Learn about creating “Cinematic Beauty” and the cultural role of movies from Akira Kurosawa, one of the world’s greatest directors.
This introduction to Akira Kurosawa provides the student with a quick but thorough exposure to this talented artist.
Introduction
Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998) was a Japanese movie director whose movies were enjoyed all over the world. Although he made over 30 movies with a wide range of themes and settings to considerable acclaim, he humbly claimed always to be a student of movies trying to learn and understand more about how they work.
Kurosawa did not write a treatise on how to make movies. However, his autobiography and interviews given over the years include many thoughts about the nature of cinematic beauty, movie making, and some advice to beginners.
Late in life, Kurosawa considered Ran as his best movie. However, several of his movies have been influential in many different ways. The subjectivity of recollections about an event witnessed by different observers is now sometimes named “The Rashomon Effect” after Kurosawa’s Rashomon. The Hidden Fortress provided inspiration for the Star Wars series of movies. Seven Samurai may be Kurosawa’s best loved movie, and was 17th in the critic’s 2012 Sight and Sound poll of best all-time movies.
Fantasy screen worlds in feudal Japan, contemporary settings, current topics, Shakespeare or Dostoyevsky, Kurosawa was at home everywhere.
Kurosawa Stats
Movies Directed
Movies in the Top 250
Award Wins
Movie Insights in this Book
How does this introduction aid students?
- It collects Kurosawa’s many insightful ideas and astute observations about movie making in one place.
- It organizes these ideas and observations according to the movie making process.
- It contains reflections on some of Kurosawa’s ideas.
- It concludes with a unique analysis of several Kurosawa movies.
Topics Covered
On the Nature of Movies
On the Audience for Movies
On Sources or Script Material
On a Director's Mindset
On Shooting Movies
On Sound or Music
On Acting
On Editing
On the End to Keep in Sight
An Extended Analysis of Select Movies
On the Nature of Movies
On the Audience for Movies
On Sources or Script Material
On a Director's Mindset
On Shooting Movies
On Sound or Music
On Acting
On Editing
On the End to Keep in Sight
An Extended Analysis of Select Movies
What other movie lovers think about Kurosawa.
One of the great filmmakers of the 20th century.
– George Lucas
A true visionary…for students and film lovers all over the world.
– Steven Spielberg
Kurosawa’s films have an awe-inspiring power.
– Martin Scorsese
A note from the author.
“The thing I remember about discovering Kurosawa is his sense of the importance for spectacle in a movie,” says Shawn. “Almost all his movies have grand scenes in which the viewer can become completely lost. He’s a great moviemaker. Incredibly, Kurosawa also had such faith in people and in the power of movies that he believed moviemakers could help create a better world. I admire his passion.”
Discover more about Shawn here.
