The legacy of Kirosawa is an unending gift for humanity and Mifune is the giga chad of the 20th century. The Shogun miniseries made a huge impression on me as a kid and left me with a lifetime appreciation for Japanese culture.
I always like recommending this amazing movie to someone who's getting their first introduction to Kurosawa. It's probably his most accessible film, totally enjoyable, full of both action and comedy, but also with depth in unexpected places, like the Fire Festival scene with its existentialist message or when we learn about the sacrifice of the general's little sister. Anyway, thanks for deciding to react to AK, the Emperor, my favorite director of all time. I hope this series will inspire people to discover some of the greatest movies ever made.👏
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this. The first time was sometime in the 70s at one of the film society showings on the campus of the University of Michigan. The Japanese Department (big training translators during the WWII war effort) also used to have a Monday evening double feature (for free), so I’ve seen a lot of Japanese films. In addition, another group had a summer of chambara films. A couple non-Kurosawa films from two other masters that you could tack onto the end of the current fest would be Ozu’s Tokyo Story (1953) with Chishu Ryu (one of my favorite actors in my second favorite Japanese film) and Mizoguchi’s Ugetsu Monogatari (1953). Looking forward to the rest of your Kurosawa fest.
I love samurai movies, too. They were my entryway into Japanese cinema as well. Harakiri, Kill!, the Zatoichi series, Lone Wolf and Cub, etc. Hope you guys have a chance to hit some of my favorite Kurosawa films: Stray Dog, High and Low and Dersu Uzala.
I really appreciate you guys watching these great films that don't get a lot of play on youtube. I hadn't watched Hidden Fortress yet and your video prompted me to sit down and watch it, what a fun pick. High and Low is my favorite Kurosawa but I can't wait to see what you pick next.
Some of the characters in this movie appear in other Kurosawa movies. The girl they pick up in the boarding house appears in "Sanjuro" as a maid in the Chaimbelain's house who helps get the rebel guards drunk, a good role. The shorter of the two captured soldiers, is in the movie "Throne Of Blood", as a guard in the main castle, and of course, the two lead characters and Toshiro Mifune were all in "Seven Samurai", and the taller guy was also in "Rashomon", along with Mifune. The girl who played the princess, this was her ONLY appearance in a movie. And of course, there are many, many "Star Wars" flashes, as you discussed. George Lucas knew a good movie when he saw it.
Oops, I left out the gentleman who played the "sacrificial" general at the Hidden Fortress, he was in both "Seven Samurai" as the lead samurai, and in "Rashomon", as the wood cutter.
Another Star Wars-esque moment was when they bluffed their way through a checkpoint. In some ways, the princess has elements of both Leia and Luke; a big part of her story arc was her exposure to the outside world after a sheltered upbringing.
Thanks again as always. I really enjoy the input from both of you. I think you both contribute distinct perspective that make me appreciate some of my favourite films even more. Cheers.
Your lighting looks great in this video. And yes! Dude! I was just like you, had a great video store, would rent piles and do the exact same thing you described. It wasn't easy finding all these movies like it is now! You'd go into a video store and find stuff that only they had, a very common occurrence. That's where I discovered so much stuff. Herzog is definitely one that comes to mind. John Waters. Living in NYC, there were so many great stores. Kim's Underground Video was amazing, but every neighborhood had some great little mom & pop video rental place, it was a great and fun movie culture in retrospect. Ok.....I've written a paragraph just on the intro! Love this movie, let's get into it! See you on the other side! PS You mentioned Woody! What a string of great movies that guy did between 1969 and 1992, huh? Two fantastic "Annie Hall" reactions just went up over the last few months, plus a "Purple Rose Of Cairo". Maybe somewhere down the line you hit some of his best. The comments section was fine, if that's what would hold you back. Just a thought! No obligation!
Ok, finished. Great, as usual. Kurosawa is so funny. I remember being surprised how easy it was to watch his films. I was in junior high school and would binge on "masters of world cinema", the basics: Fellini, Bergman, Kurosawa, Bunuel, etc. And although I am (and was) way more of a Fellini-Bunuel guy (and others), I always loved the storytelling and the humor and basically the "western-ness" of Kurosawa. With Fellini, the visuals are stunning, but the dialog sometimes is often brisk so I'd watch a scene reading the subtitles, then again just watching the visuals. Every scene! A movie like La Dolce Vita might take two or three days to get through! Bergman, who is great, I have to sort of psyche myself up for, even to this day. But with Kurosawa I learned not to be so "intimidated", it goes down easy. I'm not so interested in samurai per se so I have to be in the mood, but other than that, easy peasy! Great director, great movie, and great reaction! THANKS!!!!!! Kurosawafest '23!
I hope you guys see this comment, if so, please, please, do a reaction to the Movie/Series This Is England. Directed by Shane Meadows, same director of Dead Man's Shoes. I think you'll both enjoy it massively.
He brings up Star Wars at some length right before he says that sentence, so obviously he's well-aware. Star Wars is not a "remake", it's more of a ripoff (or homage to, depending on how you want to look at it).
The legacy of Kirosawa is an unending gift for humanity and Mifune is the giga chad of the 20th century.
The Shogun miniseries made a huge impression on me as a kid and left me with a lifetime appreciation for Japanese culture.
I always like recommending this amazing movie to someone who's getting their first introduction to Kurosawa. It's probably his most accessible film, totally enjoyable, full of both action and comedy, but also with depth in unexpected places, like the Fire Festival scene with its existentialist message or when we learn about the sacrifice of the general's little sister. Anyway, thanks for deciding to react to AK, the Emperor, my favorite director of all time. I hope this series will inspire people to discover some of the greatest movies ever made.👏
Agreed. This is an excellent entry point, for all the reasons you described (although Seven Samurai was my first and was plenty sufficient!)
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this. The first time was sometime in the 70s at one of the film society showings on the campus of the University of Michigan. The Japanese Department (big training translators during the WWII war effort) also used to have a Monday evening double feature (for free), so I’ve seen a lot of Japanese films. In addition, another group had a summer of chambara films. A couple non-Kurosawa films from two other masters that you could tack onto the end of the current fest would be Ozu’s Tokyo Story (1953) with Chishu Ryu (one of my favorite actors in my second favorite Japanese film) and Mizoguchi’s Ugetsu Monogatari (1953). Looking forward to the rest of your Kurosawa fest.
I love samurai movies, too. They were my entryway into Japanese cinema as well. Harakiri, Kill!, the Zatoichi series, Lone Wolf and Cub, etc. Hope you guys have a chance to hit some of my favorite Kurosawa films: Stray Dog, High and Low and Dersu Uzala.
I really appreciate you guys watching these great films that don't get a lot of play on youtube. I hadn't watched Hidden Fortress yet and your video prompted me to sit down and watch it, what a fun pick. High and Low is my favorite Kurosawa but I can't wait to see what you pick next.
Some of the characters in this movie appear in other Kurosawa movies. The girl they pick up in the boarding house appears in "Sanjuro" as a maid in the Chaimbelain's house who helps get the rebel guards drunk, a good role. The shorter of the two captured soldiers, is in the movie "Throne Of Blood", as a guard in the main castle, and of course, the two lead characters and Toshiro Mifune were all in "Seven Samurai", and the taller guy was also in "Rashomon", along with Mifune. The girl who played the princess, this was her ONLY appearance in a movie. And of course, there are many, many "Star Wars" flashes, as you discussed. George Lucas knew a good movie when he saw it.
Oops, I left out the gentleman who played the "sacrificial" general at the Hidden Fortress, he was in both "Seven Samurai" as the lead samurai, and in "Rashomon", as the wood cutter.
Another Star Wars-esque moment was when they bluffed their way through a checkpoint. In some ways, the princess has elements of both Leia and Luke; a big part of her story arc was her exposure to the outside world after a sheltered upbringing.
Thanks again as always. I really enjoy the input from both of you. I think you both contribute distinct perspective that make me appreciate some of my favourite films even more. Cheers.
Please visit Japan! Will not disappoint! The whole country has a calmness that we don't have here.
海外からの移民や観光客の急増で治安は崩れている。
もう安全や静けさは提供できない。日本人でさえ暮らしに不安を抱いている。
日本に幻想を抱かない方が賢明です。
Toshiro Mifune did his own stunt work on that horse ride to catch those guys..
Your lighting looks great in this video. And yes! Dude! I was just like you, had a great video store, would rent piles and do the exact same thing you described. It wasn't easy finding all these movies like it is now! You'd go into a video store and find stuff that only they had, a very common occurrence. That's where I discovered so much stuff. Herzog is definitely one that comes to mind. John Waters. Living in NYC, there were so many great stores. Kim's Underground Video was amazing, but every neighborhood had some great little mom & pop video rental place, it was a great and fun movie culture in retrospect. Ok.....I've written a paragraph just on the intro! Love this movie, let's get into it! See you on the other side! PS You mentioned Woody! What a string of great movies that guy did between 1969 and 1992, huh? Two fantastic "Annie Hall" reactions just went up over the last few months, plus a "Purple Rose Of Cairo". Maybe somewhere down the line you hit some of his best. The comments section was fine, if that's what would hold you back. Just a thought! No obligation!
Ok, finished. Great, as usual. Kurosawa is so funny. I remember being surprised how easy it was to watch his films. I was in junior high school and would binge on "masters of world cinema", the basics: Fellini, Bergman, Kurosawa, Bunuel, etc. And although I am (and was) way more of a Fellini-Bunuel guy (and others), I always loved the storytelling and the humor and basically the "western-ness" of Kurosawa. With Fellini, the visuals are stunning, but the dialog sometimes is often brisk so I'd watch a scene reading the subtitles, then again just watching the visuals. Every scene! A movie like La Dolce Vita might take two or three days to get through! Bergman, who is great, I have to sort of psyche myself up for, even to this day. But with Kurosawa I learned not to be so "intimidated", it goes down easy. I'm not so interested in samurai per se so I have to be in the mood, but other than that, easy peasy! Great director, great movie, and great reaction! THANKS!!!!!! Kurosawafest '23!
Rashomon and Seven Samurai should be the next...
I would like to see them watch Stray Dog. I didn’t like it, but they might. Or even Ikiru.
i think u should watch the movie "gummo"
黒澤明があって三船敏郎で凄く素晴らしい🎉映画が出来る🎉
I hope you guys see this comment, if so, please, please, do a reaction to the Movie/Series This Is England. Directed by Shane Meadows, same director of Dead Man's Shoes. I think you'll both enjoy it massively.
I’d love to but they get blocked in England and then no one sees it
@@majormoviemadness9927 That's a shame i'd love to see both your reactions to it. Either way, i'd recommend them if you haven't seen them.
Think you guys will ever do Dreams or Ran?
Lucas actually wanted Mifune for ObiWan . Can you imagine a Star Wars where that happened?
The English could have been problematic but of all possible alternate casting I wouldn’t mind it. Better than Pacino as Han Solo
I love the idea of reacting to movies like this but why is the audio like that
My fav part was the duel part
Very realistic
“This story was not remade”
Well, you should take a look at Star Wars again 😜
He brings up Star Wars at some length right before he says that sentence, so obviously he's well-aware. Star Wars is not a "remake", it's more of a ripoff (or homage to, depending on how you want to look at it).
Major's cap is starting to look a bit ragged...
日本では「隠し砦の三悪人」 です🌿