The Kurosawa Project
In which I watch and review every film directed by Akira Kurosawa, in order
Akira Kurosawa is easily my favorite director. For my money, he is able to stage better action scenes than anybody in the business. His dramatic sensibilities are also rarely off the mark, while almost never playing to formula. He has such a good sense of when to leave a scene understated, and when to lay the emotion on thick, and often plays the two off of each other for even greater impact. And on top of that, his framing shows such a remarkable knack for capturing striking aesthetics that every one of his movies I’ve seen has at least one shot that has stuck with me, even decades later. He seems to move effortlessly from quick-paced action movies like Yojimbo to Shakespeare (Throne of Blood and Ran were adapted from Macbeth and King Lear respectively), and often mixes elements of the two into movies that feel like nothing else out there. He is often imitated, but no matter how many times his work is referenced or remade, it always feels fresh.
I’m not sure why it’s taken me this long to decide to watch through his entire available filmography. However, with the Criterion Channel having almost everything, what an excellent opportunity it is to correct this by familiarizing myself even more deeply with someone whose work has had such an impact on me. And heck, why not take them in order and write my opinions on each movie as I go, making special notes of my favorites, and how they stack up within the context? So here I am, embarking on my Kurosawa Project, and sharing it with anyone who’d like to join me on the ride.
Just a warning that–while I will try to avoid detailing surprises and twists–I will be dealing with general plot spoilers, and describing some scenes in some detail.