Forum - View topic(OT) Akira Kurasawa
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ShellBullet
 Posts: 1051 Location: I hit things, with my fist. |
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As you might guess, this thread is to talk about the late great Japanese auteur. I was wondering if anyone here was a fan. If so, what do you think would be his best movies? I'm asking this as someone who is new to his films; I just finished watching Madadayo, which left me thinking "so, what was the point." I am hoping that his other movies turn out to be better; I want to find out why the critics are so enamored with his work.
Oh, and in case Cookie or someone finds this post, why don't we compare his movies to anime so we can claim to be on topic. 
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GATSU
Posts: 15585 |
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Apparently, Saiyan'z Rage linked a petition demanding to know
from FOX what's happening with DBZ. Well I have a feeling after Fantastic Four, it'll be next, now that Brian Singer got the axe. Edit: Sorry. Wrong thread. I meant to post this in "No Live Action DBZ". |
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Kelly
Posts: 868 Location: New York City |
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I love Kurosawa. His epic Seven Samuri is a great place to start, dealing with Samuri and their relationships with eachother as well as their love-hate relationship with the peasantry. There's a famous, spectacular battle in the rain near the end
Ran is also great - it's based on King Lear with great imagery. If you like it, Throne of Blood - based on Macbeth - is also good. Both might be the greatest film versions of the stories even though the characters are changed and you won't hear one word of Shakespeare. Then there's Rashomon, a period piece in which we try to find out the truth about a rape that may not have been a rape and a murder that may not have been a murder through the accounts of a woman, her accused attacker, a witness who saw part of what happened, and the spirit of the woman's husband who is accessed through a medium. Great stuff - and at the very least you'll know what critics mean when they refer to a story as "Rashomon-like". I would point anyone interested in Kurosawa to these three movies first. |
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hakootoko
Posts: 74 |
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Or rather, "In a Grove"-like 
Rashomon is based on two stories by Akutagawa Ryuunosuke, "Rashomon" being about the gate where the characters meet and tell their tales, and "In a Grove" about the ambiguous murder where everyone claims to be guilty. Several of Akutagawa's short stories collections have been translated into English. I'm disappointed at how few of Kurosawa's non-samurai movies we get in the US. We've gotten Ikiru and Stray Dog recently, but that's only a small sample of what there is to see. I recently broke down and bought the Mei Ah release of The Bad Sleep Weel, since I don't know when, if ever, it'll get a US release. hakootoko |
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Mr Mania
 Posts: 581 Location: UK |
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Well if you havn't watched Seven Samurai yet I suggest you watch that,its the ovbious choice but from the movies I have wathced of his I would rate it as his best as would many others. You might also want to watch Yojimbo which A Fistful of Dollars was based on. Hidden Fotress is good as well although it is a bit slow at times. |
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Sword of Whedon
Posts: 683 |
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Dreams is out from Warner Madadayo is out from Winstar Criterion I know is working on some of his non-Samurai like Do Des Ka Den and the one he made in Russian |
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JETBLACK87
 Posts: 1073 |
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There are a bunch more. Dodes'ka-Den (1971)(His first movie he did in color.) Red Beard (1968)(I haven't seen this one.) Ikiru (1956)(As mentioned already.) I'm sure there are more. And I know there are some that where out on VHS at one point. You might be able to find them somewhere. This also might help: http://imdb.com/name/nm0000041/forsale#dvd |
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jfrog
 Posts: 925 Location: Seattle |
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High and Low made it over here. Don't know who released it, though.
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Kagemusha
 Posts: 2783 Location: Boston |
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I've seen most of his films (one day I will have to buy the R1 DVDs that have been released over here). My favorite is of course The Seven Samurai, but there all great; Rashomon, The Throne of Blood, Hidden Fortress are my favorites. Oh, and how could I not include Kagemusha
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ShellBullet
Posts: 1051 Location: I hit things, with my fist. |
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Thanks for the advice, I think I will rent one of the movies you suggested next time I'm at the video store.
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Nagisa
Moderator
 Posts: 6128 Location: Atlanta-ish, Jawjuh |
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Agreed. Personally, Seven Samurai's hands-down one of my all-time favourite movies.
Also agreed. This is just about the only film version of MacBeth I've seen that didn't feel forced or dull. I'd also like to strongly suggest Yojimbo. It's the film that first got me into Kurosawa, and it's a beautiful display of what Japan's greatest director and greatest actor (Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune respectively) can accomplish together (Seven Samurai does this too, but Yojimbo places Mifune more directly in the starring role). Just about on par with Seven Samurai, in my book. |
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Alucard055
Posts: 20 |
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well, i only seen Seven Samurai (by Akira Kurasawa) but thats one of my favorit movies of all time. (it should be digitaly remasted.)
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Kagemusha
Posts: 2783 Location: Boston |
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I like Yojimbo, and its a great movie, but I feel it can't compare to his other works (probobly because it is an action comedy). Still worth seeing though.
Ran is another great Shakespear adaptation (King Lear this time). It seems for every film of his that was inspired by another work, he has one that has inspired an american film (Fistfull of Dollars, The Mag. Seven, Star Wars). |
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JETBLACK87
Posts: 1073 |
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Heopfully somebody here has seen the John Belushi samurai on SNL. He did a perfect spoof of Mifune. It was one of the funniest things I've ever seen. You could probably find it with a P2P program. I recommend it to anyone who has seen Yojimbo.
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Kagemusha
Posts: 2783 Location: Boston |
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Those are some of SNL's greatest moments
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