental fashion. Yet, it is very difficult to point out the elements in the film which cause this effect; that is, the believable disposition of Dersu's character. On paper, it sounds naive and sentimental, but on screen -- in Kurosawa's images -- it gathers a new dimension. Arguably "Dersu Uzala" is the simplest story Kurosawa ever told, but maybe even more importantly it is also the story which he told in the simplest fashion.
Before making "Derzu Uzala", Kurosawa had suffered both a professional and a personal tragedy as his first film in color "Dodes'ka-den" (1970) became a huge financial flop, and subsequently Kurosawa tried to commit suicide. Thus, in the early 1970's Kurosawa had truly lost his faith in cinema, the modern world, and life itself (for a moment at least). For this level of desolation, Arsenev's story offered a perfect means of meditation since its setting was far from capitalism and modern life as well as contemporary cinema. After all, "Derzu Uzala" is, at its heart, a story about total unselfishness, utter humility, and the beauty of life in touch with nature.
What is more, Kurosawa uses a veritably lingering narrative which is combined with ascetic aesthetics. Overall, the style is very stripped. The gorgeous shots of the Russian landscape may be sublime, but it is really the landscape that is sublime. The form that shows it is naturalistic. "Dersu Uzala" is far from the surrealistic poetry combined with Gorky's realism that characterized Kurosawa's previous film, "Dodes'ka-den". It is much simpler. It gave Kurosawa a moment to contemplate the values and ideals of life that were dearest to him.
In all its simplicity, "Dersu Uzala" tells us about the friendship between two different men: a Russian soldier, Arsenev, and a self-reliant hunter, Dersu. It studies the conflict of nature and civilization which forces a life of nature to diminish. The heart-rending tale is heavy with nostalgic yearning for the past and a melancholic sense of emptiness for the future.
All this might sound sentimental, but somehow Kurosawa manages to create a character out of Dersu that is not idealized in a sentimental fashion. Yet, it is very difficult to point out the elements in the film which cause this effect; that is, the believable disposition of Dersu's character. On paper, it sounds naive and sentimental, but on screen -- in Kurosawa's images -- it gathers a new dimension. Arguably "Dersu Uzala" is the simplest story Kurosawa ever told, but maybe even more importantly it is also the story which he told in the simplest fashion.