Akira Kurosawa

• 1. Childhood Shadows And Brother Heigo

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  On the 23rd of March 1910, Akira Kurosawa was born in Tokyo to a samurai family. His father Isamu worked as the director of the Army's Physical Education Institute's lower secondary school. The young boy grew up with three sisters and one brother named Heigo. This older brother by four years became the most significant influence on his early life. In 1923, the Great Kantō earthquake struck Japan. Heigo took thirteen-year-old Akira to view the devastation caused by the disaster. Corpses of humans and animals were scattered everywhere across the landscape. When Akira wanted to look away from the bodies, Heigo forbade him to do so. He encouraged his younger brother to face his fears directly instead of turning away. Some commentators suggest this incident influenced Kurosawa's later artistic career. He was easily willing to confront and explore unpleasant truths in his work. Heigo was academically gifted but failed to secure a place in Tokyo's foremost high school. He began to detach himself from the rest of the family. He preferred to concentrate on his interest in foreign literature. In the late 1920s, Heigo made a name for himself as a benshi or silent film narrator. Kurosawa moved in with Heigo and the two became inseparable. With guidance from his brother, he avidly watched films, theater, and circus performances. He exhibited his paintings and worked for the left-wing Proletarian Artists' League. He never managed to make a living with his art. He lost enthusiasm for painting due to growing belief that the proletarian movement boiled down to putting unfulfilled political ideals directly onto canvas. In July 1933, Heigo took his own life. Kurosawa commented on the lasting sense of loss he felt at his brother's death. The chapter describing it is titled A Story I Don't Want to Tell. Just four months after Heigo's suicide, Kurosawa's eldest brother also died. This left twenty-three-year-old Kurosawa as the sole surviving brother among his three sisters.

• 2. Rashomon And Western Markets

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  After finishing Scandal, Kurosawa was approached by Daiei studios to make another film. He picked a script by an aspiring young screenwriter named Shinobu Hashimoto. Their first joint effort was based on Ryūnosuke Akutagawa's experimental short story called In a Grove. It recounted the murder of a samurai and the rape of his wife from various different and conflicting points of view. Kurosawa saw potential in the script and polished it with Hashimoto's help. They pitched it to Daiei who were happy to accept the project due to its low budget. Shooting began on the 7th of July 1950, and wrapped on August 17 after extensive location work in the primeval forest of Nara. Just one week was spent in hurried post-production hampered by a studio fire. The finished film premiered at Tokyo's Imperial Theatre on August 25. The movie met lukewarm reviews but was nevertheless a moderate financial success for Daiei. Unbeknownst to Kurosawa, Rashomon had been entered in the Venice Film Festival. Giuliana Stramigioli, a Japan-based representative of an Italian film company, convinced Daiei to submit it. On the 10th of September 1951, Rashomon won the festival's highest prize, the Golden Lion. This shocked not only Daiei but the international film world which was largely unaware of Japan's decades-old cinematic tradition. After Daiei briefly exhibited a subtitled print of the film in Los Angeles, RKO purchased distribution rights to Rashomon in the United States. The company put out only one prior subtitled film in the American market before this. Rashomon earned $35,000 in its first three weeks at a single New York theatre. This was an almost unheard-of sum at the time. By the end of 1952, Rashomon was released in Japan, the United States, and most of Europe. Among Japanese filmmakers whose work began to win festival prizes were Kenji Mizoguchi and Yasujirō Ozu. These artists were highly respected in Japan but almost totally unknown in the West before this period.

• 3. Seven Samurai And Epic Scale

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  His career boosted by sudden international fame, Kurosawa set to work on his next project. In December 1952, he took screenwriters Shinobu Hashimoto and Hideo Oguni for a forty-five-day secluded residence at an inn. They created the screenplay for Seven Samurai together. The ensemble work was Kurosawa's first proper samurai film. The simple story involved a poor farming village hiring samurai to defend it against bandits. It received full epic treatment with a huge cast stretching out to almost three-and-a-half hours of screen time. Three months were spent in pre-production and a month in rehearsals. Shooting took up 148 days spread over almost a year. Production faced troubles including financing issues and Kurosawa's health problems. The film finally opened in April 1954 half a year behind its original release date. It cost about three times more than originally planned making it the most expensive Japanese film ever made at that time. By Hollywood standards, however, it was a quite modestly budgeted production even for that era. The film received positive critical reaction and became a big hit quickly making back invested money. Over time its reputation has steadily grown as uncut versions appeared on home video. Some commentators regard it as the greatest Japanese film ever made. A 1999 poll of Japanese film critics voted it the best Japanese film ever made. In the 2022 version of the British Film Institute Sight & Sound Greatest Films of All Time poll, Seven Samurai placed 20th among all films from all countries. It tied at 14th in directors' polls receiving places in Top Ten lists of 48 critics and 22 directors.

• 4. Tora Tora Tora And Career Collapse

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  When Kurosawa's exclusive contract with Toho ended in 1966, he seriously contemplated change. For his first foreign project, he chose a story based on a Life magazine article called Runaway Train. But language barriers proved major problems and filming was canceled in 1968. He then became involved in an ambitious Hollywood project called Tora! Tora! Tora!. Produced by 20th Century Fox and Kurosawa Production, it portrayed the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor from both American and Japanese points of view. Kurosawa helmed the Japanese half while Richard Fleischer directed the American sequences. The budget was cut and screen time allocated for the Japanese segment would now be no longer than 90 minutes. His script ran over four hours. After numerous revisions involving Darryl Zanuck, a finalized screenplay was agreed upon in May 1968. Shooting began in early December but Kurosawa lasted only little over three weeks as director. He struggled to work with an unfamiliar crew and his methods puzzled American producers. They concluded that the director must be mentally ill. A neuropsychologist at Kyoto University Hospital diagnosed him with neurasthenia stating he suffered disturbance of sleep and agitation caused by anxiety. On Christmas Eve 1968, Americans announced Kurosawa had left due to fatigue effectively firing him. He was replaced by two directors Kinji Fukasaku and Toshio Masuda. Tora! Tora! Tora! released to unenthusiastic reviews in September 1970. Donald Richie called it an almost unmitigated tragedy in Kurosawa's career. He spent years on a logistically nightmarish project without contributing a foot of film shot by himself. His name was removed from credits though scripts used were still his. He became estranged from longtime collaborator Ryuzo Kikushima and never worked with him again. The project exposed corruption in his own production company. His very sanity had been called into question. Worst of all, the Japanese film industry began to suspect he would never make another film.

• 5. Kagemusha And Ran Renaissance

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  In 1977 George Lucas released Star Wars influenced by Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress. Lucas met Kurosawa in San Francisco in July 1978 to discuss financing for Kagemusha. This epic story involved a thief hired as double of a medieval Japanese lord. Lucas leveraged influence over 20th Century Fox to coerce studio that fired Kurosawa ten years earlier to produce it. Francis Ford Coppola joined as co-producer. Production began following April with Kurosawa in high spirits. Shooting lasted from June 1979 through March 1980 plagued by problems including firing original lead actor Shintaro Katsu due to an incident where he insisted on videotaping performance against director wishes. Tatsuya Nakadai replaced him in first of two consecutive leading roles. Film completed only few weeks behind schedule opened Tokyo in April 1980. It quickly became massive hit in Japan and critical box office success abroad winning coveted Palme d'Or at 1980 Cannes Film Festival in May. International success allowed Kurosawa to proceed with next project Ran. Script partly based on Shakespeare's King Lear depicted ruthless bloodthirsty daimyo played by Tatsuya Nakadai. He foolishly banished one loyal son then surrendered kingdom to other two sons who betrayed him plunging entire kingdom into war. Filming did not begin until December 1983 lasting more than year. In January 1985 production halted as Kurosawa's sixty-four-year-old wife Yōko fell ill. She died February 1. Kurosawa returned to finish film premiered Tokyo Film Festival May 31 wide release next day. Moderate financial success in Japan but larger one abroad. He embarked trip to Europe and America attending premieres September and October. Ran won several awards in Japan but not quite honored there as many best films of 1950s and 1960s had been. After Ran release, Kurosawa pointed to it as his best film major change for director who always previously answered my next one when asked which work was best.

• 6. Dreams And Final Years

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  For next movie Kurosawa chose subject very different from any he ever filmed before. Dreams entirely based upon director's own dreams. Significantly first time over forty years Kurosawa wrote screenplay alone. Estimated budget lower than preceding films yet Japanese studios still unwilling to back production. Steven Spielberg convinced Warner Bros to buy international rights completed film. This made easier for son Hisao as co-producer negotiate loan covering production costs. Shooting took more than eight months complete. Dreams premiered Cannes May 1990 polite muted reception similar reaction elsewhere world. In 1990 he accepted Academy Award Lifetime Achievement. Acceptance speech famously said I'm little worried because I don't feel understand cinema yet. Next project Rhapsody in August explored scars nuclear bombing destroyed Nagasaki at end World War II. Adapted from Kiyoko Murata novel but references came from director rather than book. Only movie include role American movie star Richard Gere playing small role nephew elderly heroine. Shooting early 1991 opening May 25 largely negative critical reaction especially United States where accused promulgating naïvely anti-American sentiments though Kurosawa rejected accusations. Madadayo or Not Yet followed based autobiographical essays Hyakken Uchida. Narrative centers yearly birthday celebrations protagonist declares unwillingness die just yet theme increasingly relevant for eighty-one-year-old creator. Filming began February 1992 wrapped September release the 17th of April 1993 greeted even more disappointed reaction. After accident slipping breaking base spine February 1996, used wheelchair rest life putting end hopes directing another film. Spent final six months confined bed home listening music watching television. On the 6th of September 1998 age 88 died stroke Tokyo's Setagaya ward.

• 7. Axial Cuts And Weather Themes

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  Kurosawa displayed bold dynamic style strongly influenced Western cinema distinct from it. He involved all aspects production writer director producer editor. Gifted screenwriter worked closely co-writers development onward ensure high-quality script considered firm foundation good film. Frequently edited own films. Team frequent collaborators known as regulars included actor Takashi Shimura cinematographer Asakazu Nakai production assistant Teruyo Nogami. Style marked number devices techniques. Films 1940s and 1950s frequently employed axial cut camera moves toward away subject series matched jump cuts rather tracking shots dissolves. Another trait cut on motion displays motion screen two or more shots instead one uninterrupted one. Form cinematic punctuation strongly identified Kurosawa wipe effect created optical printer line bar appears move across screen wiping away end scene revealing first image next. Transitional device substitute straight cut dissolve mature work became signature. Soundtrack favored sound-image counterpoint music sound effects appeared comment ironically image emphasizing it. Involved several Japan outstanding composers including Fumio Hayasaka Tōru Takemitsu. Employed recurring themes master-disciple relationship usually older mentor novices involves spiritual technical mastery self-mastery. Heroic champion exceptional individual emerges mass people produce something right wrong. Depiction extremes weather dramatic devices symbols human passion. Recurrence cycles savage violence within history began Throne of Blood 1957 recurred films 1980s.