Akira Kurosawa - Happy Birthday...

[Asta]

I found Yojimbo particularly engaging because as soon as Toshiro Mifune arrived at the town I remembered this was the film that was unofficially remade as A Fistful of Dollars.

What I didn't expect was just how closely Leone had copied the story and Kurosawa's set up of the scenes.

While only barely into the 1960s, the music for Yojimbo had a distinctly swinging '60s feel. There were also moments that sounded like they could've inspired Morricone.


Four films so far, and four very different experiences,

 

[ChibiSchmoo]

You should add Rashomon to your list. It is after all the film that got Kurosawa noticed in the West

 

[Otomofan]

Way back, over 15 years ago, I used to see a series of small "gacha" figures of characters from Kurosawa's movies at toy stores in Tokyo.

They were available in color or black and white.

Kurosawa himself even had a figure in the line.

I wish I had picked them up, but they were hard to find and expensive at the time.

 

[Asta]

I started losing interest during Sanjuro, apart from the over the top ending which came out of nowhere after the hundreds of bloodless deaths up to that point.

I think he finally decided to stick two fingers up at the censors in an extreme way!

I couldn't get through Kagemusha or Ran, so my interest in Kurosawa has become limited to the five years encompassing Throne of Blood, The Hidden Fortress and Yojimbo.

His greatest contribution to film is that it inspired other film makers to make more engaging movies, such as Leone's A Fistful of Dollars etc, Tarantino's Kill Bill, or any number of directors who incorporated the stylistic qualities right up to The Mandalorian.

You should add Rashomon to your list. It is after all the film that got Kurosawa noticed in the West

I've just located the restored version of Rashomon. I'll look at it sometime, but I need a break from Kurosawa now.