Cinematheque Ontario presents - Kurosawa

Cinematheque Ontario presents the films of Akira Kurosawa.  Kurosawa was one of the most influential directors of all time with his samurai films often mimicking the western counterparts.  Arguably his, his best and most memorable film SEVEN SAMURAI must be seen by all cineastes.

Cinematheque Ontario presents Kurosawa’s early works as well as his latter works.  I am not particularly fond of his woks after RAN but am really impressed especially of his seldom screened early works.  This is a rare opportunity to learn more of the Master and his work.

Kurosawa was awarded the Life Achievement Oscar in 1989.

For more information of showtimes, venue, ticket pricing and the complete program, check the Cinematheque website at:
http://www.cinemathequeontario.ca

Complete list of films screened:

DERSU UZALA
DODES’KA-DEN
DREAMS
DRUNKEN ANGEL
HIGH AND LOW
I LIVE IN FEAR
IKIRU
KAGEMUSHA
MADADAYO
NO REGRETS FOR OUR YOUTH
ONE WONDERFUL SUNDAY
RAN
RASHOMON
RED BEARD
RHAPSODY IN AUGUST
SANJURO
SANSHIRO SUGATA
SCANDAL
SEVEN SAMURAI
STRAY DOG
THE BAD SLEEP WELL
THE HIDDEN FORTRESS
THE IDIOT
THE LOWER DEPTHS
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL
THE QUIET DUEL
THEY WHO TREAD ON THE TIGER’S TAIL
THRONE OF BLOOD YOJIMBO

Below, find capsule reviews of 6 of the Kurosawa films screened:

DRUNKEN ANGEL (Japan 1948) ****
Directed by Akira Kurosawa

One of Kurosawas’s best movies!  The story pits two highly different characters together forming a love hate relationship.  The DRUNKEN ANGEL (Takashi Shimura) is an alcoholic doctor who has more good in his heart than his outward appearance shows.  His recent patient is a Yakuza hood Matsunaga (Toshiro Mifune) who has contacted Tuberculosis and who refuses to stop drinking and to take the doctor’s advice because of his pride.  The doctor scolds him and he hits the doctor ever so many times.  Kurosawa captures the vulnerability and sympathy of the two men as they eventually discover that they need each other.  Watch for the brilliant dance sequence in the night club where Matsunaga swings and dances with a number of girls.  Mifune shows his pride, hurt and danger all at the same time in his facial expressions and dance movements.  Excitement and action also comes into the picture as Matsunaga’s former boss is released from prison and goes after his former girlfriend who now happens to be hiding as the doctor’s nurse.  If you are taking in the Kurosawa films, make sure you do not miss this one!
(Screening June 12th 7 pm)

RASHOMON (Japan 1950) ****
Directed by Akira Kurosawa

RASHOMON details differing points of view of an account of a murdered samurai as the truth reveals itself.  The technique has been used most recently in the Hollywood blockbuster VANTAGE POINT.  RASHOMON is the name of the gate at the village where director Kurosawa’s characters tell their stories.  Though shot in black and white by cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa, the film has a stunning look from the flowing streams, pounding rains and dense forests.  The fight scene between the murderer (Toshiro Mifune – Kurosawa’s regular) and the samurai is expertly and realistically filmed as well (few modern fight scenes are comparable).  But it is Kurosawa’s play between truth and deception that shows his mastery as a director.  RASHOMON marks Kurosawa’s first success in the west, winning an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Picture in the process.
(Screening June 11th, 7pm

SANJURO (Japan 1962) ***
Directed by Akira Kurosawa

Sanjuro (Toshiro Mifune) is the name taken by the man-with-no-name samurai who aids a band of young warriors determined to fight corruption.  This band knows nothing about fighting or cunning and Sanjuro teaches them all they need to know about life and the real world.  The climatic fight between Sanjuro and the villain is idealistic in the way of Sanjuro’s view of life and his ideals.  Marred a bit by the confusing plot of who is fighting whom and what is happening between the real corrupt official is, Kurosawa’s film is still intriguing as he knows how to develop character and build suspense and audience anticipation in his films.  There is an odd shift in tone from serious to hilarious though this brightens up the mood of the story.
(Screening June 19th 7 pm, June 20th 4pm)

STRAY DOG (Japan 1949) ***** Top 10
Directed by Akira Kurosawa

Brilliantly multi-layered film set in post-war Japan about a rookie homicide detective Murakami (Toshiro Mifune) who takes it upon himself to redeem himself after his colt pistol is pickpocketed on a crowded bus.  The thief, Yusa (Isao Kimura) is apprehended at the end after he does his harm one bullet after another, that were left in the stolen gun.  The setting is a very hot Tokyo, where the characters are constantly wiping the sweat off their faces with their handkerchiefs.  Kurosawa overuses the metaphor of the STRAY DOG a bit much.  Yusa is like a stray who turns into a mad dog once he starts killing.  The comparison is also made of Murakami and Yusa who both had their backpacks stolen returning after fighting the war.  The difference is that Yusa blames and turns on society.  But the most interesting is Kurosawa’s use of the character of Sato (Takashi Shimura), Murakami’s mentor in the case.  To him, there is no grey level of bad and he is clearly impatient when Murakami partly blames himself for the events after the gun is stolen.  Kurosawa, in a stroke of genius shows a visit to Sato’s house, with him showing Murakami his wife and three really cute children.  From then, the audience is in a constant state of suspense when he goes after Yusa that something mighty happen to such a good family man.  STRAY DOG is a compelling film from start to end, with engrossing real human characters and perhaps good is good and bad is bad with nothing in between after all.
(Screening June 12th 9 pm)

THRONE OF BLOOD (Japan 1959) ****
Directed by Akira Kurosawa

Kurosawa’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s MacBeth takes place in feudal medieval Japan where Washizu Taketoki (played by Toshiro Mifune) schemes to take over the coveted Spider Web Castle.  Washizu is given a lighter treatment than the MacBeth character as most of the scheming is shown plotted and coerced by his good or rather evil wife who eventually gets punished by giving birth to a stillborn and goes crazy.  Kurosawa changes the scene of the three witches to a white spirit in the woods.  His creation of a very scary woods complete with fog and lurking evil is more than impressive.  The battle scenes are as spectacular as they come, especially without special effects.  The final scene of the already gone crazy Washizu waving off arrows as if he were a pin cushion makes its point never to dabble with evil.
(Screening June 11, 8.45pm)

YOJIMBO (Japan 1961) ***1/2
Directed by Akira Kurosawa

YOJIMBO (which means bodyguard) is the story of a ronin (or masterless samurai) (Toshiro Mifune) who hires himself as bodyguard to two warlords.  His aim is to fool each side to wipe each other out in order to protect the village that is being pillaged by the two bands.  He is successful up to a point till one group discovers his plot.  Then he is tortured terribly.  His escape is nerve wrenching as he crawls underneath the floorboards as the enemy runs around trying to kill him.  Kurosawa films YOJIMBO like a western – with shots of the loner in the barren landscape and dust blowing in the wind as the loner approaches his enemies.  YOJIMBO contains lots of fight scenes with bits of humour thrown in and can be argued to be the Kurosawa film with the most action sequences.
(Screening June 25th 9pm)