All Things Kurosawa

[Paul MacLean]

Sorry I have been late in commenting, but I've been really enjoying your rundown of Kurosawa's films.

Keep 'em coming!

[mkaroly]

Thanks for the encouragement Paul!

[mkaroly]

Red Beard (19635). An arrogant young doctor named Noboru Yasumoto (Yuzo Kayama), having been trained in a medical school in Nagasaki, aspires to follow in his relative’s footsteps and become the personal physician of the Shogunate. He is sent to a small rural clinic that caters to the poor; it is run by the enigmatic Dr. Kyojo Niide (Toshiro Mifune) who is called “Red Beard”. Yasumoto discovers he is to stay at the clinic and learn under Niide which deeply angers him, for he does not feel the environment or Dr. Niide can teach him anything. Gradually though, under the wise mentoring of Dr. Niide, Yasumoto discovers he has much to learn. From watching a man breathe his last breaths, to hearing the deathbed confession of a poor man who is respected in the community, and in his helping to rehabilitate an abused 12-year-old girl named Otoyo (among other experiences), Yasumoto comes discover his true humanity and purpose in life.

There is so much I like about this film. For one, although Red Beard’s running time is around 185 minutes, the film never drags. The story is so absorbing from start to finish that one hardly even realizes three hours has passed. The different character vignettes which provide Yasumoto with the “real life” experiences he needs in order to mature are each so well-placed and compelling within the narrative framework of the whole story. Additionally, the characters are well-written and well-acted out regardless of whether or not they are a main character or a supporting character - each is compelling in his or her own right. In particular, Yasumoto’s character arc is very reminiscent of Yuki’s character arc in No Regrets for Our Youth – both are privileged, immature, and selfish people who, after coming into contact with the real world and with people who truly make a difference, help them to mature and become more human in finding their true meaning/purpose in life. Kurosawa makes the viewer share in his journey. Mifune gives a stellar performance as the wise yet mysterious Dr. Niide; it is funny that the title of the film refers to a character who has such a profound impact on those around him (including the viewer), yet the narrative gives us very little information about his past, leaving us to speculate. I like the mystery surrounding Red Beard; to me it adds to the appeal of the film as a whole.

Aside from the theme already discussed above, the theme of class inequality is also prevalent throughout the film. The poor suffer and the system is rigged against them, keeping them poor with few resources (in that sense the film is also quite prophetic). Yet the film is infused with so much hope and positivity despite its sadder moments; I never felt that the film was purposefully trying to pull the heart strings in its sadder moments – rather, they gave characters the opportunity to show their dignity and value as human beings in a way that, to me, reflects Kurosawa’s humanistic sincerity. As someone who has worked in health care for over 30 years and who has volunteered at medical clinics in rural/poor areas, Red Beard just really hits home in a lot of ways. Of course, this film brought an end to the Kurosawa-Mifune team that made so many memorable films together (which in itself is sad), and that too affects how I think about this film. For me then, Red Beard is an outstanding accomplishment – moving, compelling, and a great example of mature filmmaking. It is a journey well worth taking - it may be something of a guilty pleasure for me, but I honestly do not feel all that guilty about it. (Legendary)

[mkaroly]

Dodes'ka-den (1970) – The story of this film is about a group of people living in a slum area on the outskirts of Tokyo. Some of the inhabitants of the slum include a homeless beggar and his little boy who dream of owning their own home (their actual home is the frame of a car), a couple of day laborers who are both married to wives who have had enough of their drunken benders, an uncle who abuses his niece in more than one way, a man who has a very noticeable tic who is married to a woman everyone thinks is rude, a hairbrush maker whose wife has had children by several different men (yet he accepts them all as his children), a mysteriously quiet man who lives in a shack and who looks like the walking dead, and a younger boy named Roku-chan (Yoshitaka Zushi) who drives an imaginary trolley through the slum several times daily and is made fun of by the local kids. The story follows them through their ups and downs; some continue to hope, while others have given up hope, while still yet others find a way to survive and live their lives under the circumstances.

On a technical level I enjoyed this film. Dodes'ka-den is notable for being Kurosawa’s first color film, and on that level alone I was entranced. Kurosawa uses color to great dramatic effect in this film: for example, when the beggar and his son eat undercooked fish and get food poisoning, their green colored faces give them haunting and ghostly appearances. Additionally, the bright colors associated with their dream home are alive and stand in stark contrast to the drab yellow color of the car frame they live out of. The mysteriously quiet man’s shack is drably colored, signifying what he has become considering his life circumstances; and the colorful environment of the uncle’s home is deceptive. Seeing color in a Kurosawa film is revelatory. The film is beautifully framed as well – it opens with Roku-chan operating his imaginary trolley on its morning run, and the film closes with the trolley returning home at night, signifying the journey we as the viewer get to take along the “routes” and “stops” in the film. Toru Takemitsu’s score is pleasant and reminded me of Goldsmith’s A Patch of Blue for some reason.

The issue I have with Dodes'ka-den is in its story – it reminded me of The Lower Depths but just not as good. I came away from the film with a sense of heaviness, and maybe that was Kurosawa’s intent (especially considering all the drama going on in his personal life between the end of his working relationship with Toshiro Mifune to his bad experiences with Hollywood working on Tora! Tora! Tora!). There are sweet moments, a few humorous moments, some moving moments, dark and haunting moments, and sad moments, but they don’t quite come together in a satisfying way to me (which is kind of how I feel about Robert Altman films like Short Cuts). I suppose I should cut Kurosawa some slack here since it was the first film he directed in Japan after a five-year hiatus, and real-life stuff does not always work out for the best. It was also made quickly and some have said that this film was his response to his experience with Hollywood, which made it a deeply personal film to him. Whatever the case, Dodes'ka-den was not successful when it was released, and in 1971 Kurosawa attempted suicide. Ultimately, I do not feel this is one of his better efforts – it is not a film I feel compelled to watch repeatedly. From a technical standpoint I really enjoyed it (and it is worth watching at least once for this reason alone), but not so much from a story perspective. (Mid-Tier)

[mkaroly]

Dersu Uzala (1975) – Captain Valdimir Arsenyev (Yury Solomin) leads a band of soldiers through the Ussuri territory of the Russian Far East on a topographical survey of the region in the early 1900s. They encounter a Goldi native of the region by the name of Dersu Uzala (Maxim Munzuk), a woodsman and hunter who lost his wife and kids to smallpox. They ask him to be their guide through the area and Dersu accepts. Dersu and Arsenyev develop a close friendship throughout the journey which itself is filled with challenges and dangers associated with the wintertime. They part company when the team finishes its mission, leaving Arsenyev to wonder if he will ever see Dersu again. When Arsenyev returns to the region on another expedition in the summer, he and his team encounter Dersu and set out on another adventure. But things take a downward turn when Dersu shoots at a tiger and believes he has killed it; he begins to lose his eyesight and believes he is being haunted by the tiger’s spirit who wants him to leave the forest. Arsenyev opens his home in the city to Dersu, but both soon discover that Dersu really belongs back home in the forest.

Along with Dodes'ka-den, I feel Dersu Uzala was a transitional film for Kurosawa, especially as he got used to filming in color. In my opinion, this film can best be described as a sentimentalist drama. It is an adaptation of Vladimir Arsenyev’s memoir, so it is based on real life events (though perhaps the character of Dersu himself is an amalgamation/composite of several different guides he came across during his expeditions). The film seems to me to be a reflection on friendship and on the intrusion of “civilization” into nature. There is very little action in the film; it is quiet yet engaging with a bit of a documentary feel to it (which reminded me to an extent of The Most Beautiful). Kurosawa uses the Russian landscape to great effect in the film – the vistas he captures on film are stunning and look wonderful in color. He manages to show both the beauty and dangerous power of nature equally well; additionally, he contrasts ‘nature’ and ‘city’ equally well (though very quietly). The film spends so much time in nature that by the time we get to the end of the film and arrive in the city we truly feel the difference, and it helps us to relate to Dersu’s character all the more.

Since there is not much action in the film (excepting the danger set-pieces in each expedition, one in winter and one in summer), most of the acting is, again, very quiet and related to gestures and looks – though Dersu is the most animated of the bunch. I thought the acting was good; as the film progresses you can feel the relational bond and respect that develops between Dersu and Arsenyev, and by the end of the film one can easily feel what Arsenyev feels (no spoilers). All of that is a credit to the actors and their performances. I know of at least one perspective that feels this film is too much of a 'heartstring manipulator' that is beneath Kurosawa and too ‘cheap’ (my words); I do not agree. It is a sentimental film, but I feel that the emotional thread underlying the film reflects something sincere from Kurosawa. Maybe I am wrong, but I enjoy the film more every time I watch it and find myself moved more and more by the end, and I find myself more deeply appreciating how quiet the film is - especially in today’s hyper-ADHD media society. (Upper Mid-Tier)

[mkaroly]

Kagemusha (1980) – A petty thief (Tatsuya Nakadai) is saved from execution by Nobukado (Tsutomu Yamazaki), the younger brother of Lord Shingen Takeda (Tatsuya Nakadai), because the thief looks exactly like Shingen. They plan to use the thief as a kagemusha (“shadow warrior”) in order to protect Shingen and confuse his enemies Lord Nobunaga (Daisuke Ryu) and Lord Tokugawa (Masayuki Yui). When Shingen gets seriously injured he tells his generals that his final wish upon death is that they keep silent about it for three years. Once he dies his generals put the kagemusha on the throne and set out to convince everyone that Shingen is still alive. However, Shingen’s son Katsuyori (Kenichi Hagiwara) is upset with the plan because it prevents him from taking over the Takeda clan. As time goes on the kagemusha gains confidence and fools everyone, though his overconfidence coupled with the jealous ambitions of Katsuyori lead the Takeda clan on a path to its end.

First and foremost, this is a glorious film to watch – the array of colors that Kurosawa uses on costumes and dressing along with the natural colors of buildings and nature make for a film that is vibrant and alive – like a painting that has come to life. On a technical level this film shows Kurosawa had not lost his touch as a director and artist; there are several memorable cinematic moments that stick with the viewer long after the film is over. I think of the pre-title sequence which is expertly and beautifully constructed with no edits, where Nakadai is in the frame as both the thief and Shingen. Kurosawa’s use of hundreds of extras did not pose issues for the symmetry within his framing (which is perfect). The only criticism I have concerns his editing during the Battle of Takatenjin in which I felt the edits were random and did not make sense spatially (but that could very well be a ‘me’ problem). Musically the film’s score composed by Shin'ichirō Ikebe is sparse but powerful – his theme for the Takeda clan is strong and was successfully used to communicate both triumph and tragedy. All in all, from a technical standpoint Kagemusha is a really strong film.

As far as the acting goes, I have to give props to Nakadai’s work as both Shingen and the thief. I really enjoyed the nuances of his portrayal of the kagemusha – one can see the character gain confidence throughout the film, and one can feel his dejection when everything comes unraveled. I enjoyed all the performances in the film and was thoroughly absorbed in the story, though I do not know anything about 16th century Japanese history (the film ends with the Battle of Nagashino in 1574). It is a 180-minute epic – absorbing and moving – that does not seems to be as long as it is. Ultimately I feel that Kagemusha is a very confident film, meaning that Kurosawa seemed more comfortable with making color films and perhaps felt really confident as a director again. In my opinion Kagemusha is a strong effort and a stand-out in his late period work. (Top Shelf)

[Paul MacLean]

I must confess Kagemusha is hit and miss with me. I agree it looks amazing...but I find it clunky. I feel Kurosawa was out-of-practice when he made this one.

It's got great moments to be sure, most of them the introspective, character scenes involving the thief and his attempts to masquerade as the Lord. I love the scene where he breaks down and admits to the concubines he isn't really who they think he is (and they just laugh, assuming he's joking). The moment when the bodyguard break into tears when the thief so perfectly impersonates the lord is very powerful. The thief's relationship with the grandson is also touching -- and heartbreaking. Another great scene is when where Takeda's son tries to expose the thief by asking his thoughts on a strategic course of action, and the thief brilliantly evades the trap by invoking the Lord's reputation: "A mountain does not move".

But for me Kagemusha falters in the "epic" sequences. The battle scenes have an almost claustrophobic quality, with limited coverage, and despite legions of costumed extras, don't look and feel as "epic" as one feels they ought. I also felt totally cheated at the end of the film, that we hear the troops run into battle -- but we're never shown the actual fight! (Though Kurosawa would more than make up for this several years later when he gave us one of the greatest battles ever filmed, in Ran).

Kurosawa originally cast Zatoichi star Shintaro Katsu as the thief / warlord — only to fire him the first day of shooting after an on-set row. Also, the supporting cast is populated by a number of well-known Japanese television actors, whose performances are occasionally hammy. It's possible Kurosawa needed familiar faces to get funding, but they do compromise of the film a bit (and I wonder if the presence of so many TV actors gave Japanese audiences the same feeling Americans got from watching The Bastard!).

I think Ikebe's score is highly effective in the more subdued, character-driver scenes, but too frenetic and over-the-top in the epic scenes. And the aftermath of the final battle features a trumpet soloist who plays with so much vibrato, it almost sounds like the theme from Chinatown!

According to Donald Ritchie, Kurosawa "must take full blame" for the "overly portentous score". I suspect Kurosawa might have regretted the musical direction they took with Kagemusha, which is why he went with Toru Takemitsu for Ran (and Ran is the arguably the greatest score ever written for a Kurosawa film).

[mkaroly]

You bring up a great point about the TV actors - the more I thought about the film, the more I feel like it has a "TV mini-series" feel to it (if that makes sense).

I am all about Ran...looking forward to gushing over that one! You can probably guess what my rating will be...lol...