The Mind of Kurosawa

THE MIND OF KUROSAWA

Akira Kurosawa was a giant, a visionary, a poet, a warrior, and a consummate film maker. Yes, there are other great Japanese film directors, but he has no real compeers. There is an excellent PBS documentary biopic out there, just titled, 'Kurosawa'. This maverick film creator was making great movies back in the 1950's; films that used cinematography like a paint brush; his camera sang, illustrated haiku, skipped, sliced, leaped, and tracked lovingly over mostly a multi-dimensional black and white landscape.
To understand this artist/movie director, we, as Westerners with our blunt sensitivities, must reach within ourselves and struggle to understand bushido and Asian angst. There are several good books written about him. I really liked: 'The Emperor and the Wolf: The Lives and Films of Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune'," by Stuart Galbraith IV. Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune were much like John Ford and John Wayne; gods and demi-gods, master/mentor and star. They did 16 films together, and each one of them stood boldly on the shoulders of the international film industry; bathed in praise and limelight. Their last effort together was:'Red Beard',back in 1965. They both continued to make movies separately for 30 more years, yet it was their collaborations that still stun us, and attract us. Tatsuya Nakadai, a dynamic, even great, actor in his own right, stood in for the Mifune characters in many of the later films. Mifune and Kurosawa died only nine months apart, like some kind of reverse spiritual gestation. Another great source of information would be:'Something Like An Autobiography (Vintage)'," by Kurosawa himself, with Andie Bock. The great man spoke, about his art; clearly, simply, wonderfully. Or one might gravitate toward:'The Films of Akira Kurosawa'," by Ritchie and Mellen; all of his films listed; 50 years of film-making; written by a man who knew Kurosawa. And if one has the stamina, you might tackle:'The Warrior's Camera', by Stephen Prince; a thick, dense, and completely scholarly tome; almost everything you ever wanted to know about the famed director. Kurosawa always felt that he needed to read a lot, to be steeped in classic literature and theatrical plays. He, as all artists should, borrowed heavily from the classics; for themes, plots, narrative, and inspiration. In 1961, borrowing from Shakespeare's "MACBETH", he directed:'Throne of Blood', starring Toshiro Mifune. Although melodramatic and even histrionic in tone, the film was fraught with stunning photography. In 1985, he borrowed from Shakespeare's "KING LEAR", directing Tatsuya Nakadai in:'Ran (Ws Sub)'. Kurosawa was 75 years old when he directed this film. In 1962, he borrowed from Martin Gorky's classic proletariat play, and filmed:'The Lower Depths', with Toshiro Mifune; a film about several destitute people in a hovel.
Kurosawa's notoriety really began in the West, in 1956, when he directed the super epic classic 'Seven Samurai', starring a young Toshiro Mifune. This was a masterpiece, and it begged to be copied and borrowed. So, in 1960, American director John Sturges took up the challenge, and he directed the incredibly popular 'Magnificent Seven'. The theme and plot perfectly paralleled THE SEVEN SAMURAI. This film established Yul Brynner as an action star, and it helped launch the careers of Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, and James Coburn. The public went nuts for the concept, and they descended in hordes on the art houses to view the original 1956 Kurosawa film. And the phenomonon spawned prodigy. In 1966, it was 'Return of the Magnificent Seven', where Yul Brynner was joined by Claude Akins, Robert Fuller, Warren Oates, and Fernando Rey. By 1969, we were treated to 'Guns of Magnificent Seven / Movie', and the Brynner character, Chris, became George Kennedy; which in itself was quite a feat. He was joined by Monte Markham, James Whitmore, Joe Don Baker, Bernie Casey, and Frank Silvera. A few years later, a limp "MAGNIFICENT SEVEN RIDE" emerged with Lee Van Cleef. And then in 1998, television dredged up the whole concept, and gave us 'Magnificent Seven', starring Michael Biehn as Chris, bonded with six male model types. This turned out to be OK TV. So for over 40 years, we have continued to mine the Kurosawa golden plot.
Toshiro Mifune only made a few American movies, usually playing military types; like in 'Midway', and 'Tora Tora Tora (Spec)', and 'Hell in the Pacific'. Once he played an industrialist that liked car racing in 'Grand Prix: Deluxe Letter - Box Edition'. One film, his character was straight out of Kurosawa. It was 1971, six years after "RED BEARD", and Mifune appeared in 'Red Sun', as a samurai on a quest in America. This East meets Western set up a mold; also starring Charles Bronson, Alain Delon, and Ursula Andress. It paved the way for several reincarnations of KUNG FU, with David Carridine, on the tube. It was clearly an influence on Jackie Chan, when he filmed 'Shanghai Noon' with Owen Wilson; which has spawned yet another sequel coming up called "SHANGHAI KNIGHTS". And there was Kurt Russell, in John Carpenters' 'Big Trouble in Little China (Special Edition)', and even Eddie Murphy in 'The Golden Child'. In 1951 Kurosawa directed 'Rashomon', with the always reliable Toshiro Mifune. This gave way to a new psychological term, the Rashomon syndrome. Then in 1964 Martin Ritt directed 'The Outrage', with Paul Newman and Laurence Harvey.
In 1962, Kurosawa directed 'Yojimbo', with Toshiro Mifune, and the young Tatsuya Nakadai, making an indelible imprint on our cinematic psyche. Then in 1963, he followed up with the sequel 'Sanjuro'. In 1967, Sergio Leone directed 'A Fistful of Dollars' with Clint Eastwood, and the spaghetti western was born. In 1996, out of a swirl of Texas dust 'Last Man Standing' appeared with Bruce Willis sporting twin .45's, working the identical theme and plot. Interestingly, the music for this film sounded the most like the Kurosawa original. FISTFUL quickly spawned 'For a Few Dollars More', with Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef. Eastwood as an actor/director borrowed shameless from Kurosawa.
Akira Kurosawa stood on a mountain top, alone, as a great artist. Yet he borrowed from the classics, just as his own original work was borrowed from repeatedly. And this is as it should be. Art begets art.

Glenn A. Buttkus 2004