Posts Tagged ‘The Kurosawa Marathon’

It’s been two week since my last update on my Kurosawa watchings and I’m here to report that I have since then completed my planned marathon.  I did finish a month later than planned, but really who cares?  In the last two weeks I’ve watched High and Low (1963), Stray Dog (1949) and Seven Samurai (1954).  Here are my thoughts on each. (more…)

I’ve been a horrible blogger.  I’ve spent the last few weeks paying more attention to my writings for http://www.thefilmstage.com and I’ve forgot all about my marathon posts (and even viewings).  However, fret not I will not abandon this crash course in film education.  I will complete this marathon; however I think I’m going to change how I handle these Marathon posts.  From now on I will make 1 post each week where I will discuss two, or how many, films that I watched that week in my marathon.

Anyways, this past week in my Kurosawa Marathon I watched: (more…)

After 30 years of working Hyakken Uchida [Tatsuo Matsumura] decides to retire as a professor and live out his retired life as a writer.  The Professor finds himself going through ups and downs at home in Japan during the war in the forties and as he enjoys his birthdays along with his former students who always want to know “Mahda Kai?” (Not Yet?) as after downing a massive glass of beer replies “Madada Yo!” (No Not Yet!). (more…)

After Taketori Washizu [Toshiro Mifune] and Yoshiaki Miki [Minoru Chiaki], Commanders of the First and Second Fortress respectively, help suppress a surprise attack from Inui they have been called to meet with the Great Lord.  On the way to the Spider Web Castle they become lost in the maze of a forest that surrounds the castle.  In this forest they meet a spirit [Chieno Naniwa] that tells them of their future and this leads them on a path of betrayal and murder to reach these goals that were foretold for them. (more…)

Lord Hidetora Ichimonji [Tatsuya Nakadai] after many years of battle and eventually becoming the ruler of his vast lands has decided that he has done enough and would like to retire from his life.  He decides to bequeath his kingdom to his three sons: Taro [Akira Terao], Jiro [Jinpachi Nezu] and Saburo [Daisuke Ryu].  After his third son, Saburo, speaks up frankly his father takes offense and decides to disown Saburo and banish him from his lands.  Tango [Masayuki Yui], Lord Hidetora’s assistant, defends Saburo and receives the same treatment as Saburo.  Shortly after Lord Taro and Jiro takes power of the land Lord Hidetora finds himself quickly being shunned out of his world by his sons due to their inability to put up with his ways anymore now that they no longer need to answer to him. (more…)