Dora-Heita

	Rating: 4 out of 5 Release Date: 2000 Director: Kon Ichikawa Netflix Link IMDb Link

Something in the opening credits caught my eye: screenplay by Akira Kurosawa, Keisuke Kinoshita, Kon Ichikawa and Masaki Kobayashi. Four of Japan’s greatest and most prolific directors collaborated on a single screenplay and the story does not disappoint.

It is an elaborate tale of corruption and double-crosses, with a little bit of fighting and a whole lot of intrigue. Dora-Heita, expertly played by Koji Yakusho, is pitted between corrupt officials and corrupt yakuza bosses, all of whom would like nothing better than for him to go away by any means necessary. The character of Dora-Heita actually reminds me a little bit of Kurosawa’s character, Yojimbo, in the sense that he is blustery and gruff, places little value on authority, and will get the job done how he wants to, not how they tell him to. The samurai in this film are not the typical variety you see in jidaigeki who go about fighting in wars or slashing up bad guys, but rather, they are officials. Dora-Heita is a magistrate, akin to a police officer and a judge rolled into one, brought in to clean up a certain troublesome neighborhood.

That being said, in typical Ichikawa fashion, the film does drag a bit in spots and it’s not altogether as tight as it could have been. Still, this is a pretty entertaining story, made even more so by Koji Yakusho’s performance. Recommended to fans of the samurai genre.

One Wonderful Sunday

	Rating: 4 out of 5 Original Title: Subarashiki nichiyôbi Release Date: 1946 Director: Akira Kurosawa Netflix Link IMDb Link

One Wonderful Sunday is post-war through and through. It is a bleak tale about the lack of prospects for the younger generation as WW2 is at an end. Inflation is rampant and, even though the protagonists are both employed, they don’t make enough to even buy a proper cup of tea, let alone build a life together in a home of their own. There is a lot of subtle commentary in this film of both the American occupation and Japan’s failure in the war. It constantly shifts in viewpoint from heartbreaking to hopeful. Both the fear of the future and the regret for the past are palpable. While it’s not the best post-war Kurosawa film, it is worth watching for Kurosawa completists and for a unique post-war Japanese outlook.

Madadayo

	Rating: 4 out of 5 Original Title: Release Date: 1993 Director: Akira Kurosawa Netflix Link IMDb Link

Madadayo is entirely fitting as Kurosawa’s final film since it is about as autobiographical as you can get. It is the tale of a well-respected professor growing old, and coming to terms with age and the fruits of his life. Kurosawa’s own fears and misgivings are apparent in the telling of the professor’s story, especially his views on the war. Kurosawa never attempted to hide his disgust for the American occupation and Japan’s involvement in WW2 and it shines through here as well. While there is not much plot movement, what little there is, is heart-rending. You come to like and feel for the snarky professor just as all of his former students do. I happened to watch this back to back with One Wonderful Sunday, one of his early post-war efforts. It’s remarkable how similar the themes are, but one is from an uncertain, youthful perspective and the other is from an older, wiser point of view. Madadayo is an appropriate end to a long and prolific career.

Dodes’ka-Den

	Rating: 5 out of 5 Release Date: 1970 Director: Akira Kurosawa Netflix Link IMDb Link

Dodes’ka-Den is brutal and heartfelt. It shares themes with other Kurosawa films; morality, social commentary, class structure, and his take on humanity. Visually and story-wise, it is lush and compelling. It’s obvious that this was Kurosawa’s first color film; the use of color is not intrinsic. Dodes’ka-Den is visually reminiscent of Seijun Suzuki’s Gate of Flesh with its post-war degradation, each family represented by a different color, and the fact that most of it is shot on a sound stage. The story is similar to Kurosawa’s own The Lower Depths. It is the rich tale of several intertwined families with their ghetto of a neighborhood as the common thread. The people are all just trying to get by and each has their own set of issues. It is a must-see for any Kurosawa fan. Dodes’ka-Den will break your heart.

Dersu Uzala

	Rating: 3 out of 5 Release Date: 1975 Director: Akira Kurosawa Netflix Link IMDb Link

I didn’t dislike this film, but I didn’t like it either. It is very Kurosawa in the human connection sense, but there’s just as much that isn’t. Had I stumbled across it without knowing who directed it, there’s a good chance I wouldn’t have surmised that it was Kurosawa at all. Dersu Uzala is basically a long, drawn out story with very little action and very little forward movement to the plot. That being said, it does have moments of that are absolutely touching and heartfelt. As a character, Dersu is a rather likable chap, but he does seem like an amalgamation of every indigenous, Native American type character in the old Hollywood westerns. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend Dersu Uzala to anyone who isn’t a Kurosawa completist. But, if you are, it’s worth watching if only to mark it off the list.

Kagemusha

	Rating: 4 out of 5 Release Date: 1980 Director: Akira Kurosawa Netflix Link IMDb Link

Epic is a word that comes to mind. Epic in scope, timeline, scenery, costumes, cinematography and certainly in length, Kagemusha is a must-see for fans of historical(ish) Japanese dramas. Because of its grand scale, Toho Studios ran out of money to fund it. So, George Lucas and Francis Ford Copolla stepped in to arrange financing which is why you’ll see their names incongruously appear in the credits. While the Takeda/Kagemusha plotline is fiction, the backdrop of pre-Tokugawa era Japan is nearly perfectly historic. Typical of Kurosawa, Kagemusha, while telling a tale of intrigue and warfare, is also a philosophical treatise on Japan’s class system and traditional way of life. If you aren’t a Tatsuya Nakadai fan to begin with, you will be after seeing Kagemusha.

I Live in Fear: Record of a Living Being

	Rating: 4 out of 5 Original Title: Ikimono no kiroku Release Date: 1955 Director: Akira Kurosawa Netflix Link IMDb Link

Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura and Akira Kurosawa team up again to bring you this tale of a paranoid man whose family thinks is losing his mind. On the surface, it is the story of a family headed by an old man (played by Toshiro in old man makeup – that’s him on the cover) who wants to move them away from the threat of A bombs and H bombs. But, really, I Live In Fear is a cynical exploration of the effects that WW2 had on Japanese citizens and the niggling fear that it might happen again. Nobody can really grasp this fear to its fullest other than the WW2-era Japanese. Imagine surviving and living on after two major cities in your country were wiped off the face of the planet by the biggest bombs ever used in warfare. If you can, even a little bit, you might have a better understanding of this film. I Live In Fear is worth watching if only because it makes you confront these issues.

Scandal

	Rating: 4 out of 5 Original Title: Shubun Release Date: 1950 Director: Akira Kurosawa Netflix Link IMDb Link

The recently released Post-War Kurosawa set includes several films that are not available on dvd elsewhere. Scandal is one of them. It stars a very young Toshiro Mifune, who had already perfected his bewildered head scratch, and the wonderful Takashi Shimura as his run-down lawyer. The story leaves a bit to be desired, but it still has plenty of Kurosawa’s typical philosophical dialogue and themes like the scene in the bar when everyone starts singing and wishing for a better life. I wouldn’t emphatically recommend Scandal, but as a Kurosawa and Mifune fan, it is essential viewing. If you haven’t taken advantage of it, I would recommend watching all of the films in the Post-War Kurosawa Box Set (No Regrets for Our Youth, One Wonderful Sunday, The Idiot, I Live in Fear).

Since You Went Away

	Rating: 4 out of 5 Release Date: 1944 Director: John Cromwell Netflix Link IMDb Link

There were basically two kinds of films produced during WW2; those that made viewers forget the harshness of daily life with frivolity and laughter, and those that reinforced the sacrifices made by every American during the war. Since You Went Away is definitely in the latter category. It is a simple story of the family left behind by a man who serves his country. This wartime melodrama is full of propagandizing American patriotism and pride. With a superb cast including Claudette Colbert, Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotten, a blustery Monty Woolley and a teenage Shirley Temple, Since You Went Away will tug at your heartstrings. Watching it over 60 years later, it does seem to drip with sentimentality. But, if you are looking for a film that really gives a sense of the home lives and attitudes of average Americans during WW2, there are few better examples in cinema than Since You Went Away.

Rashomon

	Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Release Date: 1950 Director: Akira Kurosawa Netflix Link IMDb Link

It’s a case of he said, she said, the dead man said. It finally takes a reticent Takashi Shimura to sort it all out. Even though I love this film and it’s highly acclaimed by all, Rashomon is not among my absolute favorite Kurosawa movies. Personally, I think the message is a little heavy-handed, especially the ending. It clobbers you over the head with humaneness and morality unlike some of his more subtle stories exploring the same themes such as Ikiru or Red Beard. But, all things considered, it is yet another fine film from Kurosawa starring the supremely talented Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura among others. Toshiro, especially, gives an outstanding performance in his typical wild, spirited way. Rashomon has beautiful, dynamic cinematography and fine performances all set to a unique Bolero-esque score. For 1950, Rashomon was years ahead of its time.