This past weekend I had the privilege to attend a mini film festival dedicated to the films of Akira Kurosawa. It was my first time seeing a Kurosawa film but I knew this was an opportunity not to be missed , Especially due to how much I’d heard about how much of an inspiration he was on filmmakers and film itself.
It was a great day and I’m very glad I got to see these films on the big screen. my reviews for each film are below.
Yojimbo
Released: 25/04/1961
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai,
Daisuke Katō, Takashi Shimura
Rating: 9/10
The first film was Yojimbo and this was my favourite film of the day. Toshiro Mifune is just perfectly cast as the Nameless Ronin (samurai with no master) who wanders into a town during the middle of an intense gang war and begins to mess with either side to get as much money as he can from them for his services as a body-guard. played mostly straight, though there are a few laughs to be had as Mifune’s ronin and Daisuke Katō, (playing the strong yet dim brother of one of the gang leaders). The ronin gives a distinct persona of calm and chilled out but structured and calculating when the situation calls for it. mifune’s body and facial expressions brilliantly portray this and really help you get into the setting and world of the film. I really enjoyed this picture, It’s been on my mind since I saw it and I can’t wait to watch it again!!
Sanjuro
Released: 01/01/1962
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Tatsuya nakadai,
Yūzō Kayama, Takako Irie
Rating: 7/10
Released only a year after Yojimbo, Sanjuro is a great sequel and addition to the tale of the nameless ronin, again played brilliantly by Toshiro Mifune. the Ronin finds himself helping a young group of samurai who are trying to rid their clan of corruption and deceit and save the chamberlain in the process, but due to being young men, often act before thinking and end up unable to meet their goals due to mishandling themselves. The ronin decides to help them and teaches them along the way, as well as deciding that maybe violence isn’t the answer to life’s problems (as told to him by the wife of the endangered chamberlain (Takako irie) who somewhat plays the voice of reason and is quite funny thought the film). this film contains much more comedy than the previous film but has it’s serious moments too. For a film that was produced, shot and directed in less than a year, it’s a stunning achievement that I enjoyed only slightly less than the original but would gladly watch over and over.
Rashamon
Released: 25/08/1950
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Starring:Takashi Shimura, Minoru Chiaki,
Toshiro Mifune, Machiko Kyō
Rating: 6/10
First off, I understand how this film brought Kurosawa into the western film world and took it by storm. I can see how it has had an influence on film and media with it’s dynamic storytelling. the basic premise is that a samurai and his wife are travelling through the woods and the samurai is killed and his wife raped and we see four different perspectives of what happened relayed to authorities as told by a bandit, the Wife, the samurai (via a medium) and a woodcutter. it’s a good plot and definitely something that I can see directors like Tarantino being inspired by, as it clearly laid the groundwork for non-linear storytelling. I enjoyed this film but it wasn’t exactly my cup of tea. Don’t get me wrong, the cinematography is great and the use of the rain is a wonderfully subtle addition to the dark and foreboding tone, but there was just something about it that didn’t fully grab me and immerse me in the film. The acting however, is quite well done, with Machiko Kyō portraying the wife with a haunting creepiness/insanity that was quite chilling. Toshiro Mifune was quite good as the bandit, Tajōmaru. I found myself really impressed by a handful of scenes that had next to no dialogue and were quite tense as the silence was filled with body language which got across more than words could in these particular scenes. I think this film is most certainly deserving of it’s place on many “best films” list. But maybe I was just tired after a day of films so I need to give it another watch to fully take it in and see things I may have missed the first time around. overall, despite not being as enjoyable as yojimbo or sanjuro, I did still enjoy it for the most part.
