Akira Kurosawa Films 101: ‘Seven Samurai’ (1954)
Today’s Kurosawa 101 focuses on what’s generally regarded as the greatest Japanese film ever made and perhaps the greatest in world film: Seven Samurai.
japanese film
Widescreen, Big Ideas: The Cinema of Akira Kurosawa
When Akira Kurosawa made the conversion to a wider screen, he did so by making six consecutive films in widescreen, with a degree of success as resounding as it was influential.
Akira Kurosawa Films 101: 1950 – 1952
Today’s Kurosawa 101 explores two of the greatest films in Kurosawa’s catalog, Rashomon — the film that made Kurosawa and Japanese cinema known throughout the world — and Ikiru — perhaps the greatest film ever made about impending death.
Akira Kurosawa Films 101: 1949 – 1950
Today’s Kurosawa 101 films include the director’s only effort at bringing a contemporary Japanese stage play to the screen (the rarely seen The Quiet Duel), a police procedural that was the finest Kurosawa film to date (Stray Dog), and a scree against tabloid journalism that resulted in one of the weakest films he would ever direct (Scandal).
Textbook on Film: The Political As Personal in the Films of Kurosawa
Kurosawa’s films often act as deliberate examinations of historical periods, exploring difficult realities that existed and the ordeals of the individuals.
Akira Kurosawa Films 101: 1946 – 1948
Day Two of Akira Kurosawa 101 examines three of his films that address the nature of life in Japan immediately at the end of WWII and the American Occupation.
A Giant Shadow: The Continuing Influence of Akira Kurosawa on World Cinema
It’s impossible to imagine a world without Akira Kurosawa’s films. He’s one of the greatest directors in movie history, having made many first-tier masterpieces.
Akira Kurosawa Films 101: 1943-1945
Over the next two weeks, we will discuss every film that Akira Kurosawa directed, from the obscure to the most celebrated, from Scandal and The Most Beautiful to Seven Samurai and Ran.
Masaki Kobayashi’s ‘Kwaidan’ Horror Films Are Horrifically Beautiful
The four haunting tales of Masaki Kobayashi's Kwaidan are human and relatable, as well as impressive at a formal and a technical level.
Populism as High Art: Getting to the Heart of Ishiro Honda
A new biography of the groundbreaking -- yet unassuming -- film director explores his multifaceted life and work.
The Pure Artificiality in Kon Ichikawa’s ‘An Actor’s Revenge’
There's no need for a suspension of disbelief in this film insofar as An Actor's Revenge revels in our disbelief, our constant awareness of the staginess of the action—regardless of whether we are witnessing kabuki performances or the carrying out of the revenge plot itself.
‘Tampopo’ Serves Up Film Noir, Gangster and Western Tropes With Noodles
Viewers who like early Woody Allen will enjoy the humor in Tampopo.