Kurosawa Akira Film Style

Perfectionist “Movie directors, or should I say people who create things, are very greedy and they can never be satisfied. That’s why they can keep on working. I’ve been able to work for so long because I think next time I’ll make something Good.”

Auteur “The role of a director encompasses the coaching of the actors, the cinematography, the sound recording, the art direction, the music, the editing and the dubbing and sound-mixing. Altough these can be thought of as separate occupations, I do not regard them as independent. I see them all melting together under the heading of direction.”

Perfectionist Total control over his film – ‘I am my film … nothing more and nothing less.’ Kurosawa Akira Screenwriter, director and editor He expected the same enthusiasm and dedication from his staff and co- workers.

Perfectionist Anecdotes Nickname: Emperor The director who made something impossible possible. 20 tons of water was used for the opening scene of Rashomon and the local area ran out of water. The water was coloured with calligraphy ink. He demanded all furniture had to be antique and they had to be filled with antique clothes and materials.

Perfectionist Kurosawa got the roof of a house removed to film a short scene from a train in High and Low. Kurosawa demanded to change the direction of river flow for better visual effects, but couldn’t. Kurosawa asked actors call each other by the names of the characters that they played and wore their costumes before, during and after rehearsals.

“I begin rehearsals in the actors’ dressing room. First I have them repeat their lines, and gradually proceed to the movements. But this is done with costumes and makeup on from the beginning; then we repeat everything on the set. The thoroughness of the rehearsals makes the actual shooting every time very short. We don't rehearse just the actors, but every part of every scene - the camera movements, the lightning, everything.”

The pace of filming was deliberately slowed down and it went over one year in the Toho studio. All actors had to wear their costume all the time. ‘I wanted to create lived-in feel in studio.’ The medicine cabinet was filled with medicine thought it was never opened.

Perfectionist Kurosawa used real arrows for the concluding scenes of Throne of Blood. Master archers aimed at the targets only inches away from Washizu’s body.

Realism Thorough historical research Gritty (exaggerated - hyper) realism - costume designs, set designs, befitting the living conditions of characters

Realism Even samurai look extremely shabby and hopelessly poor, when their fortune declines or become ronin, masterless samurai. More realistic rendition of the Medieval time in Japan than in other conventional genre films.

Kurosawa’s gendai geki (contemporary drama) are (dramatized) records of the immediate post-war period Japan - poverty, desolation and recovery. Now you can take them as historical documents.

Wonderful Sunday: Though it was shot mainly in studio sets, it can be treated as a documentary film. For the landscape, townscape, clothes worn, and behaviours of people that time are so accurately observed and reconstructed.

Realism (Hyper-) real fighting rather than theatrical display of chanbara (sword play) Performance to show a fight for life rather than showy swordsmanship

Heightened-realism Are Kurosawa’s films realist? - No. The ‘reality’ in his films is modified and exaggerated - heightened reality The representation of reality is backed by aestheticism and stylistics

Heightened Stylism Film style to appeal to the emotion rather than intellect of the spectator Psychological rather than mimetic realism (Mimesis = mimicry and copying of reality)

Hyper-stylistic Filmmaking The emotional effects are enhanced by dynamic visual images and sound effects being brought together. Heightened psychological and exaggerated ‘realism’ - expressive mise-en-scène (acting, lighting, camera work, and composition).

Contrast between stillness and movement; quietness and excitement On the spur of the moment a quiet scene is cut to a scene full of movements and excitement

Hyper-stylistic Filmmaking Dynamism of movement enhanced by swish pan, graphically matched and quick editing.

Hyper-stylistic Filmmaking Sudden movement of samurai in response to a false alarm in Seven Samurai

Hyper-stylistic Filmmaking Suspense created by trick photography – telephoto lens shortens depth, Red Beard The film was shot almost entirely in telephoto lens

Hyper-stylistic Filmmaking Visual dynamism and kineticism - epic scale movement of the subjects on the screen shot by multiple camera and edited in frantic paces. The final battle scenes in Seven Samurai were shot with eight cameras.

Battle scenes in Yojinbo were shot with three cameras

Hyper-stylistic Filmmaking Dynamic movements unusual in Japanese cinema against expansive landscape and large horizon Throne of Blood and a Western film

Hyper-stylistic Filmmaking Cinematic sound is that which does not simply add to, but multiplies, two or three times, the effect of the image. Kurosawa Akira

Hyper-stylistic Filmmaking The final battle sequence of Seven Samurai Sound effects of beating rain, running horses, their cries, splashing water, men’s yelling which are mixed together to create dynamic sound track in Seven Samurai.

Emotional appeal and heightened realism achieved by lighting and camera work. Rashomon - shot by Miyagawa Kazuo, the photographer of Mizoguchi Kenji using reflecting mirrors.

Hyper-stylistic Filmmaking Geometrical and painterly compositions enhance psychological effects on the audience - two police detectives pursuing the murderer who has killed people using the gun that he stole from them - vertical shadows of grills create create psychological suspense (photo, Stray Dog)

Hyper-stylistic Filmmaking The bed of flowers on which the young couple lie or sit - creating lyrical effects in No Regrets for Our Youth and Seven Samurai

Hyper-stylistic Filmmaking The futon hang to dry in Red Beard was shot with a telephoto lens. Depth disappeared and two dimensional quality created interesting patterns in the frame.

Hyper-stylistic Filmmaking Natural phenomenon visually and aurally emphasizes the atmosphere of a scene. Howling wind and fierce rain Strong wind churning up sand - bleak townscape Yojimbo

Hyper-stylistic Filmmaking The opening scene of Rashomon, a ruined gate in a great storm. Natural phenomenon reveals the smallness and weakness of the human being and its rational power and moral strength.

Hyper-stylistic Filmmaking Snow in the park whose creation Watanabe contributed and where he dies. Ikiru Loneliness and ephemerality

A lonely figure in thick fog emphasizes the isolation of a man in Ran

Intense heat in Stray Dog heightens the suspense: also heat is a metaphor for corruption, social impoverishment, and criminality

Hyper-stylistic Filmmaking Dense fog and mist - hinting the existence of super-natural being and super-human power. Throne of Blood, Ran and Dreams