Kurosawa Centenary Done Right at U of M

University of Michigan Center for Japanese Studies

FALL 2010 FILM SERIES

“Re-Viewing Kurosawa”

In the 1950s, Kurosawa Akira (1910-1998) led Japanese cinema onto the world stage, astonishing viewers with the emotional depth and the technical adroitness of his films. On the centennial of his birth, this series provides a once-in-a-generation chance to see Kurosawa’s classics again—including his incomparable early samurai films—in fresh, new 35mm prints.

Friday, September 24

Rashōmon

Directed by Akira Kurosawa

1950 / 88 min. / 35mm / In Japanese with English subtitles.

Friday, October 1

Ikiru

Directed by Akira Kurosawa

1952 / 143 min. / 35mm / In Japanese with English subtitles.

Friday, October 8

Seven Samurai

Directed by Akira Kurosawa

1954 / 207 min. / 35mm / In Japanese with English subtitles.

Friday, October 15

Throne of Blood

Directed by Akira Kurosawa

1957 / 109 min. / 35mm / In Japanese with English subtitles.

Friday, October 22

Hidden Fortress

Directed by Akira Kurosawa

1958 / 139 min. / 35mm / In Japanese with English subtitles.

Friday, October 29

High and Low

Directed by Akira Kurosawa

1963 / 143 min. / 35mm / In Japanese with English subtitles.

Friday, November 5

Yōjimbō

Directed by Akira Kurosawa

1961 / 110 min. / 35mm / In Japanese with English subtitles.

Friday, November 12

Sanjurō

Directed by Akira Kurosawa

1962 / 96 min. / 35mm / In Japanese with English subtitles.

Nice to hear that, Coco! I like how they proceed almost chronologically. It’s a pity of course that they have had to leave out Record of a Living Being, The Lower Depths and The Bad Sleep Well.

Houston is also having an extensive showing of Kurosawa’s films as well:

http://www.mfah.org/films.asp?par1=1&par2=692&par3=1&par4=1&par5=1&par6=1&par7=&lgc=6&eid=&currentPage=

Lord, telamonides, I envy those living inthe Houston area~!

I only wish that I could go see all of them. I have seen a few on the big screen so I will probably skip those. I definitely want to see some of the films that I have not seen yet, but I really need to see 7 samurai, Kagemusha, and the Yojimbo films.

Wow, seeing Kagemusha on the big screen…! I envy that! So few people really care much about that one, and yet, it is profoundly moving for me.

I’ve seen a few on the big screen, but most lok forward to The Hidden Fortress (such a guilty pleasure!) and, really, the one I tremble at the thought of seeing is Seven Samurai. I wouldn’t even qualify by saying “I think” it is one of the greatest films ever made. It just simply is one of the finest of all human creations in film!

And, these are entirely new prints. That’s absolute madness! I can’t even stay in my skin when I think about it!

I’d like to see Kagemusha on the big screen. For some reason, I never even knew about its release — maybe because I was in law school at the time.

I saw Ran on the big screen when it was released, and I had the honor of seeing Seven Samurai on the big screen at a local art theater. I think that was the second time I saw it — the first time, as mentioned elsewhere, was on TV as part of a PBS series on classic foreign films during which I also got to see Throne of Blood, Yojimbo, and Sanjuro, along with such European classics as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Metropholis, Ivan the Terrible, Potemkin, Jules et Jim, The Great Escape, and the Seventh Seal.

I saw The Hidden Fortress for the first time three or four years ago as part of my town’s film festival; I was tired and fell asleep for a few minutes in the middle, which may have influenced my less-than-stellar opinion of the film. I have since watched the entire movie on DVD, but its failure to hold my interest throughout is a mark against it. The sweep of the movie, the setting, and the cinematography is well served by the big screen, though, and the scene on the steps is even more dazzling.