I’ve also ordered Kurosawa’ autobiography (paperback) for £7 which is the cheapest on the internet.

Look forward to reading both.

There were also some awkward pauses by the interviewer so I definitely think she was struggling with questions to ask, especially considering she repeated some of her questions. Not to mention that the interview wasn’t actually that long.

A question about what it was like working with Terency Young, Kenji Mizoguchi (and perhaps even Spielberg) wouldn’t have hurt either.

Ryan: I will definitely get his autobiography; I’m just trying to find the right price for it.

Ryan, Abebooks has second hand copies for under five dollars. Shipping may cost more. You may or may not be interested.

Not that the new Amazon copies are that costly — it seems to sell for ten dollars or so.

Ryan: Also ironically, I went to a book store today and asked for The Emperor and the Wolf but as I already knew, it was out of print. So I’ll have to track that one down.

It’s definitely worth it, even for the 30-50 dollars it seems to sell these days. I wasn’t initially totally impressed with it (as I have noted in my review), but the book has over the years become my first stop for all biographical information about Kurosawa.

Ryan: I also saw an interview with Toshiro Mifune from the High and Low Criterion DVD Extras last night. Although I enjoyed seeing it, I couldn’t help but feel that the interviewer was inexperienced or just lacked good questions. Constantly asking Mifune about how he perceives foreigners and his experiences of war…really? No questions on his time and filmography with Kurosawa? What’s up with that?

It could be that Mifune had instructed them before the interview not to go into that particular topic. If it’s the interview that I’m thinking, he does seem a little uncomfortable whenever there is a mention of Kurosawa, as I think there is once or twice.

Also, whereas Mifune is primarily associated with Kurosawa in the west, it is good to remember that he acted in almost two hundred films, and at the time of the interview hadn’t worked with Kurosawa for over 15 years. Since he was and still is a legend in his own right, perhaps inquiring about his past with Kurosawa would have felt impolite.

Or that’s anyhow how I would try to justify it.

I will definitely get his autobiography; I’m just trying to find the right price for it. Also ironically, I went to a book store today and asked for The Emperor and the Wolf but as I already knew, it was out of print. So I’ll have to track that one down.

Not very on topic but I’ll mention it anyway. I also saw an interview with Toshiro Mifune from the High and Low Criterion DVD Extras last night. Although I enjoyed seeing it, I couldn’t help but feel that the interviewer was inexperienced or just lacked good questions. Constantly asking Mifune about how he perceives foreigners and his experiences of war…really? No questions on his time and filmography with Kurosawa? What’s up with that? Don’t know if you’ve seen it, but that did disappoint me. Having said that, I didn’t dislike the interviewer.

Oh well.

Fashion has always marked social status, and certainly the more educated took grooming and attire standards from the most influential nations.

Ryan, if you haven’t already get too Kurosawa’s: Something Like An Autobiography. This book and Nogami’s are must read. Kurosawa autobiography being one of the best autobiographies I ever read, and uniquely written.

Hopefully it’ll come soon as I really want to read it.