"Very predictable" is not a compliment to the Last Samurai. The spirit of the samurai still sparks brilliantly in the films from Akira Kurosawa, who probably directed the best Samurai films.
Rashomon (1950) - The "truth" in the wood. The carema shot directly into the sun, creating intentional lens flare. The creative sequence of the woodcutter walking in the woods.
The Seven Samurai (1954) - The decisive battle in the heavy rain! As usual, Kurosawa loves extreme weathers, either pouring rain or chilling snowstorm, either burning sun in the summer or unforgiving cold in the winter, there is no inbetween. He likes to use them as the backdrop of the environment, in which his characters endure through the same emotional extremes.
Throne of Blood (1957) - Based on Shakespeare's Macbeth. Watch for the final scene in which the Samurai was confronted with storm of arrows, whose exaggeratd gesture and expressions is impressing.
The Hidden Fortress (1958) - Inspired the Star Wars. Seamless storytelling.
Yojimbo (1961) and Sanjuro (1962) - Influenced by the Westerns, and influenced the Westerns.
The Shadow Warrior (1980) - Probably not a samurai film in the strictest sense. Keep an eye for the opening sequence.
Ran (1985) - Based on Shakespeare's King Lear. Why a Shakespeare tragedy would be a timeless great tragedy because it is always telling those which are fated to be so after a certain event in time - there is no reversal.
If you have watched anyone of them, you could probably fall in love with it. Not only crafting the best samurai films, Kurasawa also presented us as great modern tales, such as The Heaven and The Hell (1963), and The Bad Sleep Well (1960)(Based on Shakespeare's Hamlet), and many more. The Red Beard (1965) is equally powerful and timeless, and I do not really remember when the story happens, it happens now.
Gradually you would want to watch every piece of his films. Kurasawa frequently casted Toshiro Mifune, whose appearance is always a shining gem in every aspect. If the memory of any plot becomes fainted for me, the memory of his characters still seem live - that is the magic of masterful and accomplished film production.
Posted
Feb 01 2004, 05:42 PM
by
blackinkbottle