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Akira Kurosawa

ByrnzieByrnzie Posts: 21,037
edited June 2009 in All Encompassing Trip
Anyone else here like this directors movies?

I recently bought a box set of 30 of his films.

I finally got around to watching 'Throne of Blood' yesterday. Superb film.

Here's Derek Malcolm's take on it: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/1999/mar ... rekmalcolm
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • LONGRDLONGRD Posts: 6,036
    edited June 2009
    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051808/
    The Hiden Fortress is my personal favorite of his. It's one of his earlier film before he made the Seven Samurai.

    Toshiro Mifune plays a major badass ronan(not surprising). He tries to protect a "mute" Princess, while a couple of knuckleheads farmers tag along with them.

    What's so great about this movie? Well, historically it has influenced a lot of popular Hollywood movies. One in particular, Star Wars. George Lucas created a few Star Wars characters and got ideas off the Hidden Fortress.

    And because it's in subtitle that guarantees you must watch it carefully or multiple times. :D
    Post edited by LONGRD on
    PJ- 04/29/2003.06/24,25,27,28,30/2008.10/27,28,30,31/2009
    EV- 08/09,10/2008.06/08,09/2009
  • LONGRDLONGRD Posts: 6,036
    On a side note relating to Japanese film: If you're a huge fan of Mifune you will like this Japanese actor Tadanobu Asano http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0038355/ He's pretty much the modern-day Mifune, usually plays psychotic killers and strange characters.

    Bright Fture, the Blind Swordsmen, Shark Skin Man, and Last life of the universe are some his his great films.
    PJ- 04/29/2003.06/24,25,27,28,30/2008.10/27,28,30,31/2009
    EV- 08/09,10/2008.06/08,09/2009
  • ByrnzieByrnzie Posts: 21,037
    LONGRD wrote:
    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051808/
    The Hiden Fortress is my personal favorite of his. It's one of his earlier film before he made the Seven Samurai.

    Toshiro Mifune plays a major badass ronan(not surprising). He tries to protect a "mute" Princess, while a couple of knuckleheads farmers tag along with them.

    What's so great about this movie? Well, historically it has influenced a lot of popular Hollywood movies. One in particular, Star Wars. George Lucas created a few Star Wars characters and got ideas off the Hidden Fortress.

    And because it's in subtitle that guarantees you must watch it carefully or multiple times. :D

    That's the first film of his I ever saw. Must have been about 10 years ago. I think I recorded on to video from Film 4 in England.
  • polaris_xpolaris_x Posts: 13,559
    i am typically fond of japanese films and his era is sort of loss on me as i'm not a war-time film guy ... having said that - the 5 or so films i've seen are brilliant ... he was definitely ahead of his time in filmmaking ... it's interesting how his films get made into westerns ...
  • FinsburyParkCarrotsFinsburyParkCarrots Seattle, WA Posts: 12,223
    I think Throne of Blood is the greatest film adaption of Shakespeare: far greater than any film adaptions of Shakespeare's actual Quarto or Folio playtexts. Ran is another masterpiece.
  • Get_RightGet_Right Posts: 13,375
    FinsburyParkCarrots wrote:
    I think Throne of Blood is the greatest film adaption of Shakespeare: far greater than any film adaptions of Shakespeare's actual Quarto or Folio playtexts. Ran is another masterpiece.
    100% percent agree
    in fact it took Kurosawa for me to appreciate Shakespeare

    Throne and Ran are by far my favorites

    but Rashomon and The seven samurai are not to be missed
  • ByrnzieByrnzie Posts: 21,037
    LONGRD wrote:
    On a side note relating to Japanese film: If you're a huge fan of Mifune you will like this Japanese actor Tadanobu Asano http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0038355/ He's pretty much the modern-day Mifune, usually plays psychotic killers and strange characters.

    Bright Fture, the Blind Swordsmen, Shark Skin Man, and Last life of the universe are some his his great films.

    I've not heard of Tadanobu Asano before. I'll check him out.

    Do you like Takeshi Kitano? 'Violent Cop' and 'Hana Bi' are cool films. He seems to have been Japan's favourite son for some time now.
  • redrockredrock Posts: 18,341
    Byrnzie wrote:
    Anyone else here like this directors movies?

    He's a master....
  • pretextpretext Posts: 1,294
    Throne of Blood is one of my favorites films. The Lady MacBeth is one of most chilling performances I've ever seen.
    Periodically, there are Kurosawa revivals/new prints in the theatres. I caught a whole bunch of films in a series several years ago. Definitely something to be seen on the big screen if you ever have the chance.
    I recently bought Kurosawa's autobiography, but haven't had the chance to read it yet.
  • LONGRDLONGRD Posts: 6,036
    Byrnzie wrote:
    LONGRD wrote:
    On a side note relating to Japanese film: If you're a huge fan of Mifune you will like this Japanese actor Tadanobu Asano http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0038355/ He's pretty much the modern-day Mifune, usually plays psychotic killers and strange characters.

    Bright Fture, the Blind Swordsmen, Shark Skin Man, and Last life of the universe are some his his great films.

    I've not heard of Tadanobu Asano before. I'll check him out.

    Do you like Takeshi Kitano? 'Violent Cop' and 'Hana Bi' are cool films. He seems to have been Japan's favourite son for some time now.
    Beat Takeshi is awesome. He's the Blind Swordsmen with Asano. Definitely should check it out.
    PJ- 04/29/2003.06/24,25,27,28,30/2008.10/27,28,30,31/2009
    EV- 08/09,10/2008.06/08,09/2009
  • Who PrincessWho Princess out here in the fields Posts: 7,305
    FinsburyParkCarrots wrote:
    I think Throne of Blood is the greatest film adaption of Shakespeare: far greater than any film adaptions of Shakespeare's actual Quarto or Folio playtexts. Ran is another masterpiece.
    Kurosawa has an amazing ability for interpreting Shakespeare.

    I love his films. Has anyone seen Dersu Uzala, the one he made in the Soviet Union? I think it resonates even more now than when it was made.

    I learned something interesting about Kurosawa a couple of years ago on The Who message board from a Japanese Who fan. She said that his films are very difficult for modern Japanese audiences to watch because the language has changed so much. Prior to Kurosawa, films about samurai always featured the samurai speaking a particular dialect. Kurosawa had his samurai characters speak the contemporary Japanese of his day. Apparently Japanese has changed quite a bit since he made his earliest samurai films. She said something like, "I need Japanese subtitles to follow what's going on!" :lol:
    "The stars are all connected to the brain."
  • EquallyWorthlessEquallyWorthless Posts: 3,993
    Ran, Rashomon and 7 Samurai are my personal favs.
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