Other Movies with Kurosawa’s Involvement

This page is a more or less comprehensive list of movies that have had some sort of involvement or input from Akira Kurosawa, but which were not actually directed by him. This includes films for which he worked as an assistant director, those he wrote scripts for, as well as movies for which he worked as an editor.

CO-DIRECTOR
 

Those Who Make Tomorrow (Asu o tsukuru hitobito, 1946)

Often listed as part of Kurosawa’s own works, Those Who Make Tomorrow was actually directed by Akira Kurosawa, Hideo Sekigawa and Kajiro Yamamoto. Kurosawa, who was practically forced to take part in the making of the movie, never considered it as part of his own works, and therefore neither do I.

The film, which was shot in a week, was made to promote Toho’s workers’ union, who went on strike shortly before the release of the movie demanding better working conditions and better wage security. Consequently, the movie is apparently little more than a propaganda piece thrown together in a hurry. It tells the story of a family who become involved in a film makers’ strike that is called in sympathy with striking railroad workers.

The film is practically unavailable, and according to Stuart Galbraith’s The Emperor and the Wolf (p. 65) the movie has never been shown in Japan after its initial release, and was never screened in the US. Even Donald Richie has not seen the film, which probably says something about its availability.

Horse (Uma, 1941)

Sometimes considered to be part of the “Kurosawa canon”, at other times listed under films that he worked for as an assistant director (as reads in the credits), Horse is the final film for which Kurosawa directed before starting to work on his debut film as a “graduated” director himself. Although officially a film by Kajiro Yamamoto, it is generally suggested that most of the scenes in Horse were in fact directed by Kurosawa who worked independently of Yamamoto throughout most of the shooting. Kurosawa was also involved in the writing and editing of the film. Since the overall production was, however, still under Yamamoto, I have decided to list it under “co-directed” films.

The film tells the story of a poor young girl and her relationship with a horse that she raises up. Their relationship, however, comes to an end when the government orders the horse to be auction off to the army, breaking the girl’s heart and causing her to try to stop the sale.

To the best of my knowledge, Horse is not commercially available in any form or language.

EDITOR
 

The Legacy of the 500,000 (Gojuman-nin no isan, 1963)

“Legacy” is the only movie directed by Toshiro Mifune, who asked Kurosawa to help him with the editing of the final movie. It is a thriller set after the Second World War involving a gold treasure that has been buried in the Philippines during the war, and whose location Mifune’s own character knows. While he would like to return the money to the Japanese people, two brothers who kidnap him and force him to take them to the treasure have other ideas.

The movie is available on VHS in Japan, and can be purchased for example at Amazon.co.jp.

Hiba Arborvitae Story (Asunaro monogatari, 1955)
also written by Kurosawa

I have absolutely no knowledge of this movie whatsoever, apart from the fact that it was edited by Kurosawa, who also did the screenplay from Yasushi Inoue’s original story. It doesn’t seem to be available for purchase, either.

WRITER
 

The Sea Is Watching (Umi wa miteita, 2002)

The second film to be directed from an unfilmed script left by Kurosawa, Kei Kumai’s The Sea Is Watching is based on a script Kurosawa was working on at the early 1990s. It is a surprisingly tender story about a prostitute who falls in love with a samurai who comes to hide in the brothel after wounding a high-ranking samurai. Kumai’s direction, while not actually trying to imitate Kurosawa’s style, pays homage to the source material well, and the result is a very pleasant viewing experience.

The film is available at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, and Amazon.co.uk.

Dora-Heita (aka “Alley Cat”, 2000)

Kon Ichikawa’s film from 2000 is based on a script written by Ichikawa, Kurosawa, Masaki Kobayashi and Keisuke Kinoshita at the turn of the 1970s when the four worked together under the banner “Club of the Four Knights” (which was to go down after just one film when Dodesukaden flopped at the box office). The original idea had, according to Ichikawa, been for the four to film the script together.

Dora-Heita, or “Alley Cat”, is a comic story about a samurai who pretends to be an alcoholic magistrate in order to carry out a daiyo’s order to clean up a corrupt town. The story and style consequently somewhat resembles that of Kurosawa’s earlier films Yojimbo and Sanjuro. Yet, the overall execution seems somewhat uneven to me, and I would say that the main interest for a Kurosawa fan lies in the story.

The film is available at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, and Amazon.co.uk.

After the Rain (Ame agaru, 2000)

The first film that was directed from an unfilmed Kurosawa script after his death, Ame agaru was made by people close to Kurosawa at the time of his death. Not only was the film directed by Takashi Koizumi who worked as an assistant director on Kurosawa’s movies starting from Kagemusha, but also the rest of the cast and the crew was filled by the Kurosawa gang. Even Toshiro Mifune’s son Shiro Mifune makes an appearance, as does Tatsuya Nakadai and a number of other Kurosawa regulars.

The film itself is about a masterless samurai (played by Akira Terao, who had also appeared in Kurosawa’s movies from Ran onwards) who with his wife becomes stranded by rains at a country inn, all for the amazement of the local residents. The samurai’s skills with the sword comes to the attention of a local lord, who hires him as a fencing instructor, causing friction within the castle. While not quite a masterpiece, Ame agaru is still an excellent film well worth watching.

The Japanese DVD release of the film comes with English subtitles, and is available for example at Amazon.co.jp.

Runaway Train (1985)

Based on the script “Runaway Train” that Kurosawa wrote in the 1960s for a movie that was supposed to become his Hollywood debut, but which was later cancelled due to problems with the script as well as the weather. Since the rights stayed in the US, it was only a matter of time that the film would be made without Kurosawa’s involvement. That it took until 1985 for it to happen is something of a miracle.

The action-packed story is about a runaway train that is accidentally boarded by two escaped convicts and a female railroad worker. We follow their struggle inside the train, as well as the actions of those trying to stop the train, and catch the escapees. It is a generally well-made action film, which still has a few traces of Kurosawa in it. Do not expect a master work, however.

The film is available at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, and Amazon.co.uk.

TO BE CONTINUED

There are still a number of films to be included into this list with descriptions of their availability. As I find the time, I will complete the list little by little. As for now, here is simply a list of the movies that will be included.

As a writer:

Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970 — Japanese sequences?)
Jakoman and Tetsu (Jakoman to Tetsu, 1964 — remake of the 1949 movie of the same name)
Fencing Master (Tateshi Danpei, 1959 — remake of the 1950 movie of the same name)
Saga of the Vagabonds (Sengoku gunto-den, 1959)
Advance Patrol (Nichiro sensô shôri no hishi: Tekichû ôdan sanbyaku-ri, 1957)
Hiba Arborvitae Story (Asunaro monogatari, 1955 — also editor)
Vanished Enlisted Man (Kieta chutai, 1955)
My Wonderful Yellow Car (Fukeyo haru kaze, 1953)
Sword for Hire (Sengoku burai, 1952)
Vendetta of a Samurai (Araki Mataemon: Kettô kagiya no tsuji, 1952)
The Den of Beasts (Kedamono no yado, 1951)
Beyond Love and Hate (Ai to nikushimi no kanata e, 1951)
Fencing Master (Tateshi Danpei, 1950)
Tetsu of Jilba (Jiruba Tetsu, 1950)
Escape at Dawn (Akatsuki no dasso, 1950)
Jakoman and Tetsu (Jakoman to Tetsu, 1949)
The Lady from Hell (Jigoku no kifujin, 1949)
The Portrait (Shozo, 1948)
Snow Trail (Ginrei no hate, 1947)
Four Love Stories [one segment, "Hatsukoi"] (Yottsu no koi no monogatari, 1947)
Bravo! Tebare Ishin (Tenbare Ishin tasuke, 1945)
Wrestling-Ring Festival (Dohyosai, 1944)
The Triumphant Song of the Wings (Tsuaka no gaika, 1942)
Wind Currents of Youth (Seishun no kiryu, 1942)

As a Chief Assistant Director:

Songoku (Volumes 1 & 2) (Enoken no songokû: songokû zenko-hen, 1940)
Enoken’s Cropped Hair (Enoken no zangiri Kinta, 1940)
Roppa’s Honeymoon (Roppa no shinkon ryoko, 1940)
Easy Alley (Nonki Yokocho, 1939)
Chushingura (Part Two) (Chushingura [Go], 1939)
Enoken’s Shrewd Period (Enoken no gatchiri jidai, 1939)
Enoken’s Surprising Life (Enoken no bikkuri jinsei, 1938)
Composition Class (Tsuzurikata kyoshitsu, 1938)
Tojuro’s Love (Tojuro’s Love, 1938)
Subterranean Heat (Chinetsu, 1938)
The Beautiful Hawk (Utsukushiki taka, 1937)
Enoken’s Ten Millions (Enoken no senman choja, 1936)

As a Third Assistant Director:

Enoken’s Chikiri Kinta Part 2: Returning Is Scary, But the Weather Will Clear If You Wait (Enoken no chakkiri Kinta ‘Go’, kaeri wa kowai, mateba hiyori, 1937)
Enoken’s Chikiri Kinta Part 1 - Momma, the Hat - The Nice Way (Enoken no chakkiri Kinta ‘Zen’ - Mamayo sandogasa - Ikiwa yoiyoi, 1937)
Avalanche (Nadare, 1937)
Japanese Women’s Textbook (Nihon josei dokuhon, 1937)
A Husband’s Chastity: Fall Again (Otto no teiso - aki futatabi, 1937)
A Husband’s Chastity: If Spring Comes (Otto no teiso - haru kitareba, 1937)
Saga of the Vagabonds, Part Two: Forward at Dawn (Sengoku gunto-den - Dai nibu Akatsuki no zenshin, 1937)
Saga of the Vagabonds, Part One: Tiger-wolf (Sengoku gunto-den - Dai ichibu Toraokami, 1936)
“Ryonin no teisou” (Ryonin no teisou, 1937)
Tokyo Rhapsody (Tokyo rapusodei, 1936)
Enoken’s Ten Millions Sequel (Zoku Enoken no senman choja, 1936)
Enoken’s Ten Millions (Enoken no senman choja, 1936)
Paradise of the Virgin Flowers (Shojo Hanazono, 1936)

As a producer (only)

Spring Flirtation (Haruno tawamure, 1949)