The eyebrow smudges were done in the Heian period (794- 1185) and were an imported custom from China, and were mainly used in the upper classes as women began wearing white face makeup, and leaving their hair long. The natural eyebrows were either totally plucked or shaven off.
Kurosawa started writing and directing films in the mid 1940’s. Two that came out before Rashomon which today are considered very important classics are Drunken Angel (1948) and Stray Dog (1949) - both again starring Mifune and Shimura. Both films deal with immediate-post war Japan, and are considered a kind of Japanese Film Noir, and showcase impressive, mesmerizing breakout performances by Mifune.
The "cut in movement" of the woman falling to the ground, at 18:55 in this video, is typical of Kurosawa; "Seven Samurais" has plenty of these cuts, which I don't think I have seen in any other movie, and which go against the common rule of waiting until the movement finishes, and then cut.
A story format that is so necessary and important that it's like a gift to all mankind. The director Jim Jarmusch does a great job of paying homage to it in his film Ghost Dog, which if you haven't seen it yet, should definitely be on your to watch list!
Very interesting reaction, however, you left out a great tracking shot when the woodcutte was first going into the forest. On the DVD they even show how the shot was created, with a looping move, very innovative. That was a good get on the guy from the boarding house in "The Hidden Fortress", that was one I totally missed. To see more of that eyebrow makeup, check out "RAN". The final two, the priest and the woodcutter, were both in "Seven Samurai" and "The Hidden Fortress".
I graduated from UCF with a Theater degree with an emphasis on Acting. My 2nd year the Theater Dept. did a production of a play based on this story (It's a Japanese myth). We didn't have any Asian actors even audition for the show. So I got to play the Woodcutter in this production. It was my introduction to Kurosawa and he quickly became one of my favorite directors (along with Kubrick). The stage was built on a revolving turntable so that the set changed with each version of the story. I think that my favorite Kurosawa film is Ikiru (To Live). It isn't about samurais or fight scenes, but just an amazing story.
If you are reviewing Kurosawa's work, please watch "Ran", his late masterpiece. It's the most beautiful, the bleakest movie ever made. The mass battle scenes are just astonishing. Top film making.
Now you're doing Kurosawa I hope for Dersu Uzala, what do you think? I've just seen your Lawrence of Arabia and wonder how you think Dr Zhivago compares.
I think my first exposure to this type of plot line was The Simpsons episode "Bart Gets Hit By A Car": ruclips.net/video/Ej_ZHWOk22o/видео.html One thing I noticed is that most other works using this narrative don't end with the ambiguity this film did; usually, the plot is: -Party A tells initial self-serving version of story -Party B tells contradictory self-serving version of story -Party C tells what *really* happened, clearing everything up
The eyebrow smudges were done in the Heian period (794- 1185) and were an imported custom from China, and were mainly used in the upper classes as women began wearing white face makeup, and leaving their hair long. The natural eyebrows were either totally plucked or shaven off.
Kurosawa film festival. Excellent !
Kurosawa started writing and directing films in the mid 1940’s. Two that came out before Rashomon which today are considered very important classics are Drunken Angel (1948) and Stray Dog (1949) - both again starring Mifune and Shimura. Both films deal with immediate-post war Japan, and are considered a kind of Japanese Film Noir, and showcase impressive, mesmerizing breakout performances by Mifune.
The "cut in movement" of the woman falling to the ground, at 18:55 in this video, is typical of Kurosawa; "Seven Samurais" has plenty of these cuts, which I don't think I have seen in any other movie, and which go against the common rule of waiting until the movement finishes, and then cut.
Mifune's first film with Kurosawa was "Drunken Angel".
A story format that is so necessary and important that it's like a gift to all mankind.
The director Jim Jarmusch does a great job of paying homage to it in his film Ghost Dog, which if you haven't seen it yet, should definitely be on your to watch list!
Very interesting reaction, however, you left out a great tracking shot when the woodcutte was first going into the forest. On the DVD they even show how the shot was created, with a looping move, very innovative. That was a good get on the guy from the boarding house in "The Hidden Fortress", that was one I totally missed. To see more of that eyebrow makeup, check out "RAN". The final two, the priest and the woodcutter, were both in "Seven Samurai" and "The Hidden Fortress".
There is an Hollywood western remake called The Outrage (1964) starring Paul Newman,
Edward G Robinson & William Shatner were in it also.
I graduated from UCF with a Theater degree with an emphasis on Acting. My 2nd year the Theater Dept. did a production of a play based on this story (It's a Japanese myth). We didn't have any Asian actors even audition for the show. So I got to play the Woodcutter in this production. It was my introduction to Kurosawa and he quickly became one of my favorite directors (along with Kubrick). The stage was built on a revolving turntable so that the set changed with each version of the story. I think that my favorite Kurosawa film is Ikiru (To Live). It isn't about samurais or fight scenes, but just an amazing story.
I love how pathetic the second version of the duel is.
You guys should watch Kurosawa's The Lower Depths. It's one of my personal favorites and a fantastic film.
If you are reviewing Kurosawa's work, please watch "Ran", his late masterpiece. It's the most beautiful, the bleakest movie ever made. The mass battle scenes are just astonishing. Top film making.
When I first watched Ran there was something oddly familiar about it. Then it dawned on me it was an adaptation of King Lear only more interesting.
Kurosawa loved the films of John Ford (who doesn’t).
my favorite part is that the dead man is allowed to testify via a medium...
Now you're doing Kurosawa I hope for Dersu Uzala, what do you think?
I've just seen your Lawrence of Arabia and wonder how you think Dr Zhivago compares.
黒澤は望遠レンズの使い方が上手い。
I think my first exposure to this type of plot line was The Simpsons episode "Bart Gets Hit By A Car": ruclips.net/video/Ej_ZHWOk22o/видео.html
One thing I noticed is that most other works using this narrative don't end with the ambiguity this film did; usually, the plot is:
-Party A tells initial self-serving version of story
-Party B tells contradictory self-serving version of story
-Party C tells what *really* happened, clearing everything up
The entire point is that EVERYONE colors the story to coincide with their preconceived notions.
u guys should react to a movie called gummo
Harmony eh?