Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams
This is the most recent of the late period Kurosawa films I have seen.
It’s somewhat different from his others, in that it’s a collection of shorts instead of a regular feature. To my knowledge, the only other Kurosawa films like this are Rashōmon (羅生門) and Ikiru (生きる), though those tell the same story from different perspectives.
The tone is similar to Rhapsody in August and Madadayo. These last three films Kurosawa made are exceptional. They are, for lack of a better word, beautiful films. They are, I think, the most balanced of Kurosawa’s work; he returns to a more dynamic style of camera movement, as with his earlier films, but doesn’t hesitate to let a scene play out in medium shot.
As I go through each short, I’m going to talk more about the visual aspects, since the stories are simple and short.
Sunshine Through the Rain
This is a very strong start to this film. It sets a perfect mood of dreaminess, with things starting off realistic, with some very surreal moments interspersed. His first edit is an axial cut, my favorite editing technique.
The Peach Orchard
Another absolutely beautiful piece, concerning a boy who’s family has cut down a peach orchard. There are some touches of pure brilliance in this piece. When the boy looks at the porcelain figurines, I noticed something strange. I rewound and looked again. The lighting changes subtly in the medium shot, causing the shadows to grow and move against the red background.
The composition of the orchard is simply amazing, with (by my count) sixty actors performing in unison. Kurosawa shows off his camerawork here, panning from two-shot to three-shot, and back again. It’s simply amazing to see.
Also note how the shots of the terrace show the overwhelming green of the grass, while the reverse of the boy is against stark, bare earth.
The bell, which jingles every time the girl in pink moves. It’s amplified at first, so you can’t help but notice it, then you become used to it… then it appears again at the end. Also, note how the girl first appears in front of a branch with peach blossoms.
The moment where the boy runs up the terrace is absolutely chilling. An amazing piece of work, this is easily the strongest of any of the shorts.
The Blizzard
In my opinion, the weakest of the shorts. It reminded me of “The Woman of the Snow” from Kwaidan (怪談). It’s interesting to note how the characters faces are almost always obscured. They seem vague and anonymous, yet there is a definite hierarchy to the party.
The Tunnel
A much more nightmarish short, which only makes the Kwaidan comparison more apt. This short concerns a soldier returning from WWII, and his experience as he travels through a tunnel.
The role of “I” here seems to be exactly the sort of part which Toshiro Mifune would play; distraught and intense.
Kurosawa never served in the military. It’s interesting to note that this and “Mount Fuji in Red” were both co-written by Ishirô Honda (of Godzilla (ゴジラ) fame), whose filmmaking career was interrupted by his military service in WWII.
Crows
A beautiful but flawed piece. It’s amazing to see this intersection of these two brilliant artists- Akira Kurosawa and Vincent Van Gogh. “I” journies through the work of Van Gogh. The moment where he appears by the bridge in the village is astounding- Van Gogh’s work come to life.
I could have done without the montage of “I” literally walking through his paintings. The technical aspects of these shots are wanting due to the limited technology of the time, and I think it would have been just as effective to have a series of plain shots with dissolves.
I also wasn’t happy with Martin Scorsese’s performance of Van Gogh- he still had his obvious New York accent.
Mount Fuji in Red
The second of the Ishirô Honda co-written shorts concerns the explosion of Japan’s nuclear power plants and the subsequent destruction. Features Hisashi Igawa, who would return in Madadayo.
The Weeping Demon
This seems to follow the previous short; it’s the only one in the film which does so. A weird piece.
Village of the Watermills
Another beautiful piece, which references Kurosawa’s work, both past and future. The watermills bring to mind the mill in The Seven Samurai (七人の侍), while the subject matter hints at Madadayo. It’s encapsulates Kurosawa’s attitude in his later work: celebrating life in all it’s aspects, even death.