Beyond Swords and Samurai: Another Look at the Films of Kurosawa

ISSN： 2049-6710

Source： Asian Cinema, Vol.13, Iss.1, 2002-03, pp. : 44-56

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Abstract

When Kurosawa Akira (1910–1998) was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 1989 Academy Awards, the montage of images presented from his films consisted primarily of large-scale action scenes from his jidaigeki (historical dramas). This common view of Kurosawa's artistry neglects to give equal weight to his masterful presentation of "smaller" moments—moments which are no less monumental. Looking at the span of Kurosawa's 50-year career in the cinema (from 1943–1993), we can see how he was able to produce moments of quiet epiphany which often remain in the mind of the viewer long after the thrill of the battle has passed. To counterbalance the spectacular fighting scenes, Kurosawa treated us to bittersweet moments of celebration and of a "trickster's" refusal to give up in the face of authority, even in the face of death. These complimentary and interlocking modes help us understand Kurosawa's cinematic universe.