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The Films of Akira Kurosawa
In an epilogue provided for his incomparable study of Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998), Donald Richie reflects on Kurosawa's life work of thirty feature films and describes his last, unfinished project, a film set in the Edo period to be called The Ocean Was Watching .
Kurosawa remains unchallenged as one of the century's greatest film directors. Through his long and distinguished career he managed, like very few others in the teeth of a huge and relentless industry, to elevate each of his films to a distinctive level of art. His Rashomon ―one of the best-remembered and most talked-of films in any language―was a revelation when it appeared in 1950 and did much to bring Japanese cinema to the world's attention. Kurosawa's films display an extraordinary breadth and an astonishing strength, from the philosophic and sexual complexity of Rashomon to the moral dedication of Ikiru , from the naked violence of Seven Samurai to the savage comedy of Yojimbo , from the terror-filled feudalism of Throne of Blood to the piercing wit of Sanjuro .
Kurosawa remains unchallenged as one of the century's greatest film directors. Through his long and distinguished career he managed, like very few others in the teeth of a huge and relentless industry, to elevate each of his films to a distinctive level of art. His Rashomon ―one of the best-remembered and most talked-of films in any language―was a revelation when it appeared in 1950 and did much to bring Japanese cinema to the world's attention. Kurosawa's films display an extraordinary breadth and an astonishing strength, from the philosophic and sexual complexity of Rashomon to the moral dedication of Ikiru , from the naked violence of Seven Samurai to the savage comedy of Yojimbo , from the terror-filled feudalism of Throne of Blood to the piercing wit of Sanjuro .
274 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 1965
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1683 people want to read
About the author
Donald Richie
117 books103 followersDonald Richie is an American-born author who has written about the Japanese people and Japanese cinema. Although he considers himself only a writer, Richie has directed many experimental films, the first when he was 17. Although Richie speaks Japanese fluently, he can neither read nor write it.
During World War II, he served aboard Liberty ships as a purser and medical officer. By then he had already published his first work, "Tumblebugs" (1942), a short story.
In 1947, Richie first visited Japan with the American occupation force, a job he saw as an opportunity to escape from Lima, Ohio. He first worked as a typist, and then as a civilian staff writer for the Pacific Stars and Stripes. While in Tokyo, he became fascinated with Japanese culture, particularly Japanese cinema. He was soon writing movie reviews in the Stars and Stripes. In 1948 he met Kashiko Kawakita who introduced him to Yasujiro Ozu. During their long friendship, Richie and Kawakita collaborated closely in promoting Japanese film in the West.
After returning to the United States, he enrolled at Columbia University's School of General Studies in 1949, and received his Bachelor's Degree in English in 1953. Richie then returned to Japan as film critic for the The Japan Times and spent much of the second half of the twentieth century living there. In 1959, he published his first book, The Japanese Film: Art and Industry, coauthored with Joseph Anderson. In this work, the authors gave the first English language account of Japanese film. Richie served as Curator of Film at the New York Museum of Modern Art from 1969 to 1972. In 1988, he was invited to become the first guest director at the Telluride Film Festival.
Among his most noted works on Japan are The Inland Sea, a travel classic, and Public People, Private People, a look at some of Japan's most significant and most mundane people. He has compiled two collections of essays on Japan: A Lateral View and Partial Views. A collection of his writings has been published to commemorate fifty years of writing about Japan: The Donald Richie Reader. The Japan Journals: 1947-2004 consists of extended excerpts from his diaries.
In 1991, filmmakers Lucille Carra and Brian Cotnoir produced a film version of The Inland Sea, which Richie narrated. Produced by Travelfilm Company, the film won numerous awards, including Best Documentary at the Hawaii International Film Festival (1991) and the Earthwatch Film Award. It screened at the Sundance Film Festival in 1992.
Author Tom Wolfe describes Richie as: "the Lafcadio Hearn of our time, a subtle, stylish, and deceptively lucid medium between two cultures that confuse one another: the Japanese and the American."
Richie's most widely recognized accomplishment has been his analysis of Japanese cinema. From his first published book, Richie has revised not only the library of films he discusses, but the way he analyzes them. With each subsequent book, he has focused less on film theory and more on the conditions in which the films were made. One thing that has emerged in his works is an emphasis on the "presentational" nature of Japan's cinema, in contrast to the "representational" films of the West. His book, A Hundred Years Of Japanese Film includes a helpful guide to the availability of the films on home video and DVD mentioned in the main text. In the foreword to this book, Paul Schrader says: "Whatever we in the West know about Japanese film, and how we know it, we most likely owe to Donald Richie." Richie also has written analyses of two of Japan's best known filmmakers: Yasujiro Ozu and Akira Kurosawa.
Richie has written the English subtitles for Akira Kurosawa's films Kagemusha (1980) and Dreams (1990)[8].
In the 21st century, Richie has become noted for his erudite audio commentaries for The Criterion Collection on DVDs of various classic Japanese films, notably those of Ozu (A Story of Floating Weeds, Early Summer), Mikio Naruse (When a Woman Ascend
During World War II, he served aboard Liberty ships as a purser and medical officer. By then he had already published his first work, "Tumblebugs" (1942), a short story.
In 1947, Richie first visited Japan with the American occupation force, a job he saw as an opportunity to escape from Lima, Ohio. He first worked as a typist, and then as a civilian staff writer for the Pacific Stars and Stripes. While in Tokyo, he became fascinated with Japanese culture, particularly Japanese cinema. He was soon writing movie reviews in the Stars and Stripes. In 1948 he met Kashiko Kawakita who introduced him to Yasujiro Ozu. During their long friendship, Richie and Kawakita collaborated closely in promoting Japanese film in the West.
After returning to the United States, he enrolled at Columbia University's School of General Studies in 1949, and received his Bachelor's Degree in English in 1953. Richie then returned to Japan as film critic for the The Japan Times and spent much of the second half of the twentieth century living there. In 1959, he published his first book, The Japanese Film: Art and Industry, coauthored with Joseph Anderson. In this work, the authors gave the first English language account of Japanese film. Richie served as Curator of Film at the New York Museum of Modern Art from 1969 to 1972. In 1988, he was invited to become the first guest director at the Telluride Film Festival.
Among his most noted works on Japan are The Inland Sea, a travel classic, and Public People, Private People, a look at some of Japan's most significant and most mundane people. He has compiled two collections of essays on Japan: A Lateral View and Partial Views. A collection of his writings has been published to commemorate fifty years of writing about Japan: The Donald Richie Reader. The Japan Journals: 1947-2004 consists of extended excerpts from his diaries.
In 1991, filmmakers Lucille Carra and Brian Cotnoir produced a film version of The Inland Sea, which Richie narrated. Produced by Travelfilm Company, the film won numerous awards, including Best Documentary at the Hawaii International Film Festival (1991) and the Earthwatch Film Award. It screened at the Sundance Film Festival in 1992.
Author Tom Wolfe describes Richie as: "the Lafcadio Hearn of our time, a subtle, stylish, and deceptively lucid medium between two cultures that confuse one another: the Japanese and the American."
Richie's most widely recognized accomplishment has been his analysis of Japanese cinema. From his first published book, Richie has revised not only the library of films he discusses, but the way he analyzes them. With each subsequent book, he has focused less on film theory and more on the conditions in which the films were made. One thing that has emerged in his works is an emphasis on the "presentational" nature of Japan's cinema, in contrast to the "representational" films of the West. His book, A Hundred Years Of Japanese Film includes a helpful guide to the availability of the films on home video and DVD mentioned in the main text. In the foreword to this book, Paul Schrader says: "Whatever we in the West know about Japanese film, and how we know it, we most likely owe to Donald Richie." Richie also has written analyses of two of Japan's best known filmmakers: Yasujiro Ozu and Akira Kurosawa.
Richie has written the English subtitles for Akira Kurosawa's films Kagemusha (1980) and Dreams (1990)[8].
In the 21st century, Richie has become noted for his erudite audio commentaries for The Criterion Collection on DVDs of various classic Japanese films, notably those of Ozu (A Story of Floating Weeds, Early Summer), Mikio Naruse (When a Woman Ascend
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
February 25, 2017
Do you love Kurosawa's films? If your answer is yes, this is the book for you. The late Donald Richie knew his subject matter well, and to my knowledge this is the most comprehensive critical appreciation of one of the 20th century's greatest film-makers. The book contains a short biography of Kurosawa and in-depth reviews, including background and source material, story-lines, treatment, characterizations, and style for each of the films.
September 29, 2017
If you know of Kurosawa, you know that this Japanese film director has admirers and imitators all over the world. From Bergman to Spielberg, from Polanski to Lucas, Kurosawa's movies have been studied and appreciated.
I like Kurosawa for many reasons but one of the most important is that he knew how to entertain as well as inform. One of the things that interested me: In many of his films, we see how he was able to reach back into feudal Japanese history to inform present day issues.
Richie gives us the "most" and the "best" approach to understanding those films with a lot of the book devoted to how and often why each film was made. Too much information for those with just a casual interest, it is the must-have analysis for true fans.
I like Kurosawa for many reasons but one of the most important is that he knew how to entertain as well as inform. One of the things that interested me: In many of his films, we see how he was able to reach back into feudal Japanese history to inform present day issues.
Richie gives us the "most" and the "best" approach to understanding those films with a lot of the book devoted to how and often why each film was made. Too much information for those with just a casual interest, it is the must-have analysis for true fans.
July 7, 2020
جامع ترین کتاب در مورد کوروساوا از منتقدی که خوراکش سینمای ژاپن بود.ریچی فیلم به فیلم(تا کاگه موشا) ما را در قلمرو امپراطور پیش میبرد تا شاهد چگونگی شکل گیری تعدادی از بزرگترین فیلهای تاریخ سینما باشیم.
May 5, 2008
This might be the best book on film. And I say that after having long dropped Kurosawa from my list of top directors.
Individual chapters based on each of the director's films, supplemented by hundreds of impressive photos and the book's extra large size, make the book appear at first glance like one of those collectible fan-books for the likes of the Star Wars or James Bond franchises. Far from it, Richie strikes the perfect balance between the compartmentalized readability of other film "guides" and the rich depths of serious academic inquiry, without sacrificing his critical eye. His expertise on all matters Japanese enriches the discussion of Kurosawa's films to include pertinent information about the director's influences, significant Japanese history--especially pertaining to Toho and the Japanese film industry--and the productive tension between Eastern and Western thought that is so eloquently portrayed in Kurosawa's best works.
That Kurosawa is the subject of such a momentous work is perhaps fitting since he stands as perhaps the most dynamic and accessible bridge between classical Hollywood narrative formula and "foreign" art-house aesthetics. Another reason for the book's oversize format?
Would that more serious film scholarship were so thoughtful, splendidly realized and jargon-free...
Individual chapters based on each of the director's films, supplemented by hundreds of impressive photos and the book's extra large size, make the book appear at first glance like one of those collectible fan-books for the likes of the Star Wars or James Bond franchises. Far from it, Richie strikes the perfect balance between the compartmentalized readability of other film "guides" and the rich depths of serious academic inquiry, without sacrificing his critical eye. His expertise on all matters Japanese enriches the discussion of Kurosawa's films to include pertinent information about the director's influences, significant Japanese history--especially pertaining to Toho and the Japanese film industry--and the productive tension between Eastern and Western thought that is so eloquently portrayed in Kurosawa's best works.
That Kurosawa is the subject of such a momentous work is perhaps fitting since he stands as perhaps the most dynamic and accessible bridge between classical Hollywood narrative formula and "foreign" art-house aesthetics. Another reason for the book's oversize format?
Would that more serious film scholarship were so thoughtful, splendidly realized and jargon-free...
April 26, 2008
I've said it before and I'll say it again. Donald Richie is the shit.
The critic who both knows his shit and doesn't come off like an unbearable pretentious Jackass is worth his weight in Gold.
Richie is so good I suspect he might actually be Gold. I'm serious he needs to be careful. I don't think I could take it if Kayne West made Rims out of him.
The critic who both knows his shit and doesn't come off like an unbearable pretentious Jackass is worth his weight in Gold.
Richie is so good I suspect he might actually be Gold. I'm serious he needs to be careful. I don't think I could take it if Kayne West made Rims out of him.
Read
December 2, 2017I've read a few chapters here and there and have generally found them informative and expressive. Why, then, are Dersu Uzala and Dreams so viciously derided? They're not bad films by any measure, and not even the worst that Kurosawa had to offer.
The good chapters are good, so I'll keep returning to this when I have niggling Kurosawa questions. But, jeez, Richie should've hired another writer for those bad chapters, a writer who actually saw the good qualities in good movies.
Dismissively panning Ishiro Honda, as he does in the Dreams chapter, is just absurd and mean, especially if one is going to ignore the importance of his relationship with Kurosawa, and criticize him for something he wasn't even responsible, i.e., visual effects. Honda was a director; his effects artist was Eiji Tsuburaya.
Lazily dismissing artists on the grounds that they propagate "low culture" has fallen out of style in recent years, and it's ugly when a dinosaur like Donald Richie tries to do it.
The good chapters are good, so I'll keep returning to this when I have niggling Kurosawa questions. But, jeez, Richie should've hired another writer for those bad chapters, a writer who actually saw the good qualities in good movies.
Dismissively panning Ishiro Honda, as he does in the Dreams chapter, is just absurd and mean, especially if one is going to ignore the importance of his relationship with Kurosawa, and criticize him for something he wasn't even responsible, i.e., visual effects. Honda was a director; his effects artist was Eiji Tsuburaya.
Lazily dismissing artists on the grounds that they propagate "low culture" has fallen out of style in recent years, and it's ugly when a dinosaur like Donald Richie tries to do it.
Currently reading
January 4, 2014I was in a coffee shop years ago that played vintage black and white films on a big screen. I think it was there that I stumbled on to a Kurosawa film. I later purchased a host of Criterion Collection films, all AK, and have been adding to my collection since. This book is a treasure trove of information for any souls interested in knowing the behind-the-scenes info and plot/character discussion of Kurosawa's films before or after a film viewing. It's a work in progress for me as I will read a chapter carefully before watching the film. I love this book. He was an amazing film director that should be studied by anyone interested in films with substance depth.
December 14, 2018
A comprehensive and a thorough dissection of the director's work. The author is straight-forward with his analysis and almost systematic with his breakdown, which rarely allowed my imagination to further interpret his meanings. Though there were a few Kurosawa quotes in the book that helped balance this out. My favorite quote being:
[On what it means to create] "I think that to find what is real one must look very closely at one's world, to search for those things that contribute to this reality which one feels under the surface. These are few and one uses them to create. These are the core around which the world moves, the axis on which it turns."
As a cinephile who enjoys watching Kurosawa movies, this book was far from a light read. Each chapter broke down a Kurosawa film (beginning with his first) and progressing forward in the director's timeline. You could tell the author was an expert in the director's filmography from the slightest details he was able to pick apart and bring to your attention. For instance, in his analysis of Ran, he would point out that a shot's composition would be structured in a way that matched the context of the scene. Like if the characters in the scene were working together as one group, the actors would be standing or positioned in a circular fashion on the screen to reflect this intent. On the contrary, if there was tension or if a relationship was strained between the characters, the actors would be standing in a way that metaphorically exemplified this meaning. Perhaps, one actor would be split on the right side of the screen whereas the other actor would be on the left.
The only thing that I thought the book lacked were anecdotes or gossips that were legendary in the film tabloids back then. Such as, how Kurosawa's relationship with Mifune became strained after Red Beard. All in all, this serious study of Kurosawa's work is not for the casual fan, but if you are up for the challenge, be prepared to re-watch some of Kurosawa's classic works to keep pace with the author's reviews.
[On what it means to create] "I think that to find what is real one must look very closely at one's world, to search for those things that contribute to this reality which one feels under the surface. These are few and one uses them to create. These are the core around which the world moves, the axis on which it turns."
As a cinephile who enjoys watching Kurosawa movies, this book was far from a light read. Each chapter broke down a Kurosawa film (beginning with his first) and progressing forward in the director's timeline. You could tell the author was an expert in the director's filmography from the slightest details he was able to pick apart and bring to your attention. For instance, in his analysis of Ran, he would point out that a shot's composition would be structured in a way that matched the context of the scene. Like if the characters in the scene were working together as one group, the actors would be standing or positioned in a circular fashion on the screen to reflect this intent. On the contrary, if there was tension or if a relationship was strained between the characters, the actors would be standing in a way that metaphorically exemplified this meaning. Perhaps, one actor would be split on the right side of the screen whereas the other actor would be on the left.
The only thing that I thought the book lacked were anecdotes or gossips that were legendary in the film tabloids back then. Such as, how Kurosawa's relationship with Mifune became strained after Red Beard. All in all, this serious study of Kurosawa's work is not for the casual fan, but if you are up for the challenge, be prepared to re-watch some of Kurosawa's classic works to keep pace with the author's reviews.
June 1, 2020
This book covers all 30 films by master director Akira Kurosawa, giving a little bit of context about the production of each film and going deep into the themes and techniques. The author has met and interviewed Kurosawa so his insights are very useful to understand Kurosawa and his work.
At times he goes too in depth though, I found myself disinterested in some parts, probably due to my poor knowledge of filmmaking.
There is one other thing that bothered me a lot. He always uses the actor’s names when talking about the story, which I found very annoying because I had to check the film’s credits to understand who he was talking about. Even if it’s Mifune, I’d rather he use the character name since I just watched the film and those are the names used in them. But this is a nitpick.
Overall this is recommended for anyone who’s the least bit interested in learning more about Kurosawa’s films.
At times he goes too in depth though, I found myself disinterested in some parts, probably due to my poor knowledge of filmmaking.
There is one other thing that bothered me a lot. He always uses the actor’s names when talking about the story, which I found very annoying because I had to check the film’s credits to understand who he was talking about. Even if it’s Mifune, I’d rather he use the character name since I just watched the film and those are the names used in them. But this is a nitpick.
Overall this is recommended for anyone who’s the least bit interested in learning more about Kurosawa’s films.
books-abandoned
May 12, 2020Except for the quote from Kurosawa that begins each chapter, this book is too much of a rehash of the plot of each of the director's films. For this reason, I learned very little by reading about the films after seeing them. I had hoped this book would be good since it is from a university press and in its third edition, which means some people have found value in it. Moving on to look for a better book about one of my favorite directors.
December 3, 2021
An ambitious project... both; thoughtful and imaginative...
June 20, 2025
And on the first day of Hachi'kiras I finished reading this book.
May 20, 2012
A rare thing: A scholarly coffee-table book!
Donald Richie analyzes Kurosawa's work film by film. Each films is given a synopsis, then an analysis of characterization and film technique. Exhaustive and sometimes exhausting.
Last year was the 100th anniversary of Kurosawa's birth. Thanks to the essential Turner Classic Movies, I was able to see almost all of his films from the beginning through Kagemusha. The only older film they did not show was The Quiet Duel, which I still haven't seen.
Since I was able to see almost his complete output, this book was a delight, jogging my memory about films I had forgotten (Stray Dog, Scandal, The Lower Depths), pleasurably taking me through films I know well (Rashomon, High and Low, Red Beard).
Richie apparently was well-acquainted with 'Tenno' (Emperor) Kurosawa, and many of his techinical analyses are backed up with actual reminiscences of visits to the set of the film in question. Indeed, an invaluable perspective for a critic.
It looks like I read the first edition of this which came out in the 1970s, so the last movie to be analyzed is Red Beard. I saw on Amazon that he later expanded the book to include all Kurosawa's films. The reviewer I read took Richie to task for dismissing much of Kurosawa's later work as sentimental and sub-par. That is not the tone in this volume. It is reverential, with thorough analyses backing up that reverence.
Donald Richie analyzes Kurosawa's work film by film. Each films is given a synopsis, then an analysis of characterization and film technique. Exhaustive and sometimes exhausting.
Last year was the 100th anniversary of Kurosawa's birth. Thanks to the essential Turner Classic Movies, I was able to see almost all of his films from the beginning through Kagemusha. The only older film they did not show was The Quiet Duel, which I still haven't seen.
Since I was able to see almost his complete output, this book was a delight, jogging my memory about films I had forgotten (Stray Dog, Scandal, The Lower Depths), pleasurably taking me through films I know well (Rashomon, High and Low, Red Beard).
Richie apparently was well-acquainted with 'Tenno' (Emperor) Kurosawa, and many of his techinical analyses are backed up with actual reminiscences of visits to the set of the film in question. Indeed, an invaluable perspective for a critic.
It looks like I read the first edition of this which came out in the 1970s, so the last movie to be analyzed is Red Beard. I saw on Amazon that he later expanded the book to include all Kurosawa's films. The reviewer I read took Richie to task for dismissing much of Kurosawa's later work as sentimental and sub-par. That is not the tone in this volume. It is reverential, with thorough analyses backing up that reverence.
August 13, 2015
If you wish to learn about Kurosawa's film career, this is your best resource. If you are a fan, this is your bible. Very well put together work, with a comprehensive examination of each movie. Each entry has: little known details and anecdotes about the production and behind the scene relations between the cast during filming (which is perhaps the best part) description of the cinematography, the style, how the music was chosen and what Kurosawa, himself, was trying to achieve. It includes a rich resource of exclusive quotation from the director and contributors, themselves, in every entry. The photos are superb, including behind the scenes shots any fan will absolutely love. The critiques are mild (as they should be when fans are your target market) and not too obstrusive to the entries. In general, it is a wonderful resource.
January 17, 2016
A book such as this is rare. An engaging coffee-table book that explores choice of themes, story-telling techniques, camera work, and directorial style. I have the expanded and updated third edition. It's an exhaustive blend of personal information, critical assessment, quotes from interviews with Kurosawa, tendencies within the Japanese film industry, and an almost thorough retrospective of one of the masters.
January 9, 2008
I have received this book 4 times over the course of like 6 years as a gift. I think I have every edition. This is THE reference resource for Kurosawa's films. Gives you a nice wrap up of each movie and synopsis. I have used it as a checklist.
October 3, 2007
Essential to any film book library.
Read
May 25, 2013If you have any interest at all in Kurosawa, this is a great introduction to his films.
Read
February 21, 2010The Films of Akira Kurosawa by Donald Richie (1999)
November 10, 2015
I only read spots here and there. It's that kind of book. Excellent insight for the aficianado film.
October 26, 2012
The business.
September 14, 2012
The author puts Ikiru near the top of Kurosawa's achievements, and I have to agree. I enjoy filmbooks of this type and this does not disappoint.
February 20, 2014
My all time favorite director.
October 17, 2016
More of a reference book than something to read straight through. It's the best thing that I have found in English on my favorite director.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews