Yume Essay

Yume Essay
In the film 'Yume' (or with the English translation) 'Dreams', Director Akira Kurosawa, plays with
morality and the preservation of natural life. Yume presents the viewer with vignettes that focus on
the consequences of human behavior, like in the short: The Peach Orchard. In this vignette, a boy is
questioned in front of a spiritual council that represented the chopped down peach orchard. The
spirits were angry with how mortals treat nature, but the boy repented for his family's actions. In
return the spirits led him in a facade, letting him see the traditional dance of the falling peach
blossom petals. The boy was amazed, but it was soon cut short when the dance was over, for the
visage he was seeing ended and he was back in the orchard with all the chopped down trees. The
point of this short was to display that people often destroy nature and dirty the earth and give it
nothing in return. There is consequences to every action, and there is more to the earth than what
appears. The terrible treatment of the nature was also mentioned in a few other vignettes like 'Mount
Fuji In Red' and ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In the 'Village Of Water Mills', the small town is based on a river, hand crafted watermills spin and
the river, workers work in their respected areas and the town lives technology free. However, the
vignette is based in modern time, so it is a stark change from the previous vignettes in the film. This
vignette follows a traveler that wanders into the village. He sits while a nameless old man crafts
another water wheel by hand and talks to the traveler. The traveler talks about how the town deals
with the celebration of life and how the villagers way of living is better than city life. How the
villagers transition the deceased, is quite extravagant, the villagers wear vivid colors, dance a very
cheery celebration of death, and play instruments while carrying the casket to the
... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...

Essay on Shakespeare's Macbeth and Kurosawa's Throne of Blood
Throne of Blood, the 1957 filmed translation of Macbeth by William Shakespeare, was made in
Japan, written in Japanese by Shinobu Hashimoto, Ryuzo Kikushima, Akira Kurosowa and Hideo
Oguni and directed by Akira Kurosawa. It has many times been called an adaptation of Macbeth,
however it is not. As storytellers have done since time began, Kurosawa took a story and made it his
own: translating a play text into another medium; a separate setting; a differing culture in a
completely different style and for a completely contrasting audience.
The film wasn't even intended to be an adaptation of Macbeth. When composing Throne of Blood,
the writing team involved did not even consult Shakespeare's script, as Stuart Galbraith details in ...
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Shakespeare wrote Macbeth for James I of England, a Scottish King, who was an ancestor of
Banquo. Kurosawa wrote for a contemporary audience of 1950's Japan, setting his story in a culture
that was known to them, as Shakespeare had done. Similar to the kabuki historical drama or jidai–
mono, Throne of Blood bases its story around the warriors and noblemen of the feudal Japan, a
worthy equivalent to Shakespeare's Scottish soldiers and aristocracy of the early middle ages.
In Akira Kurosawa and Intertextual Cinema, James Goodwin says that Kurosawa `demonstrates a
preference for eras of disruption in samurai culture, of massive social upheaval, or of civil war. For
Throne of Blood he had in mind the Sengoko period of civil wars (1467–1568) when there were
frequent incidents of gekokujo, the overthrow of a superior by his own retainers.' Kurosawa uses his
setting in a similar way to that of Shakespeare, who uses various examples of imagery concerning
the idea of imbalance: of order and disorder. In Act Two, Scene Four of Macbeth he uses many hints
to tell his audience how chaotic things have become for his characters.
Old Man Threescore and ten I can remember well:
Within the volume of which time I have seen
Hours dreadful and things strange; but this sore night
Hath trifled former knowings.
ROSS Ah, good father,
Thou seest, the heavens, as troubled with man's act,

Threaten his bloody stage: by the

Similarities Between Ran And King Lear
Despite contrasting contexts, a well–developed understanding of the shared ideas between two texts
has been achieved through comparative study. The play King Lear (1606) but William Shakespeare
and the Japanese film adaptation Ran (1985) by Akira Kurosawa share similar values despite
coming from different parts of the world, and being written in different time periods. The concept of
Chaos highlights the need to respect the values of society, and Justice is used throughout both texts
to explore morality and the consequences that one's actions possess.
The theme of Chaos has been used within the play to reflect the societal values of Elizabethan
England. King Lear was written just after Queen Elizabeth I's death in 1603, when King James I
was crowned. King James quickly became an unpopular ruler, as he would not listen to other's
opinions, and made very harsh decisions, similar to King Lear himself. "How in one house, should
many people under two commands hold amity? 'Tis hard, almost impossible." (Act 2 Scene 4)
Regan is asking Lear how his knights and her servants can get along when they have two authority
figures, using the chaos that Lear's knights have caused as an excuse to dismiss them and claim the
last of Lear's power. This power struggle ties in with the Elizabethan concept of the Chain of Being.
The chain itself is a hierarchy linking all of God's creations, starting at the top of the chain with
God, then the angels, then the Monarch, who is viewed as God's

Japanese Samurai Film Genre Essays
The Seven Samurai directed by Akira Kurosawa uses many film techniques and features of the
Japanese samurai film genre to engage and influence the viewing audience. The Japanese samurai
film genre focuses on the physical martial arts, and is very similar to American westerns. These
films are usually set in the Tokugawa era and the main characters are samurai, or Ronin. The Seven
Samurai is a stereotypical Japanese samurai movie set in the Tokugawa era about a village full of
farmers who hire seven samurai to protect their village from a group of bandits. Kurosawa has used
many features of a typical samurai film in The Seven Samurai such as the use of the katana, the
samurai were usually clean cut and are seen as socially superior and that ... Show more content on
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In the film when the farmers are walking around the town looking for samurai to help their village it
is easy for the farmers and also the viewing audience to tell the difference between the samurai and
the peasants. The samurai walk around with pride, they have their chest up and are look above the
crowd as if they should not be there with the peasants, and the peasants are hunched over looking at
the floor. When the farmers go to the village in search of samurai, Rikichi, one of the farmers, gets
down on his knees and begs for the samurai to help his village, many of the samurai just walked past
him without blinking an eye, they should not be dealing with peasants, they are superior, they
should be answering to lords not peasants. All samurai even Ronin are seen as socially superior and
they act that way as well, most of them wouldn't work for the farmers. The samurai thought they
shouldn't be employed by mere peasants and that they should work for lords and shoguns.
Endings were usually described as bitter sweet as life goes on in the face of tragedy. This feature of
the samurai film genre focuses on the end of the film, the endings are usually have someone or a
number of important people die, the bitter part, but the main antagonist is also captured or killed, the
sweet part. The ending of The Seven Samurai is seen as bitter sweet as the bandits die, and the
village is saved however

Master Filmaker Akira Kurosawa
"I believed at the time that for Japan to recover, it was important to place a high value on the self. I
still believe this." – Akira Kurosawa
As the first Japanese film director with international notoriety, Akira Kurosawa had a reputation as
an artist and scholar that was tremendously admired. In addition he had remarkable stylistic
influence on international filmmaking. Many who are interested in films or filmmaking are deeply
impressed by the level of Kurosawa's vision and his numerous film achievements. Also, the
universal themes of ethics; and the humanism of Akira Kurosawa's films made him a fantastic
representation of Japan's cultural reshaping post World War II. Mr. Kurosawa's work is not confined
by politics, age, or ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Yet, the essential messages are global and universal. Within the borders of his films the viewer will
find man's struggle for fulfillment and self–perfection and the conflicts of good and evil. These are
the foundation of this man's films. Kurosawa continually revisited these themes that are familiar to
all of us. As a recognized master of film technique and storyteller for all peoples, Kurosawa stands
apart from other Japanese filmmakers. Although these films were made for the Japanese audiences,
his works have attained international notoriety and admiration. This has reinforced Kurosawa a
master artist and philosopher. Two major films by Kurosawa are Ikiru and Seven Samurai the films
were made back to back in 1952 and 1954, both appear on many critics' lists of 10 or 20 "finest
films of all time." Though made by the same director and nearly the same time, the works are
thoroughly different. Ikiru is a modern drama, an existential portrait of a single, unimportant, office
worker facing death and obsessed with a purpose to give meaning to his life. Seven Samurai is an
epic of tremendous sweep, with a huge cast of heroic characters wedged into action of enormous
scope. When it was made, it nearly broke its production company and thoroughly exhausted its crew
and actors. But still Seven Samurai offers many life lessons in addition to modern action film

Yojimbo Comparison
A Comparison between Yojimbo and A Fistful of Dollars The Seven Samurai. Hidden Fortress.
Yojimbo. These are just a few renowned films directed by none other than the ingenious Akira
Kurosawa. Ever since he rose to fame, numerous directors have tried to imitate his film techniques
and shots, incorporating these techniques into their own films. However, Sergio Leone's A Fistful of
Dollars went far beyond the basics of replicating Kurosawa's film techniques. Despite some major
differences in themes, Leone produced an almost exact replica of Yojimbo. Moreover, the
background music and special sound effects in both films shared some similarities as well. The most
important aspect of the two films was composition of both movies that provided the ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
According to most film critics, all of the scenes in Kurosawa's film were carefully executed,
meaning no shot was wasted. In Yojimbo, there were numerous scenes that stood out as striking
because of Kurosawa's effective use of composition. In one scene where the protagonist knelt in
front of the main antagonist, Ushitoa, the difference between light and dark areas corresponded to
the position of the actors. Moreover, by using shadows, Kurosawa illustrated how the "light areas"
represented the good side whereas the "dark areas" represented the evil side. In this manner,
Kurosawa successfully depicts that the good will always prevail. Furthermore, many scenes in
Yojimbo involved movements of characters that helped to stimulate actions in the film. When the
head leader of a clan entered into the shot to challenge the other household, his acolytes appeared
behind him, creating more movements within the shot. Consequently, the audience would feel more
of the tension between the two rival households. Although Kurosawa's shots involved movement
and were typically wide–angle and medium shots, Leone's shots involved more medium close–ups
and less movement of the characters. However, the use of rifles and pistols in A Fistful of Dollars
resulted in more actions that movement of many characters seemed unnecessary. Additionally,
Leone's

Annotated Bibliography Of The Films Of Federico Fellini
Annotated Bibliography: How do French, Italian, Japanese, and Indian arthouse–auteurist films
affect the development of New Hollywood auteur films. Bondanella, P. (2002). The Films of
Federico Fellini. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. The Films of Federico Fellini
examines the career and work of Italy's most revered filmmakers. By analyzing the masterpieces of
Fellini, the book attempts to categorize the influence of his work, and explain some of his interests
in fantasy, the irrational, and individualism. Bondanella essentially rejects more common ways of
analyzing Fellini's work and favors trying to explore the development of his unique and personal
cinematic style. Bondanella highlights some of the major accomplishments in the life of the
renowned Italian filmmaker. One of the most striking features of Bondanella work is his ability to
tell the story of Fellini by using the works of the filmmaker. In particular, Bondanella is able to draw
on a new archive of manuscripts, obtained from Fellini and his scriptwriters. This level of in–depth
analysis allows researchers to get a detailed view of Fellini's work that has inspired generations of
not only Italian filmmakers, but also in the rest of the world. The author suggests that Fellini's use of
realism in film allows the audience to connect on a whole ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
One one hand, we have directors claiming the work because of the creative initiatives that they had
to take in order to make the films, while the production companies claim the films because they
commissioned the director to make the films. This is the issue that Gerstner and Staiger try to
answer, the question of who owns the rights to a film. Auteurism is the belief that the director is the
sole author of a film, and that it should reflect the emotions and beliefs of the director. According to
auteurism, we should see the vision of the director in the film, and thus he claims

Akira Kurosawa Research Paper
Kurosawa is an interesting director in that his films share the context of his own life. As a child he
was exposed to the strict religion and meticulous order of Japanese society, while also being a
witness to the devastation of a massive earthquake on 1 September, 1923. "Through the great
earthquake," Kurosawa wrote, "I learnt not only of the extra–ordinary powers of nature, but of the
extra–ordinary things that lie in human hearts" (Something Like.. p.23). Similar to Shakespeare,
Kurosawa shared the intent to explore the conflicts of an individual's emotions and internal self,
while allowing it to erupt on a cosmic scale (usually in all–out war). Akira Kurosawa is commonly
regarded as the most influential Japanese filmmaker to date,

Maestro Akira Kurosawa
"Life is briefFall in love, maidens
Before the crimson bloom
Fades from your lips" Racing the marathon of life, have you ever taken a moment's break and
looked back, asking yourself "Have I ever been living my life?" The middle–aged Watanabe realizes
that he had not been living at all, when he is diagnosed with gastric cancer. For the past thirty years,
he lived as dead as the rubber stamps in his monotonous bureaucratic office, which he stamped and
stamped on the thousand immobile piles of files.
He tries to share his pain with his son and daughter–in–law but sooner realizes they are more
interested in his insurance and pensions. Later in a bar, he tears his tales apart afore a stranger and
spreads a chunk of his years' earnings on the table. The stranger, an eccentric writer takes Watanabe
to the intoxicated nightlife of Tokyo, to bars, cabarets, red–lit areas, games. Watanabe
unsuccessfully tries to escape his dark past by singing "Fall in love maidens" with tears wetting his
wrinkled sombre cheeks silencing the drinkers and dancers in the ... Show more content on
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The old man's movie inspires to live young unlike any other work of art timelessly. Ikiru
deconstructs the prejudice of 'Youth–being–happy v/s middle age–being–doomed.' Takashi Shimura
stars as Kanji Watanabe and its inevitable to mention, the eternal expression of gravity he wears
throughout the story. The plot is portrayed non–linear and doesn't end with Watanabe's death as an
usual audience may expect to, in lieu Kurosawa tells us that what signifies is the souvenirs of life
left on earth and not the tail of the tale. Ikiru adds a new meaning to 'finding meaning in life' as
Watanabe is uninterested in praise and fame, but tranquility of one's own. He gladdens in being
loved by the least significant lay persons around and singing an old melody of love. Thus Ikiru
instills the impulse to experiment with

What Is The Mood Of The Movie Rashomon
The movie Rashomon by Akira Kurosawa is told through the perspectives of multiple characters.
Three guys are killing time by sharing their perspectives on a story while they wait for the rain to
stop. The movie depends on dialogue and detail in every scene which gives us information to
compare the different perspectives that is told by each character. Throughout the film, the audience
and the characters do not know who is telling the true story. Akira decided not to use dramatic irony
but instead he decided that we were not going to know the same things that the characters did not
know, the characters and the audience did not know who's story was true. In the movie Rashomon,
the lighting was not very bright, it was low which matched the mood of the entire scenes that was
shot in that ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
While we was watching different perspectives of a specific story, another story was unfolding in the
larger picture which you really get to see more of it at the end of the film. The setting of story that
was being told in the movie took place in nature, some kind of woods. The costumes that was used
by the director to show the social class that each character stood in. For example the samurai and his
wife would be the highest class out of all the characters as you can see in the beginning of the film,
when he is walking by her in the woods, they were wearing the best clothes and he had better
posture than the other men. The Bandits clothing did not look new, you can also notice by the way
he acts that he is not very civilized. The director uses a lot of close ups through the entire film,
which allows the viewer to see the face expression of each character. The characters in this film act
with a lot of laughing, crying and screaming, the director decided to use a theatrical approach to
show the importance of the

The Movie ' In A Grove ' By Akira Kurosawa
Rashomon was released in 1950, and is the work of esteemed Japanese director Akira Kurosawa.
Rashomon was only the second film directed by Kurosawa, but it is by far his most popular and
influential piece of work. Kurosawa worked closely with cinematographer Kazup Miyagawa to
create this film, which was based on Ryunosuke Akytagawa's short story "In a Grove". The film was
the first of its kind to create a plot device that is now commonly used, and referred to as the
"Rashomon Effect". The film tells the story of one terrible rape and murder through the eyes and
perspectives of four different characters. All four characters have their own account for what they
saw in the woods, and all stories contradict one another in a way that prevents viewers from truly
knowing what happened in the woods. When Rashomon won the top prize at the 1950 Venice Film
Festival it "legitimized Japanese films as viable commercial entities in foreign markets, and
established, once and for all, that the country's austere approach to storytelling could be understood
by viewers in the West" (Tatara). This film was a breakthrough for Japanese cinema, as well as
Kurosawa's directing career. The story begins with a samurai and his wife travelling through Japan,
the woman on horseback and her husband walking alongside of her. They encounter a known bandit
named Tajomaru, who is known for violence and lust. What happens next is recounted via a
conversation between three men; a woodcutter, a priest, and a

Akira Kurosawa's The Seven Samurai and John Sturges' The...
Akira Kurosawa's The Seven Samurai and John Sturges' The Magnificent Seven
The 1954 movie The Seven Samurai, directed by Akira Kurosawa, and its 1960 remake The
Magnificent Seven, directed by John Sturges have many similarities; for example, the plot of both
movies entails farmers hiring mercenaries to help fend off bandits that annually pillage their farms.
The two movies also have differences like the characterization of the bandits in The Magnificent
Seven as opposed to The Seven Samurai.
One of the main similarities between the Seven Samurai and Magnificent Seven is the plot. In both
movies bandits annually pillage a small village and the farmers are left with barely enough food to
survive. In the Magnificent Seven Calvera and ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In Seven Samurai they come in contact with Katsushiro, a young and inexperienced samurai, and
Kikuchiyo, a samurai who has jumped castes. In Magnificent Seven Chico plays both of these roles,
a young inexperienced gunslinger who used to be a farmer. In both movies the main character finds
an old friend: Shichiroji (SS), Harry (MS), and a quiet, older and tremendously experienced
samurai/gunslinger: Kyuzo (SS), O'Reilly (MS).
Once six mercenaries are acquired they set off to the village and Chico/Kikuchiyo follows behind
until the mercenaries decide to let him join. Once the mercenaries arrive, in both movies, all the
farmers are hiding because they think the samurai/gunslingers are just as bad as the bandits and they
hid all their women in fear that they would "seduce" them. As time progresses though the farmers
begin to trust the samurai/gunslingers and are trained how to fight. Unlike in The Seven Samurai the
bandits in The Magnificent Seven actually talked with the gunslingers and tried to persuade them to
join their group, but to no avail, and the battle was started. The fighting in both the movies is pretty
much the same with little battles occurring over a three day period until the final battle.
In Magnificent Seven one of the farmers, having doubts about winning, let the bandits in the village
when the gunslingers were out and when they

Canvas Post 10 : Japan
Canvas Post 10: Japan Japanese film went through a huge expansion prior and during WWII, but
remained isolated within the countries film industry until after the war. With the help of the Edison
Kinetograph, the first viable motion–picture camera, Japanese film went through a more violent and
sexualized period. This "primitive" movement, powered by Kabuki Theater, occurred because of the
popularity and influence of the older, more revered style (Cook 565). Kabuki plays were "highly
stylized and somewhat [had an] overwrought dramatic form," (Cook 565). This lead to Kabuki
styled–films to enter into mainstream cinema, providing stories that went from stage to screen and
encouraged the growth of the Japanese film industry.
However, by 1923, following the earthquake in Tokyo and Yokohama, the industry needed to be
rebuilt, both physically and mentally. Historic films, called jidai–geki, were made in Kyoto (which
had some of the more ancient buildings still stood, while more contemporary films, called gendai–
geki, found their place in Tokyo, which was more modernized. During the years that followed,
Japan made the move to more modern films, despite WWII and the Occupation going on, not to
mention the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, leaving much of Japan in ruins. During the
Occupation, acclaimed director Akira Kurosawa managed to make a name for himself but it was
Rashomon (1950) that would make him a house–hold name in Japan, allowing him to release more
films in the

Yojimbo
Roger Lin
Yojimbo
In Yojimbo, Akira Kurosawa satirizes Japanese greed and corruption and portrays the growing
influence of capitalism. During this time in Japan, the Yakuza clan was a very strong and dangerous
group equivalent to the modern day mafia. The Yakuza clans' ideals are relatable to two themes
prominent in Yojimbo: greed and corruption, and rising capitalist influence. Kurosawa satirizes
these two characteristics of the Yakuza clan through the use of mise en scene.
One way that Kurosawa used the mise en scene to satire the Yakuza clan was through the use of
décor. The Yakuza clan was a group which took pride in obtaining the valuables and riches of the
world. As such, one thing that the Yakuza clan loved beyond measure was ... Show more content on
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Kurosawa used these comical costumes to give Inokichi and the other gamblers a rich and wealthy,
yet stupid sort of look, implying that although the gamblers in town are greatly feared, greedy, and
rich, inside it all they are all incredibly stupid and contain little common sense.
Although not commonly thought of or considered, Kurosawa used a large amount of artificial
lighting and dramatic scenery to create effects that he wanted to portray. Without these, Kurosawa
would not have been able create the effect that he did during the film. The Yakuza clan was a group
that although well–known and feared, did much of their organized crime under the radar and out of
sight of authorities. The scene following their crime was often a trail of destruction. Kurosawa
decided to satire this with his use of artificial light and dramatic scenic settings. Kurosawa used
artificial light to bring the events of the Yakuza clan to light. Since most of the crime done by then is
in the dark or undercover, Kurosawa added humor by adding light to everything and thus removing
the stealth factor the Yakuza clan always operated by. To further satire them, Kurosawa showed that
events that occurred in daylights could often end in incredibly pathetic manners. The best instance
of this is in the beginning of the film after Sanjuro decides he will leave Seibei and simply watch the
fight between the two gangs. The two gangs nervously edge

Rashormon by Akira Kurosawa
The narrative in Akira Kurosawa's 1950 Rashomon is famous for its unconventional style and
structure, its method of storytelling is based on the characters perception of the truth, in film and
television it is often referred to as the Rashomon effect. The visual style and symmetry are
compelling proponents of the films symbolism, Kurosawa's use of sunlight and dark shadows
symbolizes the clarity of the story, an example would be the use of sunlight as good faith and the
shadows as a dark impulse. The film tells the story of one event with four different accounts to it,
each story is altered so that the truth is distorted or otherwise based on each characters perception of
what has transpired. Kurosawa used four different alternate versions in the story as the narrative in
the film, it is structured so the audience could have their own thoughts and perception of the real
truth. Kurosawa also uses the philosophy of justice to show how human nature and moral relativism
cannot tell the absolute truth without the bias of ones experience, in other words the problem with
the truth is that it is based on perception. Kurosawa adapted the story plot and characters from In the
Grove written by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, he wanted the film to be objective keep the characters
perfectly aligned with the original story by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa. The narrative of the film
Rashomon is based on the perception of each character that participated in the event that occurs in
the film, so in some ways

Analysis Of Akira Kurosawa ( 1910-1998 )
Akira Kurosawa (1910–1998) was one of Japan's most important film directors of the twentieth
century. His work spanned over fifty years and included a broad range of genres from historical
epics to gangster dramas. His films not only told interesting stories but also broke new ground.
Many of his innovations were technical, such as his use of the long lens, his penchant for shooting
with multiple cameras, and his virtuosic editing. Other innovations were tied to his emphasis on
details within his films, such as elaborate period costumes and sets, western music, stunning
location shots, and detailed miniature sets. As to specific reasons, I think much of it comes down a
confusion between theme and technique. I don't see any reason to question Kurosawa's word that all
his films were Japanese and aimed solely at a Japanese audience. However, many writers on the
topic saw camera movements or set ups that resembled John Ford, read about Kurosawa's
admiration for westerns and American pulp fiction, and added it up into a bland statement of
Kurosawa being an essentially Western film maker. And Japanese critics, puzzled about why he was
so popular in the West compared to other film makers, decided this is right. He has often been called
the 'most Western ' of Japanese film directors (and is certainly the best known of them in Europe and
America), but though he freely admits influence from Western directors and painters and has based
several of his films on major Western texts, he

Comparison of the Seven Samurai and Magnificent Seven Essay
The 1954 movie The Seven Samurai, directed by Akira Kurosawa, and its 1960 remake The
Magnificent Seven, directed by John Sturges have many similarities; for example, the plot of both
movies entails farmers hiring mercenaries to help fend off bandits that annually pillage their farms.
The two movies also have differences like the characterization of the bandits in The Magnificent
Seven as opposed to The Seven Samurai.
One of the main similarities between the Seven Samurai and Magnificent Seven is the plot. In both
movies bandits annually pillage a small village and the farmers are left with barely enough food to
survive. In the Magnificent Seven Calvera and his men actually stop in the town and talk to the
farmers, however, in Seven ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Once the mercenaries arrive, in both movies, all the farmers are hiding because they think the
samurai/gunslingers are just as bad as the bandits and they hid all their women in fear that they
would "seduce" them. As time progresses though the farmers begin to trust the samurai/gunslingers
and are trained how to fight. Unlike in The Seven Samurai the bandits in The Magnificent Seven
actually talked with the gunslingers and tried to persuade them to join their group, but to no avail,
and the battle was started. The fighting in both the movies is pretty much the same with little battles
occurring over a three day period until the final battle.
In Magnificent Seven one of the farmers, having doubts about winning, let the bandits in the village
when the gunslingers were out and when they returned they were forced to leave the village by the
bandits, but they decided to go back and fight for the farmers despite their deception. In Seven
Samurai only two samurai survived, and in Magnificent Seven three gunslingers actually survived
but only two left the village because Chico decided to stay and become a farmer again. The main
similarities between these two movies was the plot and the main characters were basically the same,
but the main difference was the bandits were shown with a lot more personality in The Magnificent
Seven unlike in Seven Samurai where the

Essay The Samurai films of Akira Kurosawa
The Seven Samurai of Akira Kurosawa
By
Chi Wei
SEVEN SAMURAI AND THRONE OF BLOOD
Kurosawa Akira
Akira Kurosawa (Mar 23, 1910––Sep. 6, 1998) was a Japanese film director, screenwriter, producer,
and editor. He directed 30 films in a career spanning 57 years. He was the surprise winner of the
Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. In 1990, he accepted the Academy Award for Lifetime.
Kuorosawa contributed Japanese history, culture, and society through this movie to audiences.
(Film)
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Introduction
The director choose this specific subjects to demonstrate the Japanese culture and hierarchy grading
system. The Seven Samurai represents the spirit and wisdom, loyal, optimistic, martial arts. The film
... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
At the end of the film, Kambei said "We couldn't win, the winner are farmers, not us"
Critical Assessment
The different kinds of Samurai Samurai signore nobles are mostly conquering, feudal lords used to
each other, their behavior has brought huge disaster to the common people. Samurai allegiance to
the Lord King often means an unceasingly, and the object of war is the vast majority of ordinary
people. Though at the same time, the warrior is a above ordinary people class, but most of the
samurai's lower life and ordinary people to the need of the survival causes warrior must be
employed in signore or engage in conflict with samurai spirit, the samurai's behavior and the initial
idea inevitably. The film demonstrated the four kinds of Samurai: Firstly, Mutant Samurai; The
power of the government on the basis of the samurai, show by the samurai. The rulers of the guys
are a group of mutant warrior. They have the right, but not to give them the right people to do
things. When the peasants to the government report was driven out, by farmers, and that of the
rulers as a general is in after the robber robbed the village to drive to, and put the robbers found no
rice, eggs, swept away! Samurai have these variations for the moth, and their days will not last.
Secondly, Lost Samurai: Have skills but not the skills to work in the right

Yojimbo Theme
In Akira Kurosawa's movie "Yojimbo" the time, characters are inspired by the Japanese History.
Like the story happening after the collapse of the Tokugawa Era. However there are several
indication that some of the techniques used were based from Western films and its style and
technique. During the first part of the movie where Sanjuro came to the deserted village that is
somewhat abandoned by the Japanese Government, in actuality it is more like a ghost town. It
showed a classic western "wild west" setting where a stranger passes by the empty town while the
wind is blowing the leaves and dust. The villagers are scared on what might happen to him and
village so the stranger was advised to leave. But of course like the western classic Sanjuro ... Show
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Even though they do not have the same plot as Yojimbo where there is a stranger that goes to a town
and save it from two gangs. One of the main theme that the "Yojimbo" have is it shows the
condition of people in a town that is ruled by gangs. Most of the people in the world have somehow
know this kind of situation whether it is from their history or they experience it themselves. The
constant fear of fights broking out and the villagers being affected by it. The westerns adapting the
"Yojimbo" showed that they themselves have this kind of history in the past, where the government
have abandoned the town and the local police cannot do anything to stop these abusive gangs,
whether it is only one gang or two. Another theme is these gangs have slaves which is also a
universal theme that many people have learned that this kind of oppression and abuse is shown in
history books. Lastly another important theme that have been adapted and is still being adapted by
many movies is having a hero that despises the weak and is somewhat selfish, opportunistic and
manipulative. But in the end these character have a soft spot like what is seen in the "Yojimbo".
Even though there are variation on this kind of theme, the main focus here is that there is a hero that
will come and save a village or town from bad things or people such as gangs. The fact that these
themes are very powerful and many people can relate to this and have a great appeal to the audience
showed how successful "Yojimbo" crossed cultural

Analyzing Akira Kurosawa's 'The Blizzard'
Yume Dreams Akira Kurosawa Japan 1990 115 minutes Kurosawa first gives the viewer a true sense
of the plot in his third vignette titled 'The Blizzard.' Here the viewer(s) see the man along with
others struggling against the bitter cold storm. At the peak of the storm the men seemingly give up
entirely. The main character shows his strength by defeating ultimately his own paranormal figure.
This allows the man to not only help himself, but the other men along with him as well. His choice
ultimately saved them all. This idea of choice is shown in the following vignette as well 'The
Tunnel.' Here a dog appears to warn the man to stay out of or to stay away from the tunnel. The man
walks through the tunnel slowly and cautiously. He gives the illusion that he is looking at something
he remembers or his past per se. Reaching the end of the tunnel he is faced with men of his past. He
then tells the men about his failed choice to put them into action. His determination to send the men
back to where they are from, matches the mountain climbers will to resist sleep. This appears again
within the vignette 'The Village of the Watermills.' Kurosawa shows choices through the people of
the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
It is shown in ways such as the fox wedding in 'Sunshine Through the Rain.' The act of throwing a
wedding depending on the specific weather and dressing up as they did is a major play within the
Japanese culture. It is not something seen in many parts of the world. Culture is also shown within
the way they dress. Specifically in 'The Peach Orchard' the actors are dressed in Kimonos. A popular
style of clothing worn in Japan. Culture is also shown in 'The Village of the Watermills' The elder
man explains to the traveler that in their village they do not use modern day items such electricity
and more. This is a part of the villages culture that they take much pride in and is talked much about
within the

Action Pact Movie Essay
The drama, action pact film, Hidden Fortress directed by Akira Kurosawa, is Kurosawa's most fun
film. Hidden Fortress is the most mainstream and entertaining film you will see with the lightest
tones. With two Japanese peasants who make an attempt to make a profit off of found gold during a
tribal war, but fail after multiple attempts try to return to their home in Hayakawa. In exchange for
their most valued resource, the two greedy Japanese peasants accompaniment a man and a woman
across enemy lines, although not realizing that the man is General Makabe Rokurota and the woman
is Princess Yuki of the Akizuki clan. This drama, action pact film brings both a romantic element
and a stolen identity element to the table, but Kurosawa blends both ... Show more content on
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With the use of camera movements and blocking, Kurosawa is able to communicate to the audience
the value of a character. For example, look at the opening shot of the film. The camera follows the
two squabbling peasants from behind. The movement and blocking of both of the actors and the
camera fluctuates a bit and you can tell that something important is about to be uncovered that will
be an important distinguishing factor for the rest of the film. This opening shot also provides insight
to the audience about the rest of the film. Another technique that is used that brought this film to its
full potential was the editing. Kurosawa used his editing skills to tell the story. Every cut that was
made took effect. When looking at the battle scene, the majority of the shots were action packed and
were quick cuts for the progression of the battle. These edits were made to intrigue the audience and
to help them make insight of not only the plot, but also what was going on. Using such edits created
lively movements that help to create visual interest for the audience and kept them on the edge of
their

The Rashomon
The film that was screened in class was titled the Rashomon and was directed by Akira Kurosawa.
At the beginning of the film, it opens up on a priest and woodcutter sitting underneath a gate. A guy
by the name of Kichijiro joins the priest and woodcutter and they begin discussing a murder that
took place a few days ago. Then towards the middle of the film it transitions to four conflicting
stories of what happened on the day of the murder. The first story is the wife of the samuri who
died. The second story is the sumari story who died but tells his story through a medium. Finally, the
last story was told by the woodcutter. In the end, all three stories were different, it stops raining and
the woodcutter walks away with a baby left behind.

Seven Samurai Character Traits
As the above quotation proving how critical it was for the farmers and the samurai to unite.
Energizing the farmers was a hard task as they feared for their lives, however the samurai begun to
teach the peasants how to fight and defend themselves, once again showing their loyalty.
Kambei, kikuchiyo and kyuzo are three characters kurosawas gives specific bushido values too,
while each influencing the movie greatly through the budido virtues. In Akira Kurosawa's the seven
Samurai (1954), Kambei's character is created with unique characteristics so he can excel as a
leader, therefore being the main character throughout the film. Kambei is given an early task of
assembling a team of seven samurai to ultimately defend the famer's village from bandits.
Recognized early in the film is the brave and ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Kambei becomes the first Samurai recruited by the villagers, however, he now has the seemingly
impossible task of locating six more samurai warriors to accompany him in battle." As a matter of
fact, I'm preparing for a tough war. It will bring us neither money nor fame. Want to join?"
(Kurosawa 33). The above quotation illustrates how Kambei bluntly invites the samurai to join him
while lacking any real benefits to bargain besides a warm bed and rice. Kambei uses his shear
experience and character traits to lure the samurai into his group. Obvious to the readers Kambei is a
man of honor in everything he does. Between assembling each samurai at the beginning, to winning
the last battle against the bandits, Kambei never forgets the bushido virtue of honor. Although it can
be argued, Kambei does follow each one of the Bushido virtues, but his honor is what sets him apart
from the rest. In Roger Ebert's (The Seven Samurai) film review he further backs up this point as he
describes kambeis character. He is a calm, wise leader and a good strategian, and we follow the
battles partly because he (and Kurosawa) map them out for us, walk us through the village's

Donzoko High Socioeconomic Perspective
Oppression is a prologue of unjust and cruel control. It is closely associated with low socioeconomic
statuses making the desire to escape it very scarce. In Donzoko, by Akira Kurosawa and The Lower
Depths, by Maxim Gorky, characters are presented with low socioeconomic statuses. The absurdity
and cruelness of having a low socioeconomic status is displayed as well as the characters' persistent
fight to escape it. The Lower Depths, by Maxim Gorky and the cinematic adaptation, Donzoko, by
Akira Kurosawa portray the inescapable oppressed socioeconomic status of characters, however, the
mean ways in which this is displayed vary as Gorky relies on dramatic conventions and Kurosawa
relies on cinematic conventions. In Donzoko, Akira Kurosawa utilizes the cinematic convention of
varying camera angles as it exemplifies the inescapable oppression and socioeconomic statuses by
expressing a multitude of perspectives. Throughout the movie, a reoccurring angle was shot from
below. The low angles intend for the audience to feel a sense of entrapment since only little sky and
high walls are seen in the background. In one scene Sutekichi– whom is given a low socioeconomic
status– walks outside. As a result of the low angle, the character is viewed from below and the
audience perceive a sense of entrapment. This sensation is justified by the seldom appearances of
sky and frequency of walls which expresses the impossibility of escaping this status. Additionally,
the low angle provides the

Similarities Between European And Asian Films
The Grittier Hero
The Western has traditionally been thought of as an American entity. Forging the west and its
frontier is what the nation sees as its identity. There are other versions of the this traditionally
American story. Countries outside the nation intrigued by the genre have taken the Western to other
levels and depicted the characters in a different light. European and Asian films have a divergent
perspective of the traditional lone man that comes to save the day. Films such as The Good, the Bad,
and the Ugly,by Sergio Leone, Seven Samurai, by Akira Kurosawa created men that were not the
America type of western men. These new interpretations were men that are clearly not good nor
truly evil, but blurred. These films have main characters, whether alone or in groups that are closer
to the antagonists in the films. Other countries viewed Western heroes as selfish and individualistic,
grittier, and in opposite of the white American hero. Typically in the American version of the
Western, the hero does usually have a jaded past, however, like characters in the Virginian and John
Ford films with John Wayne, the main protagonist is humble and down to earth. Beginning in the
1960s, western films "reflected the Vietnam conflict and its increasing ambiguities, leading up to a
"crisis of public myth" (Cawelti 145). Film as a whole reflected the change in the hero's identity. In
the film The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Leone made the character of "Blondie", played

Sanjuro And Yojimbo Comparison
The film Sanjuro by Akira Kurosawa is a sequel to film Yojimbo. The main character Sanjuro is a
very smart and strong nomad samurai. As in Yojimbo, Sanjuro appears to be a hero who helps to get
rid of the evil that terrorizes the town. In Sanjuro he helps to get rid of two rival gangster groups
that terrorize general public of the town, while in Yojimbo he rescues Matsuta's family and help to
destroy corrupted superintendent. There are many similarities between two films. Sanjuro uses his
intelligence and strength for common good in both films. However, he is a very complex character,
and that complexity is a big achievement of Kurosawa because in many situations in both films the
viewer is not sure about Sanjuro's real intentions. Another

Wit In Rashomon
The Invention Of Lying: "Rashomon" Has An Amazing Way Of"Lying" Lying and the act of such
has been condemned biblically and socially since the dawn of man. In Rashomon, a Japanese period
drama made in the 1950s and set in feudal japan, the theme of truth and lying is heavily laid
throughout the movie. The movie is set from multiple points of view of people who have been
brought to court over the death of a married 'gentleman'. The accused killer gives his version of the
story, portraying the dead as a good swordsman, having "crossed swords [with him] 23 times"
despite no one else having made it past twenty. The wife, told a different story of how Tajomaru left
her, and she tried to have her husband kill her for shaming them both, but he wouldn't. ... Show
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The woman gives her own version while crying to the 'jury', obviously lacking the fierceness that
Tajomaru said she had originally displayed. When the three men who form the frame story discuss
her testimony, they make it a point to address her use of tears as a form of earning pity from them.
In fact, pathos (an emotional appeal) is a common form of persuasion that is taught at the college
level of writing. Kurosawa uses camera angles and seemingly misplaced close ups to emphasize the
reactions to the pathos the woman uses to appeal to those overhearing the trial. One particular use of
pathos was when the woman states, at the end of her testimony, "what could a poor helpless woman
like me do?". The only evidence of this affecting the overseers of her testimony is the priest who
admits to feeling pity for her in her

Film Analysis Worksheet
Hassan Alhayek
Film Analysis Worksheet
Title: Seven Samurai
Director: Akira Kurosawa
● Historical/Contextual Details: When was the film released? What events influence this film?
The film was released in 1954, and it was Kurosawa's first samurai film. This film is one of the
greatest Japanese films ever made. The story of this film is based on historical samurai who once
existed. It is about seven samurai warriors try to defend poor farmers in a village from bandits. The
respect from other people or the farmers that the seven samurai get because of high standards of
behavior, and their moral characters that influence this film ● What do you think the title means?
What do you expect from the film because of it?
It is obvious that the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Why do you think the director chose to present them this way?
The beginning of the opening credits is almost the same of the other movies that we have watched in
the class, but what makes the beginning of this film famous is the attack of bandits on the village.
● How does the film start? How does this affect you as a viewer?
The film starts with a group of bandits attacking a village of farmers and stealing their crops. As
viewer, it tells me historical some facts like formers were the victims or the poor weak class in the
society because they did not have the power to fight back.
● What are the three most important scenes in the film? Why?
In the scenes where the seven samurai warriers teach the farmers how to fight the bandits or defend
themselves are very important because we see two different social classes unite to fight the same
enemy. One of the most important scenes is the scene where the seven samurai warriers agree to
help the villagers without getting a great amount of money or status in return. They agree to help
because they care about the people. They want to teach the villagers how to defend themselves to
get rid of the bandits that are ruining and taking advantage of the lives of the poor

Akira Kurosawa's Throne Of Blood
Akira Kurosawa's Throne of Blood weaves together an intricate spider web of ideals, but most
importantly integrates immense culture with the epic story arc of Shakespeare's Macbeth to create
gorgeous cinematography that continues to entertain. Specifically, the spirit scene, which parallels
the witches' prophecy in Shakespeare's version, binds together Japanese superstition with brilliant
Noh acting to paint a chilling picture of prophetical notions of greed and power.
One of the most interesting points to take from Throne of Blood is that it "evolves not in the
traditions of Elizabethan theatre but purely in a Japanese context" (Zambrano 262). Kurosawa
himself started as a painter, not a director. The film style in Throne of Blood seems ... Show more
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One of the most compelling parts is the exaggeration of anger on Washizu's face (this can also be
applied to the rest of the film) that communicates the assumption that he is angered (and secretly
delighted) by this prophecy, almost as when someone points out something about yourself but you
do not to admit that they are right. In junction, the acting style radically differs from Shakespeare's
conception of Macbeth, which like most of his works relies more heavily on dialogue to convey
these emotions through the vessel of the actor, rather than overt

Film Review : The Bad Sleep Well
Film Review – The Bad Sleep Well
September 6th, 1998, Akira Kurosawa died at the age of 88 due to cause of a stroke in his home in
Tokyo. He was classified as one of cinemas truly important directors. Mr. Kurosawa came across
filmmaking after failing as a painter. He was seen as a domineering perfectionist. Kurosawa was
noticed by dozens of directors of many generations. He had a major influence on many of them.
This film resembling Hamlet, both feature a hero on a quest for revenge.
Kurosawa got the idea of this film from his nephew, Mike Y. Inoue. Inoue wanted to become a
scriptwriter. Inoue ended up giving up all of his scripts to his uncle, for his use. Kurosawa gave
suggestions to his nephew about the scripts. Inoue spent six months rewriting the scripts for his
uncle. He had them named "Bad Men's Prosperity". After giving the scripts back to his uncle for a
final time, Kurosawa and several others reworked and wrote the scripts even more. Thus making the
final versions of these scripts. In doing so, Inoue was not given screen credits in the film "The Bad
Sleep Well". The Bad Sleep Well, shows an importance of an attack on the corrupt corporate culture
of this time period. Acknowledging the similarities in the plot of this film and Hamlet, it is brought
to the attention that true parallels don't surface until the middle of the film.
The Bad Sleep Well happens to be the Kurosawa Production Company's first film made. It was
released January 22, 1963. Kurosawa decided on

Yojimbo Comparison
Michael Swain
March, 3rd, 2015
Course: FPC211–Section A
Final Assignment: Essay Yojimbo (1961)/ A Fistful Of Dollars (1967)
The following essay is on two films, Yojimbo (1961) directed by Akira Kurosawa & A Fistful Of
Dollars (1967) directed by Sergio Leone. The film Yojimbo was plagiarized by Sergio Leone when
he made A Fistful Of Dollars and Kurosawa sued for royalties.
A Fistful Of Dollars is a 1964 spaghetti western film directed by Sergio Leone starring Clint
Eastwood. The film was shot on a low budget. It is part of the "Dollars Trilogy" A Fistful Of
Dollars, For A Few Dollars More and The Good, The Bad & The Ugly.
The premise behind A Fistful Of Dollars is a cowboy arrives at a Mexican town and immediately is
tested by 4 locals who he guns down with ease. An old innkeeper in the town explains to Clint
Eastwood "The Stranger" about a feud between two families in the town. The original entitled,
Yojimbo (1961) has a similar premise except for the fact that it is Japanese and one big major ...
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Now these two characters have similarities; their use of weaponry. Each character is a master with
their weapon of choice. Due to ethnicity variances, the original version, Yojimbo, use Swords and
the Italian version, A Fistful of Dollars use Pistols. The decision was based on not only cultural
factors but also the likelihood that it needs to appeal to its current audience, hence, American's
Versus the Japanese. One particular detail is the use of substances in their mouths. I am referring to
how the characters are consistently occupied with some form of object that they are either chewing
or smoking. Joe, from the Italian version, smokes a cigarillo in the film whereas A Ronin from
Yojimbo is constantly chewing on an object. One obvious similarity is that they are both lone
cowboy/ronin's and both characters are perceived as

Red Beard Reflection
'Red Beard' is a film that reminds one that the distance to be travelled is far longer than the distance
that was already covered. Not only in the case of medical studies, which happened to be the
professional field of the protagonist of the movie but also in the whole gamut of activities of all
people in this world: in their professions, in arts, in sports, in literature, in studies, in knowledge and
in case of anything and everything, the unknown is several times more than the known and is spread
like a vast ocean. This realisation is the essence of this Kurosawa Movie. Most of the humans are
trapped in the notion that there is nothing more there to know and everything about them is perfect.
It is nothing but a by–product of a form of emotional weakness. When the world is shrinking to
one's own self, people tend to have a wrong conviction that there is nothing beyond the limits they
have set for themselves and even if there is something, it is not worthy compared to the things they
have known or earned. It is hard to come out of that marshland. Every step one takes there is
digging into one's own self: into ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
What he really learned from that aged doctor in an ordinary clinic of that dark Japanese village was
nothing but life itself. They were the breakdowns and silences and consolations and smiles and
laughter of several fresh life situations. The unpredictability of the moment ahead enhanced the
curiosity of being in those very moments. And when looked back after a moment, that growing
curiosity turned into amusement or sadness. The young doctor, seasoned by the persisting and
different trials and tribulations he underwent while reading through those test books which were
nothing but the very lives of the people in that village, gradually came closer to the transfiguration:
Red

Comparing Akira Kurosawa 's Yojimbo And Sergio Leone 's A...
It is difficult to imagine that two nations as culturally distinct as the United States and Japan in the
1960s, could find any common ground. However, the similarities between Akira Kurosawa 's
Yojimbo and Sergio Leone 's A Fistful of Dollars are undeniable and yet both films reached similar
levels of success in their respective nations. In fact, the films were found to be so analogous that
Kurosawa is known to have sued Leone for the unlicensed production of his film. All of this aside, it
is the differences between each of these films that reveal the most about the cultural nuances
between each nation at the time. Although A Fistful of Dollars follows Kurosawa 's plot line almost
exactly, he fails to capture the humour and self–reflexivity that is pervasive throughout Yojimbo.
Additionally, Leone was forced to adapt his plot line in order to better suit the predominant use of
firearms in his picture, which in turn bore a clear influence on other key elements of the film.
Moreover, his characterization of the female roles in the story leave much to be desired as they
present merely a shallow interpretation of Kurosawa 's characters. Over all, Kurosawa makes
significantly bolder choices in his film making style, flirting with different reflexive techniques in
order to push the boundaries of cinema, while Leone follows a more traditional path. In their
respective introductory scenes, both films somewhat obscure the plot similarities that are later
revealed. Kurosawa presents

Moral Dialogue In Akira Kurowasa's Film 'Rashomon'
Rashomon and it's significance in moral dialogue Akira Kurowasa's film, Rashomon, (released in
1951) is a remarkable detective/crime film which revolutionized the film making industry and won
many prestigious awards, and was said to the best foreign film out there. The scene took place in the
Ancient Japan. The story of murder talked and showed a Japanese woman who got raped, and her
husband getting killed in a sword fight. The Woodcutter who was one of the protagonists claimed
that he saw the testimony through his very own eyes. However, there are four distinctive points of
view, each telling their own side of the murder. Unfortunately, many of the Western movie critics
misunderstood the film, or just simply oversimplified its meaning. They believed the true meaning
of the story was the subjectivity of the truth, which is not what the story talked about but rather it's
about the quicksand of ego. The quicksand of ego is an important term since its one of the many
moral implications shown in Rashomon which ties nicely with philosophical topics as well as moral
dialogue itself. Rashomon effect which is defined as Kurosawa saying the film is not about the truth,
but the quicksand of ego, which Priest who was another main character refused to accept. The true
and pure meaning behind the Rashomon effect is that we cannot see the truth in everything, because
we as a society are questioning our true believes and goals in life. It is very difficult to find truth,
especially when

Analysis Of Akira Kurosawa 's Seven Samurai And Yojieo...
Death leads to many emotions. It can lead to anger, sorrow, joy, realization, or more violence. The
theme of death is a common occurrence in Akira Kurosawa 's 1954 film, Seven Samurai, and Yojieo
Takita's 2009 film, Departures. Each death in these films served a purpose. However, each of these
films have death constructed in their own different ways. Departures showcased a respectful way for
dealing with the deceased. Seven Samurai showed a little bit of every emotion for the deceased, but
it seemed as though the 4 samurai, the main heroes, who died were not really emphasized compared
to those who the samurai had killed.
First, let's start off with the first death in Seven Samurai. This death scene was probably the most
memorable one. It starts around 24 minutes into the film, where Kambei, the soon to be leader of the
seven samurai, is disguised as a monk and kills a thief hiding in a shack with a hostage. While the
action of killing is not shown, the thief staggers out into open view before he dies. He then collapses
in dramatic fashion while the spectating villages are in awe with what just happened. Throughout
this scene, Kurosawa plays with slow motion, emphasising the spectacular nature of this first but
rather unimportant death.
After around 25 minutes later, a similar slow motion effect is used on another death. It is when
Kyuzo cuts down a samurai who has challenged him into a duel. Once again, there is a mob of
spectators in the background all in awe and holding

The Films Of Federico Fellini Analysis
Bondanella, P. (2002). The Films of Federico Fellini. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
The Films of Federico Fellini examines the career and work of Italy's most revered filmmakers. By
analyzing the masterpieces of Fellini, the book attempts to categorize the influence of his work, and
explain some of his interests in fantasy, the irrational, and individualism. Bondanella essentially
rejects more common ways of analyzing Fellini's work and favors trying to explore the development
of his unique and personal cinematic style. Bondanella highlights some of the major
accomplishments in the life of the renowned Italian filmmaker. One of the most striking features of
Bondanella work is his ability to tell the story of Fellini by using the works of the filmmaker. In
particular, Bondanella is able to draw on a new archive of manuscripts, obtained from Fellini and
his scriptwriters. This level of in–depth analysis allows researchers to get a detailed view of Fellini's
work that has inspired generations of not only Italian filmmakers, but also in the rest of the world.
The author suggests that Fellini's use of realism in film allows the audience to connect on a whole
another level of intimacy with the characters in the film, allowing for better characterization in his
cinema. We can use this information accumulated by Bondanella to emphasize the tremendous
importance of Fellini's work. The further analysis of Fellini's films, such as La Dolce Vita, 812, and
City of Women,

What Is The Purpose Of The Seven Samurai
Akira Kurosawa's "The Seven Samurai" (1954) is not only a great film in its own right, but the
source of a genre that would flow through the rest of the century. The critic Michael Jeck suggests
that this was the first film in which a team is assembled to carry out a mission–an idea which gave
birth to its direct Hollywood remake, "The Magnificent Seven," as well as "The Guns of Navarone."
"The Dirty Dozen," and countless later war, heist and caper movies. Since Kurosawa's samurai
adventure "Yojimbo" (1960) was remade as "A Fistful of Dollars" and essentially created the
spaghetti Western, and since this movie and Kurosawa's "The Hidden Fortress" inspired George
Lucas' "Star Wars" series, it could be argued that this greatest of filmmakers gave employment to
action heroes for the next 50 years, just as a fallout from his primary purpose.
That purpose was to make a samurai movie that was anchored in ancient Japanese culture, and yet
argued for a flexible humanism in place of rigid traditions. One of the central truths of "The Seven
Samurai" is that the samurai and the villagers who hire them are of different castes, and must never
mix. Indeed, we learn that these villagers had earlier been hostile to samurai–and one of them, even
now, hysterically fears that a samurai will make off with his daughter. Yet the bandits represent a
greater threat, and so the samurai are hired, valued and resented in about equal measure.
Why do they take the job? Why, for a handful of rice

Film Analysis : Akira Kurosawa 's Samurai Films
During the 20th century, America dominated the freshly emerged film industry. Each country had
their own distinctive filming style, which in turn helped them each eventually make a name for
themselves in this rising industry. Noh Theater, soft self–analysis, and minimalism heavily
influenced Japan's filming techniques. Meanwhile, America was the complete opposite with their
flashy action scenes, dramatic effects, and plot–driven films. Kurosawa integrated western styles of
filmmaking along with Japanese style to create his own individual technique. Before Kurosawa,
multiple film directors stuck with the same skill, they did not think outside the box. But Kurosawa
went outside the box and his outcome proved greater than if he had stayed in ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
A scene where chaos is shown is when "Kurosawa resorts to a unique cinematography: low–key
photography...for example...the presentation of a small, half–ruined temple where Sanjuro
temporarily hides himself from his enemies, recuperating from his wound. Again, the light comes
only through the crevices in the wooden wall. These crevices and part of Sanjuro's face are white,
while the rest of his sitting body and the wall against him are black..." the scene is then "...enhanced
by the acoustic effect of the wind blowing outside and leaves scurrying inside" (McDonald 193).
Moreover, by using low–key photography in this specific scene, the audience can see the difference
between the foreground and the background creating such a contrasting but soft effect. This effect
shows Sanjuro's outlook in the world and how he feels about it. Furthermore, with the addition of
the eerie sound of leaves, it all provides a somber mood exemplifying Sanjuro's gloom and his sense
of not fitting in. The use of battle imagery of such a ghastly scene invokes Kurosawa's skillful use of
pathos to captivate the audience further. In addition, too battle imagery Kurosawa uses many more
different techniques as shown later on to provide the audience satisfaction from watching his films.
Akira Kurosawa's film, Ran, an adaptation of Shakespeare's tragedy King Lear, displays the use of
spatial arrangement and different angles to hint at

Exploration Of Good And Evil In Rashomon
On one level Rashomon, by director Akira Kurosawa, is a classic whodunnit, a tale of rape, murder,
deceit and redemption. How was the samurai warrior killed and his wife violated in lonely
woodlands at a time of dissonance in medieval Japan? Suspects emerge and an inquisition is held.
But why do all players profess their guilt, rather than protest their innocence? Kurosawa has taken
two stories (the 1950 film is loosely based on the works of writer Ryunosuke Akutagawa) and
created a multifaceted masterpiece peppered with shifts and contrasts. He delves into aggression and
accountability to explore the collective Japanese consciousness after World War Two. He considers
the meaning of truth and the judging of others. In doing so, Kurosawa ... Show more content on
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Kurosawa unsettles at the outset with rain and gloom, then employs a series of rapid cuts to draw his
viewer into the heart of the moral dilemma. His is a "radical experimentation" with narrative marked
by "dislocation and incompleteness" (Goodwin, page 114). Kurosawa himself wrote: "These strange
impulses of the human heart would be exposed through the use of an elaborately fashioned play of
light and dark" (Akira Kurosawa, Something Like an Autobiography, p 182). It would be a "keynote
for the entire film" (Akira Kurosawa, Interviews, edited by Bert Cardullo, p. 176). That keynote is
struck as the woodcutter recalls the crime. Flashbacks were an unconventional way of constructing a
storyline, and Kurosawa's create a complex intertextual relationship. The woodcutter strides into
thicket, through full light, dappled light and shade, in an evolving montage of surety, uncertainty
and disquiet. The scene plays with long shots, pans, close ups and takes in high angles and laterals.
The segment is still analysed today for its technical and visual brilliance (Martinez, p 31). The
shooting script for Rashomon was littered with directions to create a sense of motion, "to pan, to
dolly in and out," notes cinema expert Donald Richie (The Films of Akira Kurosawa, Donald
Richie, pages 77, 78). It is here that Kurosawa and cameraman Kazuo Miyagawa break one of
cinematography's taboos – shooting directly into the sun. With craft

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