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Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai", 2002.
A look at how Western film making styles impact traditional Japanese film making.
1,670 words (approx. 6.7 pages), 2 sources, $ 54.95
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Abstract
An examination of Western impact on Japanese film making. The author focuses specifically on Akira Kurosawa?s film "Seven Samurai". The author describes the film makers use of native cinematic styles and techniques and how these go about breaking away from Japanese traditional style and adding more flavor and richer meaning to the film.
From the Paper
"Referring to his film Seven Samurai director Akira Kurosawa once remarked, ?Japanese films tend to be rather bland in flavor, like green tea over rice. I think we ought to have richer foods and richer films. So I thought I would make this kind of film entertaining enough to eat? (Criterion Collection, 2). This statement was a thinly veiled criticism of Kurosawa?s contemporary and rival, Yasujiro Ozu (who actually made a film entitled The Flavor of Green Tea over Rice). Ozu adhered dutifully to the traditional Japanese cinematic style, an art heavily influenced by native culture and customs. His films (including the 1953 masterpiece, Tokyo Story) can be characterized by long takes with little or no lateral camera movement (both of which demonstrate the influence of the traditional Japanese ?Kabuki Play?). Ozu also uses many extreme low angle shots that often hug the bottom surface of any set. By showing the audience this point of view Ozu reflects the Japanese custom of remaining seated on the floor of a room. While this style is certainly effective and distinct, it is as Kurosawa describes, ?rather bland in flavor.? In an era when post-war occupation was rapidly opening Japan to western industry and influence, Kurosawa made a bold decision to break from tradition and borrow some key points from Hollywood including slow motion, multiple cameras and camera angles and continuity editing. By embracing these conventions of Western cinema and combining these techniques with the traditions of his native industry, Kurosawa was able to create a unique and powerful portrait of Japan in the waning days of the samurai. Furthermore, the director employs this hybrid style effectively in order to develop his characters, build tension in the audience and drive the plot of his film forward. "
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Existentialism in the Films of Akira Kurosawa, 2008.
A critical analysis of the dilemmas of identity that are portrayed within the two films, "High and Low" and "Ikiru," directed by Akira Kurosawa.
1,344 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 5 sources, MLA, $ 45.95
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Abstract
This film study analyzes the existentialism that arises within the social and individual conflicts that are found within the films "High and Low" and "Ikiru," directed by Akira Kurosawa. It analyzes the characters and their relation to the plot of these two films and thereby leads us to understand the dilemma of identity (society versus the individual) that surfaces in these existential films of the 50s and 60s.
From the Paper
"This type of filmmaking is reenacting the sense of loss that the Japanese suffered after World War II, which embody a sense of rebirth for Watanabe. Kurosawa sought to bring these social issues to the forefront of filmmaking, since it offered a new way to expose the social and individual problems that the Japanese faced in their culture. By understanding Watanabe's individuality, the premise of existential freedom becomes the premise of Kurosawa's desire to liberate the self from societal norms. This is how existential philosophy plays a key role in Kurosawa's films, as he explores how it is not society that dictates social norms; it is the individual actions of insightful and brave individuals that redefine Japanese culture."
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Akira Kurosawa, 1992.
Discusses the career and philosophy of this Japanese humanistic filmmaker.
1,575 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 1 source, $ 55.95
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From the Paper
"Akira Kurosawa is widely considered not only one of the greatest Japanese directors, but one of the best in the world. In addition to his masterpieces, such as Seven Samurai, he has consistently shown his creative talents in his nearly 30 films. However, some of his films are clearly worse than others, and he has had some failures. As with all director's work, there are obvious reasons for this. He improved his filmmaking talents as he gained more experience, and of course sometimes he chose better material or more filmic subjects. Moreover, with Kurosawa, another factor at work here, his humanist political beliefs, damaged his ability to make quality films at times. Kurosawa has been described by some writers as being apolitical, and he seems comfortable with that definition. He certainly has distanced himself from the Marxist camp, in ..."
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"Throne of Blood" by Akira Kurosawa and "Macbeth", 1994.
An analysis of the director's filmic interpretation of the opening and final scenes from Shakespeare's tragic drama.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 2 sources, $ 47.95
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From the Paper
"Akira Kurosawa's Throne of Blood is a version of Shakespeare's Macbeth, and the film follows the play in general terms until the end. An examination of the opening scenes and the last scene shows how the filmmaker has approached the material and what changes he has made to achieve a somewhat different effect from the original play while remaining true to its spirit.
The opening scenes in Macbeth set the stage with a sense of doom and foreboding as well as an overlay of the supernatural. In the first scene, the three witches appear amid thunder and lightning and cast a spell over the proceedings. In the second scene, the exposition is managed as messengers deliver the battle news to King Duncan. It is in the third scene where the character of Macbeth is introduced and where the three witches..."
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"Seven Samurai" and "Magnificent Seven", 1999.
Compares Akira Kurosawa's original film and the American remake by John Sturges.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 4 sources, $ 47.95
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Abstract
Compares Akira Kurosawa's original film and the American remake by John Sturges. Discusses style, structure, world view, cultural aspects, myths and plots
From the Paper
"Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai is an example of the circularity of film genres in the world cinema. Kurosawa was influenced in his samurai films by the motifs and icons of the American Western film, which was very popular in Japan as elsewhere, and in turn his Seven Samurai would become an influence on later American Westerns, notably the remake of Seven Samurai, The Magnificent Seven. A comparison of the two films, though, shows very different aesthetic attitudes and also very different industry structures. The Kurosawa film is an ensemble piece in which the director shapes the movement of the film like an epic ballet, while the American version is structured more as a star vehicle with a number of individual star turns to appeal to different segments of the audience.
Noel Burch notes that Japanese cinema is fundamentally ..."
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Film: "Rhapsody in August", 2006.
This paper analyzes Akira Kurosawa's film "Rhapsody in August", which focuses on three generations of Japanese and Japanese-Americans and how the bombings of Nagasaki affected their lives.
1,395 words (approx. 5.6 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 46.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that Akira Kurosawa's film "Rhapsody in August" is set 40 years after Nagasaki was bombed and the main character is Kane, a grandmother who lost her husband in the bombing. The author points out that the film shows how the people of more recent generations, the grandchildren, tend to forget the real effects of the bombing because it has no personal significance to them. The paper stresses that Akira Kurosawa's message is that the human toll of war can last for a lifetime without ever being resolved.
From the Paper
"Another related issue raised in the film is the complicated relations that continue between the nations involved in war. The film shows that in theory, the war has ended and there are positive relations between America and Japan. However, there are some ongoing issues affecting people that are not as easy to manage. This is seen by the grandmother who has to struggle between accepting America and its positive relations with Japan and hating America for the actions it took that killed her husband. This is seen by the Hawaiian cousins who become upset when the grandchildren mention Nagasaki."
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'The Seven Samurai' & 'The Magnificent Seven', 2006.
A comparison between the films 'The Seven Samurai' and 'The Magnificent Seven'.
1,210 words (approx. 4.8 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 41.95
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Abstract
This paper takes a look at Akira Kurosawa's film, 'The Seven Samurai' and John Sturges' film, 'The Magnificent Seven'. According to the paper, 'The Magnificent Seven' is an American adaptation of the Japanese film 'The Seven Samurai'. The paper compares and contrasts these two films.
From the Paper
"According to Gary Morris, the character portrayed by Mifune is exuberant yet doomed and "brilliantly embodies the very different aspirations of the two groups. He exists precariously between them--a farmer's son who hates the samurai for having destroyed his village during his youth, but now a man who is drawn to their honor code, camaraderie and lust for adventure" ("Seven Samurai," Internet). This statement is a clear indication of the social culture within Kurosawa's masterpiece, meaning that Mifune greatly dislikes the culture from which the samurai have risen, yet he is mysteriously drawn to the honor they exhibit in the face of danger and death. In The Magnificent Seven, all of the main characters are part of a culture that exists on the fringes of society, yet as adventurers, they are drawn to the honor that may come as a result of defeating the Mexican bandits."
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"Seven Samurai" and "Tora!Tora!Tora!", 2002.
A comparative analysis of two films, "Seven Samurai" and "Tora!Tora!Tora!", by Japanese filmmakers.
1,150 words (approx. 4.6 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 39.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses two movies, Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai" and "Tora!Tora!Tora!" which is directed by one American and two Japanese filmmakers: Richard Fleischer, Toshio Masuda, and Kinji Fukasuka. The paper analyzes the similarities and the differences of both films. Kurosawa?s style of editing, cinematography and detailed performances are described. It is noted that other Japanese filmmakers also adopted Kurosawa's style. The paper provides a close look at Japanese filmmakers and their use of the modern day camera.
From the Paper
"Akira Kurosawa combined many elements into his film, "Seven Samurai". Kurosawa includes many aspects of human nature into his movies. Other Japanese filmmakers took on Kurosawa?s style of editing, cinematography, and detailed performances. One film, "Tora!Tora!Tora!" (the Japanese signal to attack) depicts a historical event using the narrative skill developed by Kurosawa almost twenty years earlier."
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"Seven Samurai" vs. "The Magnificent Seven", 2007.
A comparison of the films "Seven Samurai" and "The Magnificent Seven."
1,119 words (approx. 4.5 pages), 0 sources, $ 38.95
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Abstract
This paper compares the films "Seven Samurai," directed by Akira Kurosawa and "The Magnificent Seven," directed by John Sturges. The paper analyzes several elements of filmmaking, focusing mainly on cinematography, editing and acting. It also addresses the use of vignettes and deep focus. The paper focuses on the aspects that differentiate the two films.
From the Paper
"Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai (1954) and John Sturges' The Magnificent Seven (1960) are a great example of how film can come full circle. Kurosawa's film came about due to the popularity of Hollywood westerns in Japan at the time. In turn, Sturges was inspired by Seven Samurai and remade it using the Hollywood style of film making. Both films follow the same basic plot. A rural village is beset upon by a gang of bandits on an annual basis. The villagers decide to band together whatever small amount of wealth is left to pay mercenaries to defend them. Seven heroes are recruited and together they ultimately fend off the bandits at great cost to the group. Both films highlight the differences in the mercenaries and their experience. They both address class issues between drifter and peasant. Also, each film is considered one of the greatest if not the best in its genre of samurai films and western films respectively. However, there are major differences between the two. While there are minor differences between the plots (The villagers in The Magnificent Seven actually begin by searching for guns not gunfighters), it is the balance between cinematography, editing, and acting used to tell the story that really differentiate the two films."
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Loyalty and Honor in 16th Century Japan, 2004.
An analysis of Akira Kurosawa's "Ran" as it relates to the code of Bushido and its themes of loyalty.
1,541 words (approx. 6.2 pages), 7 sources, MLA, $ 50.95
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Abstract
This paper examines how, throughout the span of his life, Akira Kurosawa endeavored to provide his audiences with a message of morality based strongly in the Shinto and Buddhist traditions. In particular, it looks at how "Ran", which is widely acknowledged as his greatest work, has Kurosawa exploring the theme of loyalty, especially as it is epitomized with in the tenets of Bushido, the warrior's code.
From the Paper
"These remarkable examples of loyalty however, must be tempered by the traitors who get caught up in their own intrigue. Leading them all is Lady Kaede, the wife of Taro. Her hand can be found firmly clasped to every other traitorous action we see. Her first act is to elevate her own position by forcing Hidetora?s connubial procession to step aside so that she could make her way into the castle. Though she puts on demure and unassuming airs, we quickly learn that her black-heartedness is contagious. By asking a seemingly innocuous question of Taro, she sets into motion events that will begin Hidetora?s decent into his personal hell."
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"Dreams", 2006.
A review/analysis of famed filmmaker Akira Kurosawa's "Dreams."
750 words (approx. 3.0 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 26.95
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Abstract
This paper deals with Akira Kurosawa's film "Dreams," describing it as a sample of sights and sounds of Japanese culture. The paper describes each of the vignettes in the film: "Sunshine Through the Rain," "The Peach Orchard," "The Blizzard" and "Village of the Watermills." The author describes the incredible cinematography as well as the message of each of the vignettes in "Dreams."
From the Paper
"There is no greater film experience than director/writer Akira Kurosawa's Dreams (1990). Kurosawa brings to life his Dreams in a series of film vignettes that are extraordinary in cinematography and content. Beginning with the opening vignette, Sunshine Through the Rain, the audience experiences the colorful and clarity of the highest quality of cinematography; the audience is hooked, even though you're not the least bit fluent in the Japanese culture or language. This particular vignette focuses on a young boy who, on a rainy day, wanders into the woods after a caution from his mother has piqued his curiosity. Foxes, she cautions, have their wedding ceremonies on days when the fain falls while the sun still shines; and they don't like to be spied upon. In fact, they don't forgive being spied upon. Obviously, to a six year old boy, this is incentive enough to quickly sneak off and into the woods to discover what his mother has cautioned him against as an unforgivable transgression."
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"Rashomon" Narratives of Guilt and Responsibility in, 2002.
This paper discusses Akira Kurosawa's film "Rashomon".
1,150 words (approx. 4.6 pages), 3 sources, $ 44.95
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Abstract
This paper examines the guilty party in Akira Kurosawa's film, "Rashomon". The author looks at the narratives of guilt and responsibility in this film.
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Seven Samurai, 2006.
A review of the movie "Seven Samurai", thought by some to be the greatest Japanese film ever made.
917 words (approx. 3.7 pages), 6 sources, APA, $ 32.95
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Abstract
This paper reviews the movie "Seven Samurai" based on "Shichinin no Samurai", a 1954 black and white film by Akira Kurosawa. The paper takes a look at the structure of the movie, as well as the richness of the film and the cinematic technique.
From the Paper
"Seven Samurai," filmed in linear structure, is set in 16th century Japan, and is the story of a poor farming village that is regularly attacked by bandits, who steal their rice crops at harvest and take their women as well. Before harvest time approaches again, the villagers decide to hire a group of samurai to help defend their homes and crops for the price of lodging and food, a total of seven samurai are enlisted. The first half of the movie depicts how each samurai joins the group, and their journey to the village, where they teach the farmers how to fight and how to secure their village. The last part of the movie shows several skirmishes with the bandits, all of which lead up to the final battle scene.
As Gary Morris points out, this epic deals with "war, honor, courage, and yes, that homo subtext ever present in male bonding movies, punctuated by Toshiro Mifune's enthralling butt-baring performance."
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Origin and History of the Warrior Samurai Class of Japan, 1971.
This paper discusses the historical origins of the Samurai and gives an overview of the Samurai in the 12th through 19th centuries.
2,250 words (approx. 9.0 pages), 14 sources, $ 79.95
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From the Paper
"One of the earliest historical records of Japan suggests that by the late third or early fourth century a powerful warrior clan or group of clans living in the Yamato basin, an extremely rich and fertile plain in central Honshu, had subdued chieftains living in other parts of the country by a series of bloody wars. As a result of this conquest, the defeated chieftains acknowledge the hegemony of the chieftain of the Yamato clan.
Basic to the innovations of the seventh and early eighth centuries was a new concept of the ruler. The reformers borrowed the Chinese notion of an absolute monarch whose authority transcended the ties of kinship. He was to rule with the aid of wise and able ministers who would be appointed at his will and who would place loyalty and service to him above their own selfish interests."
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Throne of Blood and Macbeth, 2001.
Compares Akira Kurosawa's 1957 film to Shakekspeare's "Macbeth" in terms of use of source material, adaptation elements, plot, character, theme.
2,025 words (approx. 8.1 pages), 7 sources, $ 71.95
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From the Paper
" INTRODUCTION
Akira Kurosawa's film Throne of Blood (1957) is a free "adaptation" of William Shakespeare's Macbeth. The film has been much honored and highly regarded, but at the same time the critical reception accorded the film has raised certain questions about the meaning of adaptation, about the degree to which this film can be called an adaptation, about how successful it can be deemed as an adaptation, and about the degree to which one should be expected in making an adaptation to adhere to the text. There are clear differences between a stage play and a film, and the techniques of the playwright and the techniques of the filmmaker are quite different even when they intend to convey the same plot, the same themes, and even the same general atmosphere and tone. Even some of those critics who have praised the film for.."
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