By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.5 cats
Director: Adam Low
Country: japan, united_kingdom, united_states
Year: 2002
Running time: 100
IMDB: http://us.imdb.com/Details?0316142
Laura says: “This documentary chronicles Kurosawa’s childhood, connecting significant events with images in his later films, as well as his development as a filmmaker, his relationship with actor Toshiro Mifune and his influence on other filmmakers. If you didn’t already consider Kurosawa one of the top world class directors, this documentary should convince you. Particularly interesting were the reflections of his son and daughter.” 4 cats
Michael says: “I’m glad Laura reminded me about this documentary when she posted a little round-up of docs a few weeks ago. Akira Kurosawa was an amazing filmmaker. His groundbreaking RASHOMON is one of my top 10 films of all time. This documentary, by Adam Low, basically gives us brief look at Kurosawa’s life, from childhood to death, and the legacy of film he has left behind.
“While I learned several facts that I was previously unaware of, I don’t feel I learned all that much about the man, or his filmmaking. In fact, some of the tidbits of information about Kurosawa as a filmmaker that I was already aware of were conspicuously absent. Still it was interesting to see the parallel modern history of Japan unfolding alongside Kurosawa’s life. The relationship between he and his frequent star actor Toshiro Mifune is touched upon, and both his son and daughter provide some insight into their father’s life. Interviews with critics, both Japanese and Western, as well as his more well-known fans, such as James Coburn and Clint Eastwood are interesting. Two of his star actresses (Machiko Kyô from RASHOMON and Isuzu Yamada from THRONE OF BLOOD) make fascinating appearances as well.
“KUROSAWA is a good place to start to learn about a great filmmaker’s life. Now I think I’d like to read a more in-depth book on the subject.” 3 cats