Books on Akira Kurosawa

There are literally hundreds of books about Kurosawa in various languages, and I obviously haven’t read all of them. As it stands now, this page lists all the most important works that would be of interest to an English readership, accompanied by my personal and subjective reviews.

The Films of Akira Kurosawa
by Donald Richie (some chapters by Joan Mellen)
(3rd edition, 1996; University of California Press)

Richie’s is considered the definitive study of its kind that not only sets the standard for any book discussing Kurosawa’s movies but, in many ways, is the work to which every other book dealing with films of any kind could be compared. The book was first published in 1965, but it is the third and latest edition with the black cover that you should get, as it is updated to include all the films directed by Kurosawa.

The Films of Akira Kurosawa is, in its basic format, a collection of essays offering good introductory studies of all of Kurosawa’s movies, printed to a non-standard, yet surprisingly convenient size. It should, however, be noted that Kurosawa’s last films do not receive Richie’s full interest, and indeed the further the book progresses, the more hostile Richie becomes in his attack on Kurosawa’s work. Nevertheless, The Films of Akira Kurosawa is not only a must-read, but indeed a must-have for anyone interested in Kurosawa and his contributions to cinema. Indeed, if you can only have one Kurosawa book, this is most probably the one to get.

A word of warning, however. Richie is notorious for sometimes being a little lazy with his research, and there are a number of mistakes and misunderstandings in the work. Partly, this is also due to the circumstances in which these essays were written — Richie had no access to DVDs or even VHS recordings of these movies. Because of this, The Films of Akira Kurosawa is perhaps not of quite as high academic standard than many other books on this list. Yet, his is the book that everyone refers to, and if you read Prince, Yoshimoto or Goodwin (see below), familiarity with Richie is, if not absolutely crucial, at least highly recommended.

The Films of Akira Kurosawa is available from Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.fr, Amazon.de and Amazon.co.jp.

Something Like an Autobiography
by Akira Kurosawa (1982; Vintage)

This is Kurosawa’s autobiography, and consequently the book that you really ought to have if you are interested in his life. Note, however, that perhaps somewhat disappointingly Kurosawa hardly mentions the making of his films, instead focusing on the narration of his personal history.

Furthermore, the book also stops in the early 1950s just before Kurosawa comes to claim his international fame with Rashomon, and as such is really not quite a full autobiography, but really just something like it, as the English title also suggests. Despite what could be seen as its shortcomings, the book is still full of interesting insights into both Kurosawa’s works and world view, and I do recommend it wholeheartedly.

Something Like an Autobiography is available at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.fr, Amazon.de, and Amazon.co.jp.

The Emperor and the Wolf: The Lives and Films of Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune
by Stuart Galbraith IV (2001; Faber and Faber)

In its 850 or so pages, The Emperor and the Wolf sets out to trace the lives and works of Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune. The result is a brave attempt that is loaded with information, yet perhaps could have benefited from a slightly better presentation.

The book is a wonderful source of information about the lives and films of the two men, and the extremely detailed filmography section alone should already be a reason enough for any Kurosawa enthusiast to consider buying this book. (Yes, it’s more convenient than IMDb.) In fact, the book works best as a reference volume, and has become an invaluable part of my own work in understanding Kurosawa and building this website.

I must, however, point out that as a piece of narrative The Emperor and the Wolf is in my personal opinion somewhat flawed. In a way this is perhaps understandable, as there is so much information included in this already hefty volume that the delivery of it had to be as Spartan as possible in order to keep the size of the book manageable.

Another slightly disappointing aspect is that, despite of the book’s subtitle “The Lives and Films of Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune”, it is really more about the process of filming than it is about the private lives of Kurosawa and Mifune, and I for one would have been interested also in the latter. But, as I said, the book is already massive as it is.

Yet, for someone even remotely interested in Kurosawa’s biography, Emperor and the Wolf is definitely worth a read. This is especially true if you are also curious about the life of Toshiro Mifune, as this book is easily the most comprehensive Mifune biography available in the English language. With its good index, The Emperor and the Wolf is also perhaps the best purchase in case you are looking for a good reference volume on Kurosawa.

The Emperor and the Wolf is available at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.fr, Amazon.de, and Amazon.co.jp.

The Warrior’s Camera
by Stephen Prince (1999 [expanded]; Princeton University Press)

The Warrior’s Camera is an excellent, albeit challenging book on Kurosawa’s oeuvre that concentrates on the visual structure of the director’s works. Although Prince’s interest therefore primarily lies is the methods of storytelling applied by Kurosawa, his discussion also continuously touches on both the content (stories) as well as the social and personal contexts (Kurosawa’s and Japan’s biography) where that storytelling took place. As such, The Warrior’s Camera is easily one of the most thorough, authoritative and inspiring of all book-length Kurosawa criticism available in English.

Prince’s book requires fairly thorough familiarity with Kurosawa’s films, and is perhaps best read with the movies themselves close at hand, as watching the scenes that Prince discusses while reading about them certainly makes it easier to follow the argument. The book, therefore, is perhaps not the best Kurosawa book to start with, even if it is one of the very best overall.

The Warrior’s Camera is available from: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.fr | Amazon.de | Amazon.co.jp

Kurosawa: Film Studies and Japanese Cinema
by Mitsuhiro Yoshimoto (2000; Duke University Press)

Yoshimoto’s analysis of Kurosawa’s artistic output questions many of the commonly held assumptions, frameworks and methods employed in Japanese film criticism. His central argument is that Kurosawa’s works problematise both Japan’s self-image as well the West’s image of Japan, and by doing so arouse confusion and anxiety in film critics in both Japan and elsewhere. This, in Yoshimoto’s view, has for certain ideological purposes led to an artificial manufacturing of the very concept of “Japanese Cinema”, with Kurosawa’s works having been used at the centre of this process.

It must, however, be noted that while the central thesis of Kurosawa: Film Studies and Japanese Cinema is thus borne from a reaction to earlier critical works, Yoshimoto’s book is never solely an exercise in the theory of criticism. Instead, his analyses of Kurosawa’s works are some of the most thorough and inspiring that I have yet encountered when it comes to books discussing Kurosawa’s works. Furthermore, at least I personally find Yoshimoto’s argumentation fascinating, and all in all consider Kurosawa: Film Studies and Japanese Cinema to be an excellent and invaluable part of my Kurosawa collection. The book is also certainly something that stays with you long after you have read it, which may also be evident in the way I am praising it here. In fact, if I had to pick one favourite from the books listed here, I think it would be this one.

Also, surprisingly for a book whose central thesis argues against a whole body of earlier publications, I would venture to say that Kurosawa: Film Studies and Japanese Cinema can also be enjoyed by those not familiar with what has been written before Yoshimoto. This is largely thanks to Yoshimoto’s introducing you to the key concepts at the very onset of his book, as well as his good and clear argumentation throughout the work.

I don’t think I could recommend this book highly enough.

For more information about Kurosawa: Film Studies and Japanese Cinema, see Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.fr | Amazon.de | Amazon.co.jp

Waiting on the Weather: Making Movies with Akira Kurosawa
by Teruyo Nogami (2006; Stone Bridge Press)

The first thing one notices about Teruyo Nogami’s Waiting on the Weather is that it is a collection of unconnected articles on Kurosawa rather than a single coherent narrative work. While the patchedness of the book may especially at first make the reading experience somewhat uncomfortable, what one loses in cohesion one gains in the numerous insights and details that Nogami serves us about Kurosawa’s style and manners. This is, of course, exactly what we would expect from someone like Nogami who spent over four decades working with Kurosawa.

Of all the various thematically compiled chapters, the one with Nogami’s account on the shooting of Dersu Uzala (chapter 5) is perhaps the most fascinating. As also the chapters titled “Kurosawa and Animals” (6) and “Kurosawa and Music” (7) are especially interesting reading, it is really the latter half of the book that I found the most interesting. This may be because of the book’s more or less chronological order of the chapters, and Nogami’s memory serving her with more details when it comes to events that happened later in Kurosawa’s life. This is, however, not to say that the first half is in any way uninteresting or boring.

The book could have done with some further editing as some of the chapters repeat each other slightly, and the English translation would also have benefited from at least one more proof-read before the publication. The biggest omission, however, has to be the lack of a real index at the back of the book, making Waiting on the Weather’s status as a reference book on Kurosawa’s life somewhat less significant.

All in all, Waiting on the Weather is a marvellous source of information about Kurosawa’s life and working methods, and also the most personal of all Kurosawa publications currently available in English. It may not be quite as extensive as some of the other volumes listed here, but it certainly gives one a behind-the-scenes look in a way that no other book available in English has given. It is also a delightful and light read, which should definitely find its place on every Kurosawa fan’s bookshelf.

Waiting on the Weather: Making Movies with Akira Kurosawa is available at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.fr, Amazon.de, and Amazon.co.jp.

Akira Kurosawa and Intertextual Cinema
by James Goodwin (1993; The Johns Hopkins University Press)

James Goodwin’s Akira Kurosawa and Intertextual Cinema looks at Kurosawa’s works from the post-structuralist perspectives of intertextualism and interculturalism. In his work Goodwin considers not only Kurosawa’s literary adaptations like The Idiot, The Lower Depths, Rashomon, Ran and Throne of Blood, but elaborates on the types of intertextualism present also in the director’s other works, including Seven Samurai and Ikiru. Akira Kurosawa and Intertextual Cinema also includes a short look at the intertexts of Kurosawa’s own life, as well as the intertexts present in the actual methods of Kurosawa’s cinematic arts.

The discussion in the book is of relatively academic nature, and casual readers may find the book somewhat heavier reading than some of the other works available on Kurosawa. It is, however, a very thought-provoking and idea-filled work, and although one may not agree with every interpretation given in the book, just like one may find the readings provided for some scenes somewhat elementary in their nature, the book is certainly something to be recommended for every serious fan of Kurosawa’s cinematic art.

That being said, it is at the same time not a book that someone only beginning to read into Kurosawa criticism should start with. I feel that a knowledge of at least Richie’s and Galbraith’s books is very helpful when approaching Akira Kurosawa and Intertextual Cinema, with Kurosawa’s own biography also worth reading before tackling the admittedly fascinating themes of intertextuality and interculturalism.

The book could perhaps be criticised for a lack of a central, carrying argument. For, rather than being a singularly argued monograph, Akira Kurosawa and Intertextual cinema perhaps comes sligthly across as something of an unconnected collection of interpretations on Kurosawa’s works. This, of course, makes it easier to use it as a reference book when you are interested in just one or two movies.

Akira Kurosawa and Intertextual Cinema is available at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.fr, Amazon.de, and Amazon.co.jp.

Remaking Kurosawa: Translations and Permutations in Global Cinema
by Dolores Martinez (2009; palgrave)

Published on 26 May 2009 in the North America, and probably 26 June 2009 in Europe.

The abstract reads:

“Japan, so often called a nation of copiers, is also copied from and an example of this is the way that Akira Kurosawa’s films have influenced non-Japanese directors. Beginning with Rashomon (1950), the film that brought Kurosawa to western attention, this book also considers Seven Samurai (1954), Yojimbo (1961) and Hidden Fortress (1958). Through these films, the human tendency to make connections, see similarity, and then assert difference is described. A bold attempt to build a bridge out of diverse materials: the anthropology of Japan, film studies, and post-modern theory, this book traces the desire lines of the human imagination.”

Available from Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.fr, Amazon.de, and Amazon.co.jp.

Akira Kurosawa - Interviews
edited by Bert Cardullo (2007; University Press of Mississippi)

Published in 2007, Akira Kurosawa: Interviews is the latest volume in the University Press of Mississippi film book series Conversations with Filmmakers. It is also the first English language book to put together a collection of interviews with Kurosawa, which makes it a rather tempting item for most Kurosawa fans. In case you are at all interested in reading Kurosawa’s views unfiltered, I would highly recommend this book.

I have written a more comprehensive review of Interviews, which can be found here.

Cardullo has also written a book called Out of Asia: The Films of Akira Kurosawa, Satyajit Ray, Abbas Kiraostami, and Zhang Yimou; Essays and Interviews. The Kurosawa interview in that book is also included in Akira Kurosawa: Interviews.

Akira Kurosawa - Interviews is available at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.fr, Amazon.de, and Amazon.co.jp.

Rashomon (Rutgers Films in Print)
edited by Donald Richie (2nd Edition 1987; Rutgers University Press)

A comprehensive collection of essays on Rashomon. Also includes the short stories on which the film was based, and a continuity script.

The essays included are, for the most part, very interesting, and I would definitely recommend the book if you are interested in acquiring a more in-depth look at the themes and issues present in the film.

Available at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.fr, Amazon.de, and Amazon.co.jp.

Seven Samurai (BFI Film Classics)
by Joan Mellen (2002; British Film Institute)

In just a little under a hundred pages, renowned Kurosawa scholar Joan Mellen dissects Seven Samurai, looking at its place in Japanese cinema and Kurosawa’s career, as well as delving deep into the meaning(s) of the film. Mellen, who also wrote two of the chapters in Donald Richie’s canonical The Films of Akira Kurosawa (see at the top of this page), writes well and keeps you interested in her argument.

This is a definite buy for anyone particularly interested in Seven Samurai.

Available at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.fr, Amazon.de, and Amazon.co.jp.

Akira Kurosawa - Complete Drawings
by Akira Kurosawa (1999; Kurosawa Productions)

As everyone familiar with his biography knows, Akira Kurosawa originally wanted to become a painter, and as a director created not only storyboards, but also detailed full-scale paintings for many of his films. After his death, all of the surviving sketches, drawings and paintings were collected by Kurosawa Productions and published in this wonderful 300-page tome that includes over 2,400 reproductions, dating back to storyboards from Kurosawa’s early movies.

Like art books in general, Complete Drawings is not cheap, and this one is only available in Japan. To get a taste of what the drawings are like, take a look at my Kurosawa’s Paintings page.

Complete Drawings is available for purchase at Amazon.co.jp.

Filming Shakespeare’s Plays : The Adaptions of Laurence Olivier, Orson Welles, Peter Brook and Akira Kurosawa
by Anthony Davies (1990; Cambridge University Press)

From Amazon’s book description: “Davies begins his study with a comparison of theatrical and cinematic space showing that the dramatic resources of cinema are essentially spatial. Central chapters focus on Welles’ Macbeth, Othello, and Chimes at Midnight; Olivier’s Henry V, Hamlet, and Richard III; Brook’s King Lear; and Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood. Davies then discusses the dramatic problems the sources for these films pose for the film maker and he examines how these films influenced later theatrical stagings. The book concludes by exploring the demands that distinguish the work of a Shakespearean stage actor from his counterpart’s in film.”

See more information about Filming Shakespeare’s Plays : The Adaptions of Laurence Olivier, Orson Welles, Peter Brook and Akira Kurosawa at: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.fr | Amazon.de | Amazon.co.jp