ACF 1393: Akira Kurosawa

 Akira Kurosawa
March 23, 1910 - September 6, 1998

Akira Kurasawa was born 102 years ago in Tokyo. Unquestionably the most famous Japanese film director in the West, he is revered not only for so many fine films, an incredible number of which are masterpieces or near-masterpieces, but also for putting Japanese cinema on the world stage. This occurred when Rashomon, which had been released in 1950, won the Golden Lion Award at the 1951 Venice Film Festival. Kurosawa himself was also awarded the Italian Film Critics Award at that same festival.

Still, I believe that the single film with which his name is most closely associated is Seven Samurai (1954). For me it is a work of cinematic perfection: there's not the single, slightest thing about it that could be improved upon.

Kurosawa (front center) with the cast and crew of The Lower Depths (1957)

During his lifetime Kurosawa directed some 31 films. For me his towering presence in world cinema is most succinctly embodied in the fact that, as far as I can tell, he has more films in the Criterion Collection than any other director. The Criterion offerings include the massive box set AK 100: 25 Films by Akira Kurosawa. If you don't already own many of his films on DVD, this might be a perfect purchase, though it requires the outlay of a considerable amount of money at one time. It includes four of his earliest films: Sanshiro Sugata (1943), The Most Beautiful (1944), Sanshiro Sugata Part Two (1945), and The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail ((1945). These four films also became available in a box set from Criterion entitled Eclipse Series 23: The First Films of Akira Kurosawa. Another box set that was released earlier is Eclipse Series 7: Postwar Kurosawa, a collection of five "lesser" films spanning 1946 - 1955.

Though he never received an Oscar as a director, in 1990 he received an honorary Oscar for his achievements in film, both in terms of the audiences he reached and the filmmakers he influenced. Two of his films Dersu Uzala (1975) and Ran (1985) were awarded Oscars as best foreign films. All told he won 61 award and was nominated for another 17.

All praise and thanks to one of the world's greatest movie directors. His contributions will last in the memories of film lovers forever.

ACF 1037: LEE Chang-dong's Secret Sunshine coming out in Criterion DVD and Blu-Ray editions

Well, I'd hoped for it for some time, and soon it'll be a reality. A film by LEE Chang-dong, one of my favorite directors, is getting the Criterion treatment.

Secret Sunshine, his phenomenal 2007 film -- which only recently got a belated theatrical release in the U.S. -- will be coming out in DVD and Blu-Ray editions from Criterion on August 23, 2011. Both versions can be pre-ordered from Amazon.com by clicking here. I'm going to pre-order, and if you love great cinema, you should too.

The film stars JEON Do-yeon (who won the Best Actress award at Cannes as well as other festivals) as a young widower who moves with her son to Miryang, the town where her dead husband was born. There she experiences one of life's cruelest tragedies and the film depicts her struggle and search to find a way to cope with her grief.

For my review of the Secret Sunshine, click here.

ACF 1027: Happy Birthday, Seijun Suzuki!

Screenshot of Seijun Suzuki being interviewed in Tokyo
for the Criterion DVD release of Story of a Prostitute
(C) The Criterion Collection 2005

Seijun Suzuki was born in Tokyo, on May 24, 1923. Though best known in the U.S. as a film director, Suzuki has also worked as a television director and has acted. In fact, he is reportedly better known in Japan these days for his roles in films and television than as a director.

After serving in the Japanese army during World War II, Suzuki worked as an assistant director at several studios. He began working at Nikkatsu Studios in 1954 and directed his first film in 1958. From then through 1966 he directed three to four films each year. After Branded to Kill (his fortieth film, released in 1967), Hori Kyusaku, president of Nikkatsu Studios at the time, fired Suzuki, claiming he made incomprehensible movies that didn't make any money. These difficulties basically arose because of Suzuki's boredom with the same B-movie genre material he was assigned. He sought new ways to make the material interesting.

Suzuki filed suit and a lengthy legal battle ensued. It was ultimately settled out of court. Although he received less compensation than he sought, Suzuki did obtain an apology from Hori. Still he went through a lengthy period during which he was blacklisted by the film studios and had to work in television. In the late '70's, he was again able to make films. His Zigeunerweisen (1980) won 17 awards and was nominated for 6 others.

For me the greatest recognition of his work is the inclusion of a great many of his films in The Criterion Collection. These include Youth of the Beast (1963), Story of a Prostitute (1965), Tokyo Drifter (1966), Branded to Kill (1967). Some of his other films, including Underworld Beauty (1958), Kanto Wanderer (1963), Tattooed Life (1965), and the aforementioned Zigeunerweisen are available from other distributors.

So, huge AsianCineFest thanks to Suzuki for producing a fabulous body of fascinating works, and best wishes for a "Happy Birthday!"

Seijun Suzuki at IMDb

Seijun Suzuki at Wikipedia

ACF 393: 25 film Kurosawa box set from Criterion due out in December 8, 2009

I recently received notification of this incredible DVD box set of 25 of Akira Kurosawa's films that is due out December 8, 2009. Four of the films have never before been available on DVD (at least not here in the U.S.):

- Sanshiro Sugata (1943) - Kurosawa's directorial debut
- The Most Beautiful (1944)
- Sanshiro Sugata Part II ((1945)
- The Men Who Tread On The Tiger's Tail (1945)

Madadayo (1993), Kuroswa's final film, has been available but not from Criterion.

I'm pretty sure that Criterion already has more of Kurosawa's films on DVD than any other director. And I have all of the ones issued so far. So I'm hoping that these five films will be issued individually, or perhaps the four from the WWII years will be another Kurosawa Eclipse box set and Madadayo will be available as a separate DVD.

The 25 film box set will carry a hefty Suggested Retail Price of $399.00, but will be available from the Criterion Store for $319.00.

For full info from Criterion or to pre-order, click here.