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Share"In a mad world only the mad are sane." Yes, Akira Kurosawa was mad; he was mad about his passion and so he spoke those words. And he went on to make films which truly, madly and deeply reflected his passion.
Akira Kurosawa was mad; he was mad about his passion and so he spoke those words, "In a mad world only the mad are sane."
Like all film-makers, he admired a lot of Hollywood directors but the influence wasn't direct at all. The director was influenced by art, music and literature from across the globe.
Even his earlier film The Quiet Duel is interesting in terms of its content which deals with a young doctor who contracts syphilis and is tormented by his conscience and celibacy. The parallels can be drawn towards the fear of AIDS today; this melodramatic second alliance with Toshirô Mifune was just the start of a new chapter in history.
Next, he made Rashomon with which he questioned the validity and subjective nature of truth. In a story where four people recount their respective versions of a man's murder and the rape of his wife, it portrayed the idea that individual perception of reality can be challenged. An instant hit worldwide, it launched his global career and the film became an instant classic.
Kurosawa then went on to make several other films which critics lapped up worldwide and he became Japan's most celebrated director. However, in his 'mid-director life crisis', his films were not successful and it wasn't easy to finance his big-budget films. Ran was the last of its kind. An adaptation of Shakespeare's King Lear, the film was the perfect affair between content and visual style.
The maverick was accused by his fellow natives for having an inclination towards Western style. However, a little bit of surgery of his repertoire makes it very clear that his films carried the distinct stamp of Japan. His stories were universal because it dealt with themes common to every society but it was conveyed through the Japanese society; past or contemporary.
By the end of his career, he rose to such heights that he was constantly revered as one of the all-time great film-makers and his multiple directorial ventures found their place in countless list masterpiece compilations. Madadayo was about a teacher; not very hard to understand considering his influence on film-makers across nations like George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, Federico Fellini, among others.
Films have always been considered as the most powerful medium of influencing the masses. Hollywood understood it really well and makes expensive garbage look grand. Kurosawa knew it too, only he transformed ideas into majestic impact through his timeless touch.
Some DVDs you buy just to watch and forget; buy this to treasure, forever.
Title: Kurosawa collector's pack
Language: Japanese with English subtitles
DVD Released by: Shemaroo World Cinema
Price: Rs999
Rating: ****½
