Akira Kurosawa

[xerxes]

ikiru may be my favorite of his films. although there is no way i could ever pick. i wish i could go back to that month when i first discovered kurosawa and watched all that i could whenever i could. i envy you silver bullet.

stray dog is one of his great modern day films too. do try to find that one.

[godardian]

what are his modern day ones like? are they wearing 50's style clothing, etc? it's just hard for me to picture.

They're just more... modern. High and Low is an interesting study of Japanese society at the time, but its overall theme- the frustration of an underclass and the blind spots of the overclass- are pretty universal and timeless. It's got a bit of a hard-boiled, detective-y feel to it. I think Ron Howard's Ransom was based on it.

I can't wait for Red Beard. Just ordered it. Apparently, it's also a modern-day piece.

[xerxes]

red beard is not a modern-day piece, someone can correct me if i'm wrong, but i believe it takes place in the 1800s.

his "mondern-day" films, as i remember:
-the most beautiful
-no regrets for our youth
-one wonderful sunday
-drunken angel
-the quiet duel
-stray dog
-scandal
-the idiot
-record of a living being (aka i live in fear)
-the bad sleep well
-high and low
-dodesukaden
-dreams (kinda)
-rhapsody in august
-madadayo (also kinda)

[The Silver Bullet]

i find this phenomenon awesome, especially since he's dead.

Um, yeah, I'm not an idiot. Via his films, he is fast forging himself as one of my favourite directors, dead or not, he is in the process of doing so, because I am in the process of watching his movies.

Meanwhile:

Dodes'ka-den A
The Bad Sleep Well A+

[Ravi]

what are his modern day ones like? are they wearing 50's style clothing, etc? it's just hard for me to picture.

They're just more... modern. High and Low is an interesting study of Japanese society at the time, but its overall theme- the frustration of an underclass and the blind spots of the overclass- are pretty universal and timeless. It's got a bit of a hard-boiled, detective-y feel to it. I think Ron Howard's Ransom was based on it.

I can't wait for Red Beard. Just ordered it. Apparently, it's also a modern-day piece.

High and Low and The Bad Sleep Well were based on Ed McBain novels.  I guess he's a hard-boiled detective story writer?

[The Silver Bullet]

The more I think about The Bad Sleep Well the more awesome I think it was.

[Duck Sauce]

red beard is not a modern-day piece, someone can correct me if i'm wrong, but i believe it takes place in the 1800s.

his "mondern-day" films, as i remember:
-the most beautiful
-no regrets for our youth
-one wonderful sunday
-drunken angel
-the quiet duel
-stray dog
-scandal
-the idiot
-record of a living being (aka i live in fear)
-the bad sleep well
-high and low
-dodesukaden
-dreams (kinda)
-rhapsody in august
-madadayo (also kinda)

and I havent seen any of these.... seems like his samurai films get most coverage

[Ghostboy]

Man, looking at Xerxes' list there made me realize just how behind I am in seeing not just Kurosawa's films, but those of so many great directors. I've seen four Kurosawa movies, and I thought I was doign all right up until about now.

[Ravi]

Man, looking at Xerxes' list there made me realize just how behind I am in seeing not just Kurosawa's films, but those of so many great directors. I've seen four Kurosawa movies, and I thought I was doign all right up until about now.

I've seen more than 4, but there are a few films on that list I haven't even heard of.

[The Silver Bullet]

Oh, to be a director back when you could just make a movie each year...

[Duck Sauce]

Oh, to be a director back when you could just make a movie each year...

Thats when being a director was a JOB

[The Silver Bullet]

And not a what? What is it now? A happening?

[Duck Sauce]

And not a what? What is it now? A happening?

now its a diversion

[The Silver Bullet]

Ooh. I like that.

[Vile5]

Kurosawa was, is and will be a god!!