Kurosawa's later films in color are adorned with so much gorgeous eye candy, almost like he'd been waiting his whole life to make color movies and so he loaded up everything with so much...color. He was a painter, after all. Dersu Uzala, Kagemusha, Ran, Dreams, Rhapsody in August...they're like paintings come to life.
in ran there was always… so much on screen. so much color, so much action, so much space being used or not used but it never felt like too much. like somehow kurosawa made every frame of the movie count and made every frame so perfectly crafted to never be overwhelming is insane to me
The history and health of movies and the magic therein might rest more on the shoulders of Martin Scorcese than any other filmmaker, actor, or director due to his extensive work in preservation, his own filmography, and his unmatched love for cinema that has caused a great many of us to be absorbed in this lifetime fascination with the medium.
@@steveconn Martin Scorsese defines and embodies cinema and knows art because he has directed some of the most highly regarded movies in the history of medium and it frustrates me when he calls superhero movies not cinema people immediately labeled him as pretentious because he knows what he is talking since he has seen cinema evolve and has every right to criticize superhero movies.
The swingset scene in Ikiru is the most profound and most devastating shot I've ever seen in a film. It portrays the futility, beauty and tragedy of the human condition in the most hauntingly beautiful way possible.
I was thinking the exact same thing hahahah, makes no sense. Love the track tho, so I’m not mad. Just another opportunity to listen to the legend, RIP.
Interesting that Oshima saw himself as rebelling against Kurosawa's generation, although I think he ended up having great reverence for him. As should we all.
Kagemusha is better than Ran. Of course, ask me tomorrow and I might tell you the opposite is true. That was the power that The Emperor had on us all. They just get better and better each time you watch.
Kagemusha is better than Ran, and is probably my second favorite Kurosawa film behind Seven Samurai. I also like Sanjuro more than Yojimbo, but comparing his films against one another is like ranking masterpiece carved gems based on what colors you like most. Real hot take: Tatsuya Nakadai is a better lead than Toshiro Mifune.
@@TrisketI think Ran will always be second to High and Low for me but Sanjuro is high up too, I prefer it to Yojimbo aswell it just feels so refined and smart, no fat
I have tried to watch hidden fortress TWICE and still haven’t finished it lmao but I still love Kurosawa but there’s just something about that film I can’t get through it.
It's crazy; it closed before I got there, and I heard it was demolished shortly after I left. The entire time I was there, any time it was brought up, and even occasionally just passing by it, I'd hear it mentioned in a fond remembrance by people who went there in their childhood (and even adulthood). I kinda always hoped it would get sold and restored/rebuilt. Shame.
@@Jeffool Saw the Goonies and Beyond Thunderdome there too. Had beautiful gold miner brass art with glittering stars along the side. The sign...criminal they demolished it.
@@steveconn I saw pictures of the inside, and of course drove by it a million times. The place looked the definition of picturesque. It seems it was exactly what you think of when you think "classic movie theater."
When I saw Dreams I didn't immediately recognize who was playing Van Gogh, but as soon as he spoke that voice was unmistakable. I like some segments better than others. Naturally, Crows is my favourite.
I saw Japanese films for the first time at the Toho La brea theatre in Los Angeles. Red Beard was the first Kurosawa film I saw. After that I searched the newspapers for more. My favorite Kurosawa film is 'Straw Dogs'. It is difficult for me to separate Mifune from Kurosawa.
What does it mean to be the greatest filmmaker of all time? There are different ways to look at this. Do we consider just the pure talent they possessed, or whether they made the most daring films compared to their contemporaries? Should we evaluate which films were the hardest to make, given the time period they were in and what they accomplished? Perhaps we should assess how their work has defined an era of filmmaking, inspiring generation after generation, with their influence still evident today. Taking all these factors together, we might determine who deserves that title. Akira Kurosawa is truly a master when considering all these aspects.
One powerful aspect of Kurosawa's films is the revelation of who a character truly is.
Kurosawa's later films in color are adorned with so much gorgeous eye candy, almost like he'd been waiting his whole life to make color movies and so he loaded up everything with so much...color. He was a painter, after all. Dersu Uzala, Kagemusha, Ran, Dreams, Rhapsody in August...they're like paintings come to life.
in ran there was always… so much on screen. so much color, so much action, so much space being used or not used but it never felt like too much. like somehow kurosawa made every frame of the movie count and made every frame so perfectly crafted to never be overwhelming is insane to me
@@withered1453ran may be very well be his greatest work. It is so staggering and impressive
The history and health of movies and the magic therein might rest more on the shoulders of Martin Scorcese than any other filmmaker, actor, or director due to his extensive work in preservation, his own filmography, and his unmatched love for cinema that has caused a great many of us to be absorbed in this lifetime fascination with the medium.
Film must be preserved.
@@steveconn Martin Scorsese defines and embodies cinema and knows art because he has directed some of the most highly regarded movies in the history of medium and it frustrates me when he calls superhero movies not cinema people immediately labeled him as pretentious because he knows what he is talking since he has seen cinema evolve and has every right to criticize superhero movies.
My second favorite filmmaker talking about my first. Two masters who made me fall in love with the medium. Thank you for this!
Seven Samurai and The Empire Strikes Back are best movies of all time, nothing comes close.
“but he didn’t need any help BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA”
That's almost as good as Leo McKern's laugh as Number Two when Patrick McGoohan shouted "I AM NOT A NUMBER! I AM A FREE MAN!".
Just goes to show, even a legend like Scorsese got it wrong sometimes whilst honing his craft 😂
@@ArchieAndy27 well, Scorsese was playing Van Gough, so l guess it made sense for him to be a bit goofy
Scorcese cameo in Dreams is the best cameo ever
Great video, I grew up always loving movies, but it wasn't till I saw a few Kurosawa films that I truly fell in love with cinema.
Last year I watched every Kurosawa movie (as part of a review series I was watching). It was amazing.
The swingset scene in Ikiru is the most profound and most devastating shot I've ever seen in a film. It portrays the futility, beauty and tragedy of the human condition in the most hauntingly beautiful way possible.
Why is the theme from 'Merry Christmas, Mister Lawrence', by Ryuichi Sakamoto, from an Oshima film used when Scorsese is talking about Kurosawa?
I was thinking the exact same thing hahahah, makes no sense. Love the track tho, so I’m not mad. Just another opportunity to listen to the legend, RIP.
probably cuz it's japanese and kurosowa's japanese
Interesting that Oshima saw himself as rebelling against Kurosawa's generation, although I think he ended up having great reverence for him. As should we all.
I'm also hearing music sounding like the Age Of Empires 2 OST later in the video
We can accomplish what we do because we stand on the shoulders of giants.
Music: Merry Christmas Mr.Lawrence
god even put merry xmas in the sound track of a speech describing 1:19
High and Low is probably in my top 5 of all time. Im glad that Spike and Denzel are taking a crack at it.
Kagemusha is better than Ran.
Of course, ask me tomorrow and I might tell you the opposite is true.
That was the power that The Emperor had on us all. They just get better and better each time you watch.
The Ran 4K resto at Film Forum was a moment for me, such an incredibly beautiful film.
Kagemusha is better than Ran, and is probably my second favorite Kurosawa film behind Seven Samurai. I also like Sanjuro more than Yojimbo, but comparing his films against one another is like ranking masterpiece carved gems based on what colors you like most. Real hot take: Tatsuya Nakadai is a better lead than Toshiro Mifune.
@@Trisket Ah, but Mifune has that wolfish charm.
Yeah. What’s my favorite Kurosawa? The last one I watched.
@@TrisketI think Ran will always be second to High and Low for me but Sanjuro is high up too, I prefer it to Yojimbo aswell it just feels so refined and smart, no fat
Anyone know the song @1:25 when he starts talking about High and Low?
I have tried to watch hidden fortress TWICE and still haven’t finished it lmao but I still love Kurosawa but there’s just something about that film I can’t get through it.
Might need to lock your phone away while you watch it 😂
@@Magooch86 I don’t look at my phone while I watch a movie lol
I know what you mean. Love most of Kurosawa's works, but that one can be a bit tough to get through.
Mom loved Toshiro Mifune, the crazed energy. We saw Ran at the 4th Ave. Theater in Anchorage.
It's crazy; it closed before I got there, and I heard it was demolished shortly after I left. The entire time I was there, any time it was brought up, and even occasionally just passing by it, I'd hear it mentioned in a fond remembrance by people who went there in their childhood (and even adulthood). I kinda always hoped it would get sold and restored/rebuilt. Shame.
@@Jeffool Saw the Goonies and Beyond Thunderdome there too. Had beautiful gold miner brass art with glittering stars along the side. The sign...criminal they demolished it.
@@steveconn I saw pictures of the inside, and of course drove by it a million times. The place looked the definition of picturesque. It seems it was exactly what you think of when you think "classic movie theater."
@@Jeffool Really only one per city. Went back to 1947. Cherish these things.
Watching Kurosawa is watching poetry
Whenever I see a poorly blocked scene or a bad or lazy composition I think of how Kurosawa would have done it better. He set the standard.
When I saw Dreams I didn't immediately recognize who was playing Van Gogh, but as soon as he spoke that voice was unmistakable. I like some segments better than others. Naturally, Crows is my favourite.
Both Scorsese and Kurosawa (& Powell) are all legendary masters! You can see Kurosawa's influence even in Scorsese's most recent work. ❤
RIP Ryuichi Sakamoto 🙏❤️
I saw Japanese films for the first time at the Toho La brea theatre in Los Angeles. Red Beard was the first Kurosawa film I saw. After that I searched the newspapers for more. My favorite Kurosawa film is 'Straw Dogs'. It is difficult for me to separate Mifune from Kurosawa.
What does it mean to be the greatest filmmaker of all time? There are different ways to look at this. Do we consider just the pure talent they possessed, or whether they made the most daring films compared to their contemporaries? Should we evaluate which films were the hardest to make, given the time period they were in and what they accomplished? Perhaps we should assess how their work has defined an era of filmmaking, inspiring generation after generation, with their influence still evident today. Taking all these factors together, we might determine who deserves that title. Akira Kurosawa is truly a master when considering all these aspects.
Kurosawa isn't one of my favourites, but I do admire him a lot.