Jump to content

Classic Kurosawa


Recommended Posts

  • 1 month later...
  • Premium Member

Hi,

 

I appreciate the cultural connections with "Seven Samurai," but I don't think it's really any more clever than me making a film about medieval knights. However I haven't seen it in years, must update Mental Note card.

 

Phil

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member

Jeez, Phil, considering that I would place "Seven Samurai" in the top ten list of greatest movies ever made, I can't believe you can be so dismissive of such a major artistic achievement. It's like seeing the Taj Mahal or the Mona Lisa and saying "I don't see what all the fuss is about!" I mean, you're free to express such an opinion, of course, but it's like calling Beethoven's Fifth a mindless piece of pop music.

 

I would give a limb to have directed two films more than any others: "Seven Samurai" and "Dr. Strangelove." To me, they are almost perfect works of cinema. After those two, it would be "2001" and "Lawrence of Arabia."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've got to agree with Phil here. I saw Ran on dvd last month and just turned it off. Maybe it's just because the father looked awful to me. Maybe it's because Japanese stuff is not my thing. I say 'stuff' because I can't pinpoint what it is. I'm not at all interested in visiting Japan though I enjoy some of the beautiful photographs from there. I have no interest in their culture but please don't take that to mean I look down on them. It's just not 'my thing'.

 

I tried to watch it for the cinematography but just didn't see anything. I loved the documentary on his life, though. I thought it was better than anything Kurosawa ever did, but I haven't seen all of them.

 

I didn't like Lawrence either except for the cinematography which was spectacular. I thought O'Toole was corny with his staring off into the distance. I know that was considered OK then but that doesn't mean I have to like it now.

 

I'm hardly a kid and I grew up during those years so it's not my age. Just personal preference I guess.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member

For me, films that can transcend cultural lines to examine our common human condition, like "Seven Samurai" and "Lawrence of Arabia" or "Schindler's List", are timeless. Freddie Young's cinematography in LOA is wonderful, and the film shows what 65mm can do for image quality, but the political message is still very relevant with today's events in the Middle East. There are lessons to be learned from history, and great films help convey those lessons more than any textbook.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have to agree with John P here. LOA is a excellent. Personally I think O'Toole is fabulous as is Omar Sharif (spell check?). O'Toole has charisma something Mr John Wayne certainly doesn't! Clint all the way! As for David Lean, well he must be put up there with the greats!

 

As for Kurusawa I personally think that it's to easy too dismiss such classics as 'Seven Samurai', remember it was made in 1954. The only thing I would say is that, had Seven Samurai not been made we wouldn't have been blessed with the remarkable Mag 7, NOT! If you can't find meaning in Kurusawa's films try Film school! How could you not admire the atmosphere and dramatic spectacles? For me Kagemusha is very under-rated though funded by Mr Lucas. Ran for me is a work of art! Thank god for Japanese and European cinema or we'd be watching tripe like Bad Boy's (though nicely shot) and Independance Day all our lives!

 

Only my opinion which probably counts for very little! :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member

A lot of this comes down to taste. However, even though I don't care for modern jazz or much of modern art, the failing lies in me, not in them.

 

If you want to rank Kurosawa's films, it's difficult because there was such a stylistic shift by the time of "Ran", so if you're a fan of his earlier gritty and humanistic efforts, the bleakness and theatricality of "Ran" will be less appealing. I admire "Ran" but I do not love it like I do "Seven Samurai".

 

As others have noted, "Seven Samurai" is so much more than a knight's tale done in medieval Japan -- I dare anyone to find a medieval times film from that period of cinema history with that sort of animalistic energy. It's more akin to a western by John Ford but none of his films have the sort of visceral power of that last battle in the rain. And it's certainly not fair to compare it to modern films that have built themselves on Kurosawa's work, such as works by Sergio Leone, George Miller, Ridley Scott, etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

RAN is my favourite film by Kurosawa. It's the ultimate refinement of his style.

 

If we're going to talk about other classic Japanese directors, in reletion to Kurosawa, you've

got to look at Kenji Mizoguchi's films --- UGETSU, SHIN HEIKE MONOGATARI, SANSHO DAYU...

 

-Sam

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The mention of 65mm reminded me of a question, does Kodak still make 65mm or 70mm film? And if so, where could one find the cameras?

 

Back to Kurosawa, the first film of his I saw was Ran, in my cinematography class in high school. We ran through the movie with the sound off, then sound on, to compare/contrast the visual with the audio. One of the most magnificent achievements of filmmaking. I also enjoyed Seven Samurai, and agree that it is one of the best films ever made. I also enjoyed the Hidden Fortress and Dreams, but sadly have not given time to Kurosawa's other works.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member

Yes, Kodak stocks a full line of 65mm camera negative and duplicating films, and 70mm KODAK VISION Color Print Films. Modern cameras for 5-perf 65mm are available from Panavision and Arriflex. Labs include Technicolor/CFI, Imagica, FotoKem.

 

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/products....1.4.18.4&lc=en

 

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/products....1.4.18.6&lc=en

 

http://www.kodak.com/US/plugins/acrobat/en.../colorPrint.pdf

 

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/newslett...lak/dec98.shtml

 

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/newslett...k/march99.shtml

 

http://www.gearpreview.com/film/65mm/765.html

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok, whenever I get a decent budget for a movie (the fact I've not yet done a movie notwithstanding) I am definately going to shoot it in 70mm. I loved hitting the local 70mm super-screen when I was younger, and miss the crispness. then again, I'd love to see Maxivision48 take off as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...