Toshirō Mifune

An example of a lesser-known adaptation would be an American film named Scotland, Pa (Billy Morrissette, 2001) (“Amazon.com: Scotland, Pa”). Both films are adaptations of Macbeth, and there are many things that separate from each other. The difference in Akira Kurosawa’s and Billy Morrisette’s filming techniques separated them from each other. Akira Kurosawa and Billy Morrisette had different interpretation of Macbeth. Throne of Blood is from Classical Japanese Cinema period where jidaigeki films were very common (Bruce F. Kawin and Mast, Gerald : A Short History Of The Movies: Tenth Abridged Edition (2009)). Akira Kurosawa has edited Throne of Blood marvelously. Such example would be when the witch vanishes after talking to Washizu (Toshiro Mifune). This kind of editing is shown frequently, especially during the horse ride scenes. Once the horse ride scenes are closely examined, one may notice that the picture flickers. These editing did not have major difference, nor is it easy for the viewer to tell. It’s very subtle; it allows the film move on without interrupting the flow of the film. The flickering screen resulted from editing almost resembles a jumpcut technique (Bruce F. Kawin and Mast, Gerald). Although it has no significance to the film, it’s very interesting to see something from Akira Kurosawa because his primary focus is to transit from one scene to another smoothly. Cross cutting was often used, especially when two or more characters engage in conversation; and…

Similarly to Stagecoach (Ford, 1939), Yojimbo (Kurosawa, 1961) also features the lone entrance of its main protagonist, Kuwabatake Sanjuro. However, unlike in Stagecoach (Ford, 1939), which features the Ringo Kid’s rather abrupt entrance well into the film, Yojimbo (Kurosawa, 1961) starts right off the bat with its main protagonist. The opening shots of Yojimbo (Kurosawa, 1961) also begin with a closeup of the back of Sanjuro, as he walks down the path to the town. This initial scene already…

The bunraku and kabuki play Double Suicide in Amijima was adapted into a film titled Double Suicide in 1969. The film is a very interesting and artistic mix of modern film technique and illusions to the bunraku genre of traditional Japanese theater. Throughout the film, darkly-clothed stagehands and puppeteers, or kuroko, can be seen with their faces covered. In bunraku, kuroko cover their faces to not distract the audience while maneuvering the puppets; however, the lead puppeteer with decades…

Red Beard In the movie “Red Beard” we are interdicted to Dr. Noboru Yasumoto. A young doctor whom refused to become an intern for Dr. Kyojo Niide “Red Beard”. Having trained in Dutch medicinal training, Yasumoto believed he doesn’t belong to an old and poor clinic. But, through the film, he begins to realize what it means to be a doctor and the flaws that the Japanese government had for the people in Koishikawa. The film shows the social injustice the people of Koishikawa faced in everyday…

Have you ever thought of how life would be for a Samurai? The Loyal Samurai is about a samurai named, Kusunoki Masashige who always obeyed his master, no matter what. This demonstrates a real samurai. The Lives of the Samurai is about samurai’s daily lives and how they should be loyal and brave. This demonstrates a perfect samurai. The Lives of the Samurai and The Loyal Samurai are both different and similar in some ways. The Loyal Samurai demonstrates that a samurai should be compassionate,…

The film Drunken Angel, considered to be Akira Kurosawa's breakthrough film that demonstrated his talent. Drunken Angel released in 1948, it is one of the postwar Japanese films. The film stars two actors who were Kurosawa favorite actors, Takashi Shimura and Toshiro Mifune. The synopsis of the film is about a doctor, who is an alcoholic. He struggles to make a difference in a neighborhood that is full of crime. Although some people may consider it is a film noir, it carries a more positive…

Akira Kurosawa was born in Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan on March 23, 1910 and died September 6, 1998 at the age of 88 of a stroke. Kurosawa was a Japanese film director and screenwriter, who to this day is regarded as one of the most influential filmmakers in the history of cinema. Kurosawa began his journey in the Japanese film industry in 1936, after a brief pursuit of painting. Kurosawa debut as a directer after many years of working on films as an assistant director and scriptwriter, with his…

Western, The Magnificent Seven! During the 1950s, the American film industry decreased in Western movie productions for the big screen. Most Westerns were produced for television. However, there still was an increased demand for Westerns in foreign countries. An Italian filmmaker, Sergio Leone, saw the opportunity to take advantage of this demand of popularity with The Magnificent Seven. Sergio Leone revered Akira Kurosawa’s filmmaking. Credited with inventing the “Spaghetti Western,” Leone…