1943-1993 saw a
fifty-year creative period in the life of a filmmaker, which, though some no
doubt would be envious to re-create, would fail to replicate. Akira Kurosawa,
considered by some to be the cinematic equivalent of playwright William Shakespeare or his favourite writer, the great Russian Fyodor Dostoyevsky,
directed thirty films, including Drunken Angel, Stray Dog, Rashomon, Ikiru,
Seven Samurai, I Live In Fear, Throne Of Blood (an adaptation of Macbeth), The
Hidden Fortress, Yojimbo, Red Beard, Dersu Uzala, Kagemusha and Ran (an
adaptation of King Lear). Even though I’ve listed a fair amount of films, there
would be some who think I’ve left something out there. Kurosawa was a master,
innovative in his methods as a writer, his attention to detail in his film’s
mise-en-scenes, the extensive level of material he would shoot on set, the
staging of his film’s battle sequences, as an editor of his own pictures and
for his the depth of their thematic content. Even through times of his own
personal trials, Kurosawa remained the consummate creative artist. With much
room for audience exploration and enjoyment, Kurosawa’s oeuvre is a treasure
for a prospective viewer to discover, and for those of us already acquainted,
to re-discover.
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