Japanese Movie Director (2): Akira Kurosawa

Akira Kurosawa (1910 - 1998)

Akira Kurosawa is one of the most internationally well-known Japanese movie directors, so well-known that rather detailed information may be acquired through IMDB, Wikipedia and so on. There is little left for me to add.

(Filmography)
The filmography provides the items "Production year", "Japanese title", "English title", "Survival Status" (whether or not negative or positive exists), and DVD/Blu-ray availability. Titles of the movies ranked in Top_10 are in bold font.
(Note) Most of Kurosawa's films have been preserved in a complete form, thus the item "Survival Status" is omitted except for titles whose complete version does not exist.
(Note) Some of the available DVD/Blu-ray titles are out of stock. Never fail to check region codes and format (NTSC or PAL) of the disc and your palyer, before purchasing DVD/Blu-ray discs.

1943 Sugata Sanshiro (Judo Saga/Judo Story)
     Survival status: Exist (incomplete version)(*1)
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese, USA, UK, French versions, and more
1944 Ichiban utsukushiku (Most Beautifully/The Most Beautiful)
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese, USA, UK, French versions, and more   
1945 Zoku Sugata Sanshiro (Judo Saga II/Judo Story II/Sanshiro Sugata Part Two)
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese, USA, UK, French versions, and more
1945 Tora no o wo fumu otokotachi
     (The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail/They Who Step on the Tail of the Tiger)
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese, USA, UK versions, and more
1946 Asu wo tsukuru hitobito (Those Who Make Tomorrow)
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: None
1946 Waga seishun ni kuinashi (No Regrets for My Youth/No Regrets for Our Youth)
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese, USA, UK versions, and more
1947 Subarashiki nichiyobi (One Wonderful Sunday/Wonderful Sunday)
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese, USA, UK versions
1948 Yoidore tenshi (Drunken Angel)
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese, USA, UK versions, and more
1949 Shizukanaru ketto (A Silent Duel/The Quiet Duel)
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese, USA, UK versions   
1949 Nora inu (Stray Dog)
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese, USA, UK, French versions
1950 Shubun - Sukyandaru (Scandal)
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese, USA, UK versions
1950 Rashomon
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese, USA, UK, French versions, and more
1951 Hakuchi (The Idiot)
     Survival status: Exist (imcomplete version) (*2)
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese, USA, UK versions
1952 Ikiru (Doomed/Living/To Live)
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese, USA, UK versions, and more
1954 Shichinin no samurai (Seven Samurai)
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese, USA, UK, French versions, and more
1955 Ikimono no kiroku (I Live in Fear/Record of a Living Being)
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese, USA, UK versions, and more
1957 Kumonosu jo (Throne of Blood/Cobweb Castle)
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese, USA, UK versions, and more
1957 Donzoko (The Lower Depths)
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese, USA, UK versions, and more
1958 Kakushi-toride no san-akunin (The Hidden Fortress)
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese, USA, UK versions, and more
1960 Warui yatsu hodo yoku nemuru (The Bad Sleep Well)
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese, USA, UK versions, and more   
1961 Yojimbo (The Bodyguard)
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese, USA, UK, French versions, and more
1962 Tsubaki Sanjuro (Sanjuro)
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese, USA, UK, French versions, and more
1963 Tengoku to jigoku (High and Low)
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese, USA, UK versions, and more
1964 Akahige (Red Beard)
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese, USA, UK versions, and more
1970 Do desu ka den (Dodes'ka-den )
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese, USA, UK, French versions, and more
1975 Dersu Uzala (Derusu Uzara )
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese, USA, UK versions, and more
1980 Kagemusha
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese, USA, UK versions, and more
1985 Ran
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese, USA, UK versions, and more
1990 Yume (Akira Kurosawa's Dreams/Dreams)
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese, USA, UK versions, and more
1991 Hachi-gatsu no kyoshikyoku (Rhapsody in August)
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese, USA, UK versions, and more
1993 Madadayo (Not Yet)
     DVD/Blu-ray availability: Japanese, USA, UK versions, and more

(*1) Originally 97min. Shortened to 79min when re-released (including a few minutes of description titles for omitted scenes). Recovered to 90 min recently (still including the titles).
(*2) Originally approx. 270min. The original version was not released. Shortly after Kurosawa's death, Kei Kumai (movie director) told that he confirmed that a positive of the original version is preserved, but it has not resurfaced yet.

(Trivial thoughts)
Many say that Kurosawa's style changed in 1960s. I agree. However, when and how? Many say that Kurosawa changed when he began to direct movies in color. Here, I do not agree.

Kurosawa's expressions are usually excessive, humid heat of summer in "Stray Dog", rain like a squall in "Rashomon", "Seven Samurai" and even in "Rhapsody in August" in his 80s, and too strong passion or obsession which possesses the characters. The excessiveness has been delicately balanced with reality, which has given Kurosawa movies power, fever and more truth than reality. When the balance broke, truth would be lost and the expression or performance would seem to be exaggerated or overacted.

Even in his fims in 1950s, the balance broke occasionally, but the damage was limited. In 1960s, Kurosawa's films gradually cooled down, and lost fever and truth, which was clearly found, in particular, in performance of players. Such performance appears not to be supported by a true passion, and, as a result, seems to be artificial, which gives cold impression. I feel such coldness already in "High and Low".

However, not all performances are cold in Kurosawa's films even after 1960s, and if such cold performances are found, they are not fatal. Kurosawa changed indeed, but changes are not always bad. For example, such cold performance was rather suitable for "Ran" in which Kurosawa instructed players to act in "noh"-style. "Ran" is a masterpiece, I believe, and is one of my favorite Kurosawa movies.