Auteur 02: Kurosawa

What does it mean to live? Kurosawa's masterpiece. Gentle and profound.

Perfect blend of art and entertainment. Three and a half hours and not a boring second. Kurosawa takes his time in establishing every major character. Revolutionary and hugely influential battle scenes. In many respects, an anti-samurai film.

Kurosawa's most epic masterpiece. Gloriously tragic. His crowning achievement could only have been made at his ripe old age, bringing infinite wisdom to the story.

The finest detective thriller ever filmed. But that's just skimming the surface. Kurosawa remains the emperor of cinema. It's remarkable just how much suspense and emotional involvement we get from one room with a few characters. The choreography and character proximities throughout is inspiring. Kurosawa clearly knows how to use the anamorphic lens. The second half/detective story is riveting. The finale transcends the crime genre and makes a bold statement with some of the most amazing imagery ever put to screen. This is the work of a true master.

An epic tale on the story of man and mother nature. Kurosawa's Russian journey through the wilderness of friendship and old age.

If you can get past the long running time and occasional overt sentimentality, this is one of the most rewarding films in Kurosawa's canon. This marked the end of an era for him; his final film with Toho company, his last collaboration with the great Mifune, his final black-and-white film (his second last film in cinemascope) and most importantly, his swan song to optimism. After this remarkably hopeful story, Kurosawa's world view would turn much darker. Financial failure, Hollywood blacklisting, extreme illness and attempted suicide would follow. With that in mind, Red Beard remains an extremely emotional experience for me. The sheer humility and supreme goodness of this film is so utterly inspiring. It's an honourable movie, with many memorable characters, photographed in a way that makes every mis-en-scene look like a painting. Clearly, Kurosawa was in his prime and no other film in his body of work holds melancholy and hope in such equal measure.

Kurosawa's most visually striking film. Eight hypnotic and eloquent short segments. Spielberg presented this film in Europe, while Lucas' ILM company did the effects and finally, who wouldn't want to see Scorsese playing Van Gogh? It's the pacing and experiment in time that makes one experience this film in a particular fashion. Like staring at a painting for an extended period of time, we are slowly drawn into each dream world. Beautifully captivating.

Definitive Kurosawa. Arguably the greatest Shakespearean adaptation on screen. Hypnotic and totally cinematic.

The sequel to Yojimbo is superior in wit, satire, action and humour. One of the greatest samurai movies. (Later remade into For a Few Dollars More...)

Kurosawa's first color film is a brilliant episodic story about lower class people who escape from reality using their imagination. It's a mosaic of funny, melancholy and profound vignettes.

The epic pre-cursor to Ran. Astonishing, complex and a flawed main character grounds this eye-popping period piece.

A great adaptation of a classic play. Funny, tragic and intelligent with a mosaic of varied characters. Mifune's finest performance (and it's a supporting role!)

A modern variation of the Hamlet story. Proof that Toshiro Mifune has range. This is a complex and original crime film with an unforgettable ending.

Another Kurosawa film noir classic. A cop loses his gun. He tries to get it back. Simple, yet brilliant. The Killer, Face-Off and Heat have all borrowed from this dynamite picture.

Quintessential Kurosawa. The film that introduced Western audiences to Japanese cinema. Both technically and conceptually revolutionary.

The classic escapist adventure film that inspired Lucas to make Star Wars. Wonderful characters with splendid visuals.

Kurosawa and Mifune made film history by putting this anti-hero character on screen. Technically accomplished with complex storytelling. Leone remade it into A Fistfull of Dollars.

Kurosawa attempts an adaptation of his favorite novel. Unfortunately, the original 4 hour cut no longer exists. Still, what remains has some tremendously powerful moments with engaging characters.

All the elements that make up a classic Kurosawa film are introduced here. It's also the first time he used Mifune. Wonderful storytelling with dynamite characters.

Kurosawa entered his vigorous golden age with this very enjoyable and tender family story. Strong anti-war statement too.

A fitting conclusion to a magnificent career. Kurosawa's old age was definitely beginning to show. There's an innocence and charm in this film that rarely appears in his work. At times, it is overtly sentimental. The subplot with the Cat is adorable.

A perfect modest debut. Technically accomplished with classic Kurosawa themes.

Kurosawa's feminist film is expertly made with a very strong female protagonist. The epic scale of this complex story structure helps us understand the changes occurring in modern day (for the time) Japan. Compelling stuff.

For die-hard Kurosawa fans only. Intriguing premise with very relevant social issues. Shimura delivers one of his best performances.

This little gem is approximately only 45 minutes in length but the story is interesting and the comedic lead actor is an unusual choice for Kurosawa. It sort of works. The story also has a great deal of suspense. Ultimately, for die-hard Kurosawa fans only.

The sequel lacks the originals substance. Nevertheless, it remains entertaining. One could argue that this is the only time Kurosawa sold out. He never wanted to make the film but the pressures of cashing in on the original's success was too high at this early stage of his career. In the end, the showdown in the snow is stunning to watch.

An innocent couple are awakened to hardships in contemporary Japan. This mediocre Kurosawa film is briefly elevated with the imaginary symphony sequence.

Interesting concept with an important social commentary. Still, it remains one of my least favorite Kurosawa films. A few memorable images and a strong performance from Mifune can not save this film from feeling somewhat dull.

This film remains very dear to Kurosawa's heart. The lead actress soon became his wife. There are some strong emotional moments with the female characters prevailing amidst the hard work. However, despite being technically accomplished, this film fails due to its heavy-handed propaganda-like approach.