I always wonder why some films just "feel" better than others, but videos like these help with that understanding by putting into words all of such subtleties.
Yeah, I mean Avengers, Infinity War or End Game are good movies to watch and enjoy but, when you watch really great movies, like Kurosawa or Kubrick's you can feels that they are better movie.
I think too, that you’re not taking the acting all to seriously, so there isn’t a tendency to wince and over-criticize a less genuine expression. Western blockbuster movies expect the actor to BE the character: to possess their past and their destiny fully, and when it falters its very distracting. Where these movies seem like they are charged with expressing the current intent and emotion in a relatable way; saying “this is how I feel, now” not “this is who I am, and have been and will be”. I find that is the biggest gripe of mine regarding most of these superhero movies, I’ve maybe watched 3 and enjoyed only one of those.
Interesting observation, especially as the acting in other Japanese cinema I've watched can be extremely understated. A good example would be Tokyo Story by Yasujirō Ozu.
There’s definitely an art to it. I tend to favor more naturalistic expressions, but when I’m writing and when I’m watching or reading something visual, I notice that emotions can feel a lot bigger then they look, so I think it has to do with a) internal consistency, so we can get used to the exaggerated style but also that the expression might imply a bigger feeling than we might have, again because we only express part of our feelings, but it expresses exactly how big the emotion is.
"It's the visual stimulation that hits the audience; that's the reason for film. Otherwise, we should just turn the light out and call it radio." --- Very succinct
What's ironic is that if you take that sentence, you can make it match perfectly with the avengers. Visual and auditive stimulation is what makes The Avengers sell. It's not the story. It's the treatment that makes the superhero movies sell as much as they do right now. But I'm not saying good stories don't sell. Well, technically they don't. What truly sells are actors, sometimes directors, but most of the time is consistency and marketing. Consistency in tone (humor with action between each films) and marketing. Marketing is a huge part of it.
That's why I generally prefer films that have stood the test of time. Time can be an effective filter of crap and mediocrity. If you want an example, you can check out Victor Sjostrom's "The Phantom Carriage" It's a silent Swedish film that is near 100 years old, but still great and was an inspiration to Ingmar Bergman and Stanley Kubrick.
What I love about Kurosawa movies gets highlighted so much with that Avengers comparison. One is created by an master artist with limited resources and unlimited creative vision, the other by a business with unlimited resources and a complete lack of creative vision.
Kurosawa was master artist, but he made most expensive Japanese movie ever. Twice. Seven Samurai was first instance of that. He had very little limit in his available resources and he made use of that.
I think I saw the Avengers comparison before. I was hoping they would show how they think it should have gone down. Like Nick Fury standing before the window with some rain splattering it while his head is down. And then?
2:20 is so powerful. A furious commander trying to mobilize his army, his battle cry met with unmoving silence. I've never felt a slap in the face that hard.
I think it says something that even someone like me, who hasn't seen the film and doesn't know the context of the scene, can watch that and think "damn bro, that's harsh."
My personal favorite Kurosawa film. Tragedy Of Macbeth by Joel Coen was good, but nobody could bring Shakespeare on cinema like Kurosawa did. Throne Of Blood is a masterpiece of a film. And not forgetting, Mifune was an absolute beast in this film. Easily the best actor I've seen.
A true sign of a master in any discipline, is unparalleled efficiency and efficacy. Every movement counts and no energy is waisted. There is not too much yet there is nothing missing.
Finally got around to watching SEVEN SAMURAI. The 3.5 hour running time intimidated me, but Kurosawa's visual flow and pacing was so masterful, it almost felt like a 90 minute movie!
"If you combine the right motion and the right emotion, you get something cinematic" is one of the most useful phrases about the art of filmmaking I've ever heard
As an adolescent, I would often stay up late into the early morning. This one time, a movie called Seven Samurai was being featured on a channel for classics. I thought "Samurai are badass, I should check it out!" I was immediately disappointed that it was an old timey black and white movie with bad sound quality. But nevertheless I continued watching since I was bored. Next thing I know, I'm completely invested in the plot, the characters, and the outcome. After it was over (and it was a VERY long movie), I was actually grateful that I'd seen what I would then refer to as "the best black and white movie ever". I went most of my life having never heard the name Akira Kurosawa, but knowing that it was he who was responsible for Seven Samurai, he has all my respect. Many movies are given the unofficial title of "masterpiece" and "classic", but Seven Samurai deserves those praises a lot more than most western movies that are often given said praises without really having done as much to earn them. TL;DR - Seven Samurai is a nostalgic must-see, and Akira Kurosawa is a motion picture genius!
"and it was a VERY long movie" Ah, so it was the full version indeed. There is another version of about 2 hours, closer to the standard movie duration. It's not half as good, most of the action is kept so "calmer" scenes are heavily cut. Checking on wikipedia, it seems the shortened version is not usually shown since the 90s. A good thing.
wow, you watch this dude? respect, btw i hope your editing will improve, you already have your own style but you can learn a lot more from this dude, and make a review on fate/zero already.
"He would often tell his actors to pick one gesture for their character and repeat it throughout the film. That way the audience can quickly see who's who and how they're feeling." That... that's genius.
It's also a theatrical technique. In some versions of movement, Grotowski comes to mind, you often start with gesture as a way into a character, because as an actor you have to find a way to embody them. To live through them.
“If I were to write anything at all, it would turn out to be nothing but talk about movies. In other words, take ‘myself,’ subtract ‘movies,’ and the result is ‘zero.’” 0:47 Akira Kurosawa
“For me, filmmaking combines everything. That’s the reason I’ve made cinema my life’s work. In films, painting and literature, theatre and music come together. But a film is still a film.” 7:06 Akira Kurosawa
Like Shakespeare’s play, Ran is concerned with the relationship between humankind and animal. The hunt, a central motif in King Lear, is graphically established in Ran, raising questions about the place of man in the natural order. 7:42 [Université de Poitiers]
@@eriosvanda479 I love both those films! I'm not saying all new Hollywood movies are uninteresting to look at so much as, it's rare that a popular movie has a lot of thought behind the way it's shot.
Fun fact: the 'blood explosion' from the duel scene of Sanjuro was an accident. The mechanism for the blood sprayer malfunctioned and blasted at full force. You can even see the actor stumbling back from the force of it. They decided to keep it in because it looked cool (and it would be a pain to clean up all the fake blood).
Man it's amazing how much Ghosts was able to implement the Kurosawa vibe in their game. In most cases you do most of the Kurosawa shots by accident as your going through the open world. The art style and design really is something special.
The thing I've noticed watching Kurosawa's films recently is that, despite many being close to a century old or in black-and-white, they feel so intrinsically modern, as if made for any age. The picture may flicker, the sound might distort, but the filmmaking itself is timeless, which is a quality even some of the greatest classics don't possess.
That’s exactly what I thought after finishing Seven Samurai. My only thought was “that felt like that would be a B&W movie made TODAY,” and that alone made me fall in love with his movies more. Literally the epitome of “timeless.”
7 Samurai was one of the first movies i recognized as being/looking beautiful. I'll never forget the scene wit the rice spilled on the floor. i was like 10 years old and i just knew "this...is beautiful"
I felt dread going into Seven Samurai. 3 hours and 38 minutes is a long time and I have slight issues with focus. But even from the first scene of the raiders walking by the village I was HOOKED. The movie aged incredibly well and should be on anyone's must watch list for the humor alone.
I was lucky enough to see it at a cinema during university. Of course, I have seen The Magnificent Seven before, but this movie is on a whole other level. I don't have problems with length, I regularly sit through the whole Ring Cycle.
@@albiariza I haven't watched it yet and you probably already did but it's uploaded to a site that I regularly watch movies at named fmovies if you haven't still .
I periodically come back to this video. Probably one of my favorites on RUclips. Eye opening and beautiful, simple and elegant, important yet entertaining. Really a banger. I'm really sad this channel is dead.
@@ceciliatulip You can watch any of the old samurai movies. Almost all of them have these types of movements and are excellent movies in their own right. Onibaba, Harakiri, Sword of Doom etc
Kurosawa's directing style is what I would describe as "art in simplicity." Notice how most of his shots are simple static shots, pans and high angle/low angle shots. Granted that he's working within the technical limitations of his time, but he was able to convey cinematic art through the movement of characters and nature (esp. rain and wind). This means that even audiences who don't know Japanese can tell what's happening in a particular scene like in Seven Samurai or The Bad Sleep Well.
5:31 It's kind of insane to me how well Kurosawa could match up the frame position of the flag between these two shots without the aid of any kind of visualization software or something, just doing it by eye.
@@tungduong7995 no no no, the real reason behind his action because indie film never got the chance, big studios always wanted blockbuster movies even if they sucks dick just look fast and furious. And cinemas not so different from that, just look at Quentin's hateful eight wit Disney feud.
4 года назад+7
Isak Isakov but the irishman sucked. The CGI looked horrible as well. its just an opinion
jonanjello Hi Im just learning filmmaking. What is so special about that specific scene? Is it the way the flag is positioned at the top of the frame in the wide shot?
The problem is they aren’t subtle with it. Whenever a character is sad, tiny violins begin to move in and the music is so over bearing and obvious. But with something like Ran, for example, during the Castle Attack we see the king just sitting there with flaming arrows flying everywhere and blood on the walls and there’s a certain nothingness in his eyes. This conveys that he is close to death and in complete shock and sadness so the audience can interpret that and not be treated like an idiot. Sorry that I went on a bit of a ramble here, you just perfectly put into words what everyone’s thinking and I felt obliged to add.
@@noahlasher9724 It's pretty hammy, but it shows you in like 1 second what could take 1-5 minutes worth of fourth-wall breaking exposition dialogue. There's so many movies that begin with two characters who already know everything about each other having their first ever chat about some other character or event that they both already know everything about, and you're just sitting there thinking "why is this conversation happening... Oh it's happening purely for my benefit". You could just have the two characters sat next to a photo that reminds them of said character or event and have them convey their emotions with body language. Saves 5 minutes of fourth-wall breaking dialogue.
@@acetofresh1 "tons of contemporary directors"? Like who? Where are the Fellini, Bergman, Kurosawa, Polanski, Kubrick, Hitchcock, Orson Welles of today? Cinema, like pop and rock music, has peaked in the '70s, and since the '90s has entered a comatose state form which it will sadly never recover. Feminism, woke culture, and garbage platforms like Netflix, have finally ended the agony by pulling the plug once and for all.
Im really falling in love with movies from the 40s 50s and the 60s . There's an inherent peaceful beauty about how these films look , you never miss whats happening on the screen , no room for confusion , no waster shots , great blocking and staging .
@BoneHammerher yes , but that doesn't mean they aren't good movies . Also, if you're getting your political info from movies , there's bigger problems you need to sort out
As a kid I remember going to the theater and being just blown away by the awesome violence of Bruce Willis's Last Man Standing. And my Dad was just utterly disgusted, right? So, the next day he goes to the video store, not the video store down the street. I am talking the video store like two towns over, where you have to know a guy that knows a guy type of place. And he rents Yojimbo! Man, I will never forget that day. That was the first time my Dad and I really connected. I had no concept of what REAL storytelling was till he showed me that movie. And after that every Saturday afternoon became classic movie day at our house. Those Saturday's were the fucking best! A Thousand Clowns, Stray Dog, The Third Man, Harvey, 12 Angry Men, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. I think I'm gonna start that up again.
“It’s the visual stimulation that hits the audience- that’s the reason for film. Otherwise we should just turn the light off and call it radio” Perfectly describes the problem with modern Hollywood films
Seems to more accurately depict why modern hollywood films are so popular, since the visual stimulation of action set pieces and CGI are what sells them. Why try to draw all your conlcussions in line with your obvious bias towards finding the "problems with modern Hollywood films"? Perhaps there is something you don't understand about the "problem" hence why you can't characterize is properly.
@@wrathborne00 Yes, because jamming as much stuff into the frame as possible while adhering to the basic wide-shot, shot-reverse-shot formula definitely makes use of the medium's unique visual potential
@@Agos226 Which movies in modern hollywood would you say suffers most from this? Because the first and mostly second Avengers movie is an example in blandness even those who like marvel movies can agree on, but the later editions to the universe (guardians of the galaxy 1&2, thor ragnarok, doctor strange, spider man, black panther infinity war, endgame) are definetly vibrant and interesting from the perspectives of cinematography, various forms of visual composition, choreography and acting. These are mainstream modern films with often excellent scores from both audiences and critics. Same goes for the very unique and interesting john wick movies. Are these films also part of the problem? Is your criticism directed at some moives in particular or some directors, or perhaps just those that can be categorized as blockbusters? Is there something fundamentally flawed with the critique of these acclaimed movies that your issue lies with, or are you perhaps unfairly generalizing "modern hollywood".
When I was a kid, I was in love with adventure radio broadcasts, a real aural experience where sound develops emotion and kick off imagination. Then came the pictures and the visual elements were exploited. Now it seems that sound is more important in a film and the screen just shows impressive yet lifeless visuals. All the load is on the sound, so the assertion is true!
I also came here after playing hours upon hours of GoT. I agree about movement gameplaywise, and the combat, but I do think that the blocking of the cutscenes could have been a lot better. Very awkward at times, just wide shots of standing and talking, with random pans.
@@LorenzoWake Hard agree. Those scenes (of which there are many) feel extremely dated. Like playing an early 2000's PC game after the developers finally figured out how to include voice acting. But it's a pretty small gripe about an otherwise flawless game.
@Crabby Patty Sucker Punch is a relatively small company compared to a lot of the AAA companies though. CD Projekt Red is 5 times the size of them and has a insane budget... Not quite Rockstar levels, but pretty close. (And compared to Ubisofts 18,000 employees, Suckerpunch has 200.) Like what they accomplished with GoT is amazing, with it's super fast load times on top of a great looking and fun playing game.
Andreas Michael Design Making game with as big of a map as they have, as much playtime as they offer, and as much side content as main content as well as a vast amount of customization options: All under 50GB. Not one single AAA company offers something like that. I love small companies because they have such a dedicated staff, games are always made with so much more heart. That’s all in my personal opinion at least, but I can’t help but praise SP for their work.
I’ve never realized how much an actors performance plays into the meaning of a film, in a whole. I mean, yes, it’s quite obvious how that checks out; but I’ve never seen it on such an artistic scale that Kurosawa has been able to achieve. It’s as though he adds poetic imagery to his shots, to really hit the nail on the head with that emotional ambiance. It keeps you questioning the inspiration/significance behind some of his techniques, and in my opinion, that makes a great film/director.
I love the fact that you used the Avengers to show how filmmaking has been reduced to a boring endless camera movements that does not say anything about the scene, it just looks "cool"
I loved that end scene with the katana cutting through the guy, not showing the cut, such a simple effect, and i bet tarantino used it somewhere in kill bill
No he borrowed that idea from Hitchcock not Kurosawa. From the film, 'Marnie'. Tarentino practically plagiarised Toshiya Fujita's 'Lady Snowblood' for 'Kill Bill Vol. 1'
Kurosawa “fills” the screen with dynamism either minimally or literally. And there is one film in particular in which he relies on the rules of Kabuki and translates it seamlessly into film without being overt. He accomplished the intent: to pull you into the character without knowing so that you are on the screen. I love that he was never afraid to grow and reflect that in his work.
The point you made about movement in the background is so true I'm only just realising it. I feel the same principle can be applied to sounds and not just visuals. For example when you hear a song but something very quiet in the background creates a layer that fills the composition.
one such example is bob Marley's song playing in the scene where will smith and the dog are just spending a boring evening in silence! movie : I am legend
I was already a fan of Kurosawa, but I learnt so much from this video. You really get so much more out of movies when you know what to look for. Thanks.
I watched seven samurai because of this video and channel....all I can say is WOW! you aren't kidding....he truly is a master story teller in film...Watched Yojimbo and sanjuro right after...and they are ALL amazing....Don't know which one to watch next any recommendations anyone ???
MovieHound17 My favorite Kurosawa film is "Ikiru" (1952). Incredibly moving film enhanced by what I consider Kurosawa's greatest visually greatest cinematography.
Most people only know Kurosawa for classic Japanese directors. I urge everyone to also check out Kaneto Shindo. One particular work of his that stands out for amazing use of scenery and sound is Onibaba. The entire movie is 3 people walking through brush and sitting in huts but it remains captivating the entire time.
That’s why I love RUclips comments. You can find shit, which you do like 80% of the time and you can find gold, which is the case right now. Thanks so much for the recommendation
07:10 "By the way, you don't need to put every type of movement in every shot, that's just tiring." - One phrase to sum up literally all of Michael Bay's films.
I’ve watched every Kurosawa’s movie more than twice (five times for Seven Samurai) and always find something new every time. He’s just amazing! And Toshiro Mifune, no one does better as Kirosawa’s samurai than him.
This is the best video for explaining what to look for in film. I’ve shown a lot of people who know next to nothing this video and it’s instantly turned them into cinephiles
So how to fix the scene Avengers ? Here's my amateur non-experienced take on it: Scene begins looking out the "viewport" where it rains (characters are behind the camera), camera turns to face the characters (slowdown when facing), all three in the shot (Nick Fury in front, Cap and Stark behind) being mopey. Camera continues to move to the hand of Nick Fury, showing the bloodied carddeck. Still on the card deck, Nick throws it on the table. Cut during throw, to the landing of the cards on the table. Camera moves from the cards to the right to reaction of mopey Stark, to the left to mopey Cap. (Meanwhile, the shadows of the rain on the "viewport" are visible on both characters.
Yea. And how how about the camera faces cap head on because he is willing to face the problem. Whereas stark almost seems to hide from the camera, not confronting the issue at hand. We only ever see one side of his face. Also, I actually really like in the avengers table scene when tony stands up and it's the hero shot. You think he's finally accepted his role, but then he just walks away. Such a good tease.
Kamasi Washington sounds a lot like the greats from bebop and modal jazz's heyday, too. Looking forward to hear him develop a jazz language that will define the early 21st century for the genre, as much as the guys he taking cues from did during their time. The Epic hints at this many times, so I'm excited to hear whatever Kamasi has in mind next.
I took my bestie to Seven Samurai in a theater for its 70th anniversary. He'd never seen it, I'd only seen it once like a decade ago. We were both totally floored by how amazing it was. The entire time I was realizing just how many techniques and stylistic flourishes were swiped by western directors from that film, and his others. Sergio Leone in particular was obviously a HUGE fanboy.
Ghost of tshushima really took and implemented Kurosaea's filmmaking extremely well. The entire game shows this by the wind markers the birds etc and even has a Kurosawa mode!
I recently watched Ikiru as my first Kurosawa's film and I was blown away by how creative it was when combining shapes and indicating direction and movement's anticipation through framing, without getting quirky, staying elegant at all times.
Show; don't tell. But don't show too much. Modern film, along with modern culture, suffers from the "paradox of choice." With too many ways to relay information, much of it may be lost or overlooked. There is something hauntingly beautiful about simplicity; the more conveyed through little, the more striking it is. Just think how tense silence can be, and how loud it is then perceived. By having overly complex scenes, contrast is harder to establish. And, at least to me, good contrast (or the lack thereof) is the deciding factor whether something is interesting or not. Not showing may be far more telling; not saying may be far more revealing. These films age well due to their exciting use of 'little', to create a sense of great. While many million-dollar Hollywood-productions from the past ten years already look dated, Kurosawa's work has stood the test of time, and they will continue to do so because Akira understood what it means to move. There's a good quote about confidence, which I'll paraphrase: "Always walk (move) with purpose; even if you are somewhere you have never been. You will direct confidence not only to yourself, but those around you."
Holy fuck... Dilla, Nujabes, Kanno, and Shadow all in a video about Kurosawa? Did you make this specifically for me?! This is absolutely mesmerizing. You have yourself a new subscriber. You're going to be big, man. You have the know-how and the intensely subdued passion to keep us invested from start to end. Thank you for this.
No kidding, I felt a twinge of emotion at the "sword stuck in the hill" scene. No context necessary, the guy's body language did all the work. Kind of a surprise, haha.
As a person who only watches movies/anime for fun I never understood why I liked watching these Japanese movies and the natural movements in them so much. You explaining it all so simply in layman terms is like a window opening up in my mind. Thank you. Also amazing video. 👏🏻
Birta R I read somewhere that Kurosawa cried when he watched some Miyazaki movie (Castle in the sky I think), because "All the good Japanese directors are in the anime."
TheSetkon Miyazaki does not do anime, though. Anime is about taking shortcuts, which Miyazaki does not like. www.tofugu.com/2015/07/01/animes-great-deception-difference-anime-cartoons
TheSetkon "It's anime, but I was so moved. I really loved Nekobus. You wouldn't come up with such an idea. I cried when I watched Kiki's Delivery Service. Really, all the talents I want for the movie industry have gone to the anime, so the movie industry has to really work hard. We have to make such movies that they make young people want to come."
+Fanta711 What you said is like "Movies are all about taking shortcuts". Anime and animation is a whole medium. You can't just say that just because some anime are made for teens and the masses for entertainment(like the Avengers). There are tons of great TV anime as well as movies that are overlooked because everyone wants to suck Miyazaki's dick all the time.
Wonderful! Interestingly, the "beginning/middle/end" technique also resonates with the "heaven/man/earth" structure that completes floral arrangements in the Japanese tradition of Ikebana.
i always liked the seven samurai- each came from a different walk of life/slice of life: young, rich boy:, country/wanna be samurai: separated husband; old man; calm, mild manner man; a warrior; happy-go-lucky man.. but they all had a purpose: to help the commoners and protect them.
That scene with the flag in Seven Samurai, it made me cry...again. Beautiful video Every Frame a Painting, just wonderful. Some of Kurosawa's shots are so impressive, so beautiful, so epic, that I can't help to cry. I'm not a sentimental guy; but beauty, art masterfully presented, get't to my guts and I can't help to become a crying baby. I remember crying for the first time at Return of the King's scene of the "Charge of the Rohirrim" some years ago, I just started to cry, like...fucking out of nowhere, I got so dragged in by the moment, by the music, the color, the composition, that fucking epic dialog, bam, I was crying, and I had seen that movie at least 10 times already. This doesn't happen to me very often, but I remember a scene in Amelie (when they are presenting adult Amelie), that flag scene in Seven Samurai, The Return of the king (and the trilogy in general), and some other films I fail to recall at this moment. This effect movies (good movies) can take out of you, are one of the reasons cinema is, and will ever be, one of the greatest achievements of the human.
I've been collecting Kurosawa movies for decades. They are ALL worth watching. If you're a film maker your teachers should have taught you all about his work.
@@itsjim2875 That's right. Our film class prof introduced both Stanley Kubrick's and Akira Kurosawa's works to us. I find their talent in this type of art so fascinating. They're genuises.
Not sure if you read comments anymore Tony, but I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for directing me toward watching an Akira Kurosawa film. I just finished Seven Samurai. The first Kurosawa of many!
I always come back to this series. Such a lovely and loving analysis of each topic, never too lengthy or wordy or preachy and using excellent global examples. Quality quality quality every time.
Mindblowing! Now I see why Roshomon and seven samurai and other Kurosawa movies stunned me into silence and stillness. Paradoxically, it was the movement and the emotions of the movies!
Hey Tony, no joke I just got off the phone with VFS where you went to. I'm thinking about going and the guy mentioned a video of yours and I was mind blowed because I love your videos! And I'm a film director always looking to get better
dontpokethebear3893 I actually don't have any beef with either Guardians or Avengers. They're fun and I enjoyed seeing them in theaters. If they're on TV and I'm not doing anything I might watch. But Marvel's desire to create a coherent cinematic universe means that each film, stylistically, is really safe and middle-of-the-road. It just happened that for this video, Seven Samurai is kind of the predecessor for the plot of The Avengers (i.e. we need to gather a team to save the village)
Every Frame a Painting Captain America Winter Soldier have some interesting shots. The Russo brothers did a thing or two different than thw others Marvel movies.
Every Frame a Painting yeah, I don't think theyre awful either but I do think it's important to understand how they're very mediocre cinema and what to actually look to as the example of greatness
your eyes being drawn to movement isnt just a preference you hold but its actually a universal human characteristic. It was taught to me as a theory called the heirarchy of interest. Essentially, your eye first looks for movement, then light, then colour. this effect is only present in the instant a new shot comes in, and simply accounts for what your eye focuses on without any conscious thought on the part of the viewer
I'm not familiar with Kurosawa's work, but even from the clips I've seen here its clear how massive an influence he's had on film, and on anime in particular.
Darus Smins I get that there are many imitators; Magnificent 7 being a knockoff of Seven Samurai for example. What I was saying is that I've never actually seen one of Kurosawa's films itself.
If you really want to get into film history, Kurosawa is a very important step. Anime, spaghetti westerns, scifi, and a whole slew of of other genres have taken off from his work. Definitely take the time to watch a couple of his films. Seven Samurai, Ran, Yojimbo, and so on.
This is superb. I have never seen a better commentary on what the film director has in his toolkit. Kurosawa is the perfect choice because he is the greatest director o f all time. Thank you.
The important thing here is not that there is always movement. It's how that movement is used. Michael Bay is the opposite of Akira - he's always got movement, but it's rarely important. It's just there because Bay thinks movement = entertainment.
@@thetasurfers I agree with you there. In Kurosawa's movies, motion enhances the scene or tells the story, so you don't need to say it with dialog. One of the reasons his movies hold up over time is because he's a firm believer in the "show, don't tell" method of directing. If you compare the beginning of Rogue One to the beginning of The Force Awakens, in both movies we're being introduced to the lead character, but in RO we're being told what she's about while in TFA we're being shown. The result is that TFA is more engaging. Another good example is the beginning of Wall-E. I think that movie went almost 20 minutes before the first dialog, but by then we'd been shown enough about that lonely little robot that we wanted to know more about his story. Showing us hooked us better than telling us.
Is that inspiration meant to make them easy to watch? Because the only other benefit I could see them taking from a tv movie would be making good use of budget (which is probably not a factor for marvel)... I mean- if it works, I don't see why they'd change it, but still...
sebastianwillows Actually it's the format, as in it's serialized, which is a good thing for marketability and even character/story-telling, but not much for becoming a classic of _"film literature"_
One never tires of real artistry. Each revisit brings something new to the participant, for it is a mirror of a real shared reality one experiences. Kurosawa in interview is well worth hearing.
I always wonder why some films just "feel" better than others, but videos like these help with that understanding by putting into words all of such subtleties.
This.
I’ve always felt that with a film with enough effort and nuance it’s able to tell even without being able to describe why
Yeah i feel same
some films give people great experience by working hard to make fresh content.
Yeah, I mean Avengers, Infinity War or End Game are good movies to watch and enjoy but, when you watch really great movies, like Kurosawa or Kubrick's you can feels that they are better movie.
The irony I find with Kurosawa is how over the top the acting and drama is, but at the same time how human and truthful it feels.
That's because the Japanese style of acting is very different to that found in American and European films.
I think too, that you’re not taking the acting all to seriously, so there isn’t a tendency to wince and over-criticize a less genuine expression. Western blockbuster movies expect the actor to BE the character: to possess their past and their destiny fully, and when it falters its very distracting. Where these movies seem like they are charged with expressing the current intent and emotion in a relatable way; saying “this is how I feel, now” not “this is who I am, and have been and will be”. I find that is the biggest gripe of mine regarding most of these superhero movies, I’ve maybe watched 3 and enjoyed only one of those.
Interesting observation, especially as the acting in other Japanese cinema I've watched can be extremely understated. A good example would be Tokyo Story by Yasujirō Ozu.
There’s definitely an art to it. I tend to favor more naturalistic expressions, but when I’m writing and when I’m watching or reading something visual, I notice that emotions can feel a lot bigger then they look, so I think it has to do with a) internal consistency, so we can get used to the exaggerated style but also that the expression might imply a bigger feeling than we might have, again because we only express part of our feelings, but it expresses exactly how big the emotion is.
@@enso7890 Yes, Ozu and Kurosawa are polar opposites in terms of their approach to cinema, yet they both have great dramatic effect.
"It's the visual stimulation that hits the audience; that's the reason for film. Otherwise, we should just turn the light out and call it radio."
--- Very succinct
+Todd Bollinger i love that quote
What's ironic is that if you take that sentence, you can make it match perfectly with the avengers. Visual and auditive stimulation is what makes The Avengers sell. It's not the story. It's the treatment that makes the superhero movies sell as much as they do right now.
But I'm not saying good stories don't sell. Well, technically they don't. What truly sells are actors, sometimes directors, but most of the time is consistency and marketing. Consistency in tone (humor with action between each films) and marketing. Marketing is a huge part of it.
That's why I generally prefer films that have stood the test of time. Time can be an effective filter of crap and mediocrity. If you want an example, you can check out Victor Sjostrom's "The Phantom Carriage" It's a silent Swedish film that is near 100 years old, but still great and was an inspiration to Ingmar Bergman and Stanley Kubrick.
Who exactly said that? I want to know who to attribute that quote to.
Sidney Lumet:
What I love about Kurosawa movies gets highlighted so much with that Avengers comparison.
One is created by an master artist with limited resources and unlimited creative vision,
the other by a business with unlimited resources and a complete lack of creative vision.
Kurosawa was master artist, but he made most expensive Japanese movie ever. Twice. Seven Samurai was first instance of that. He had very little limit in his available resources and he made use of that.
I think I saw the Avengers comparison before. I was hoping they would show how they think it should have gone down. Like Nick Fury standing before the window with some rain splattering it while his head is down. And then?
It's the difference between an artist and a worker. One is creating while the other is working.
@@KarlMarx-bk8ml You can do both. You have to do both.
2:20 is so powerful. A furious commander trying to mobilize his army, his battle cry met with unmoving silence. I've never felt a slap in the face that hard.
I think it says something that even someone like me, who hasn't seen the film and doesn't know the context of the scene, can watch that and think "damn bro, that's harsh."
could you guys perhaps tell me what the movie is called?
@@MrFett-od3xn Throne of Blood
My personal favorite Kurosawa film. Tragedy Of Macbeth by Joel Coen was good, but nobody could bring Shakespeare on cinema like Kurosawa did.
Throne Of Blood is a masterpiece of a film. And not forgetting, Mifune was an absolute beast in this film. Easily the best actor I've seen.
@@SamritpalSingh totally agreed. the coen's is solid enough, but Throne of Blood is the best iteration of any Shakespeare play imo.
Akira Kurosawa is that kind of movie director who makes every frame of the movie meaningful and serve a purpose.
A true sign of a master in any discipline, is unparalleled efficiency and efficacy. Every movement counts and no energy is waisted. There is not too much yet there is nothing missing.
This is sooo true!
The other was afred hitchcock.
Tarkovsky is way better in that regard.
@Gumball Watterson Spoken like a true illitterate american kid, with no culture or education whatsoever
Finally got around to watching SEVEN SAMURAI. The 3.5 hour running time intimidated me, but Kurosawa's visual flow and pacing was so masterful, it almost felt like a 90 minute movie!
@@modztar Yes, I've seen Yojimbo (and Rashomon) as well. David Lynch even stole a shot from Yojimbo and put it in Wild At Heart!
Hidden fortress, but also samurai rebellion and harakiri by kobayashi. Those are eve better movies.
better late than never!
@@GrafRamolo debatable, but very much an argument, i like your take on it; how do you feel about ''twilight no seibei''?
@@Sam-lm8gi I'm a huge lynch fan but I didnt catch that one my viewings of wild at heart. Which part was it so I can keep an eye out for it?
"If you combine the right motion and the right emotion, you get something cinematic" is one of the most useful phrases about the art of filmmaking I've ever heard
I think that is usually said by Porn Directors, so don't get all splattered on yourself by that chaff-talk, holmes.
As an adolescent, I would often stay up late into the early morning. This one time, a movie called Seven Samurai was being featured on a channel for classics. I thought "Samurai are badass, I should check it out!" I was immediately disappointed that it was an old timey black and white movie with bad sound quality. But nevertheless I continued watching since I was bored. Next thing I know, I'm completely invested in the plot, the characters, and the outcome. After it was over (and it was a VERY long movie), I was actually grateful that I'd seen what I would then refer to as "the best black and white movie ever". I went most of my life having never heard the name Akira Kurosawa, but knowing that it was he who was responsible for Seven Samurai, he has all my respect. Many movies are given the unofficial title of "masterpiece" and "classic", but Seven Samurai deserves those praises a lot more than most western movies that are often given said praises without really having done as much to earn them.
TL;DR - Seven Samurai is a nostalgic must-see, and Akira Kurosawa is a motion picture genius!
Currently, there is a 4K digital remaster version of the movie, and you can enjoy the movie more.
I have some childhood memories like that too (not related to Kurosawa). Thanks for sharing!
"and it was a VERY long movie" Ah, so it was the full version indeed. There is another version of about 2 hours, closer to the standard movie duration. It's not half as good, most of the action is kept so "calmer" scenes are heavily cut.
Checking on wikipedia, it seems the shortened version is not usually shown since the 90s. A good thing.
Never better said ...
Kurosawa's films age so incredibly well. Glad you decided to do a video on him.
Hey demo? Did that cencoroll sequel ever get released?
wow, you watch this dude? respect, btw i hope your editing will improve, you already have your own style but you can learn a lot more from this dude, and make a review on fate/zero already.
And now I know that one of my favorite people who comments on animated things is a fan of one of my other favorite people who comments on film things.
back off demo he's my husbando
This gets me curious: would you consider doing some videos on non-anime topics?
"He would often tell his actors to pick one gesture for their character and repeat it throughout the film. That way the audience can quickly see who's who and how they're feeling."
That... that's genius.
It's also a theatrical technique. In some versions of movement, Grotowski comes to mind, you often start with gesture as a way into a character, because as an actor you have to find a way to embody them. To live through them.
It’s called a leitmotif in opera and classical music. It’s a cinematic, literal “motion-picture”, version of a musical device for characterisation.
@@georgemorley1029 is there something for this in literature?
Yes but that's not Kurosawa's idea. That's theatrical technique
@@Teinve I'd say using different dialects for characters is a text analogy. It's hard to get it right as too much can quickly become annoying to read.
Kurosawa's films seem to have nothing wasted. He really managed to squeeze every second out of every scene.
“If I were to write anything at all, it would turn out to be nothing but talk about movies. In other words, take ‘myself,’ subtract ‘movies,’ and the result is ‘zero.’” 0:47
Akira Kurosawa
Kurosawa had a deep fascination with Shakespeare and adapted three of his legendary plays into equally classic movies.
“For me, filmmaking combines everything. That’s the reason I’ve made cinema my life’s work. In films, painting and literature, theatre and music come together. But a film is still a film.” 7:06
Akira Kurosawa
Like Shakespeare’s play, Ran is concerned with the relationship between humankind and animal. The hunt, a central motif in King Lear, is graphically established in Ran, raising questions about the place of man in the natural order. 7:42 [Université de Poitiers]
@@Gurci28 Except all the masturbation on vending machine panties, that is.
This is a perfect demonstration of why modern movies can look so sleek, yet feel lifeless. Very little motivation behind compositional choices.
That's why I really like Wes Anderson and Edgar Wright's films cause they actually show good movement
yeah, but Parasyte & 1917 are quite great
@@eriosvanda479 I love both those films! I'm not saying all new Hollywood movies are uninteresting to look at so much as, it's rare that a popular movie has a lot of thought behind the way it's shot.
add lame stories and annoying characters who only seem to be there to increase cheap 'tension'.
@@Ernthir like?
Fun fact: the 'blood explosion' from the duel scene of Sanjuro was an accident. The mechanism for the blood sprayer malfunctioned and blasted at full force. You can even see the actor stumbling back from the force of it. They decided to keep it in because it looked cool (and it would be a pain to clean up all the fake blood).
then the young samurai cries out "Splendid"
An accident that literally changed the way blood is spilled in cinema. One of my favourite shots from the movie
And an anime trope was born.
What movie was that?
@@BittCraft Sanjuro, 1962
Ah yes RUclips recommending us this just after ghost of tsushima has done well.
Exactly 😁
Man it's amazing how much Ghosts was able to implement the Kurosawa vibe in their game.
In most cases you do most of the Kurosawa shots by accident as your going through the open world.
The art style and design really is something special.
yeeerrr
exactly. weird thing is, I've only been watching ghost stuff on twitch. Haven't even typed in the name anywhere. wild.
You are right sir
The thing I've noticed watching Kurosawa's films recently is that, despite many being close to a century old or in black-and-white, they feel so intrinsically modern, as if made for any age. The picture may flicker, the sound might distort, but the filmmaking itself is timeless, which is a quality even some of the greatest classics don't possess.
That’s exactly what I thought after finishing Seven Samurai. My only thought was “that felt like that would be a B&W movie made TODAY,” and that alone made me fall in love with his movies more. Literally the epitome of “timeless.”
Great comment, it’s something I noticed about Kurosawa’s movies.
7 Samurai was one of the first movies i recognized as being/looking beautiful. I'll never forget the scene wit the rice spilled on the floor. i was like 10 years old and i just knew "this...is beautiful"
lmao you had amazing taste as a 10 year old. When I was 10 I thought the transformers was beautiful.
Luca Patel cartoon transformers was beautiful
@@kamster518 true. I was talking about the Michael Bay movies...
Luca Patel yeah I figured, the Michael Bay films are so hard to watch
@@kamster518 true, but I ate that shit up as a kid.
I felt dread going into Seven Samurai. 3 hours and 38 minutes is a long time and I have slight issues with focus. But even from the first scene of the raiders walking by the village I was HOOKED. The movie aged incredibly well and should be on anyone's must watch list for the humor alone.
I watched it as a kid, I didn't even know about the run time, my dad saw it was on a channel and said you're watching this now. I was hooked.
Where can we watch it nowadays? Is it available on RUclips?
I was lucky enough to see it at a cinema during university. Of course, I have seen The Magnificent Seven before, but this movie is on a whole other level. I don't have problems with length, I regularly sit through the whole Ring Cycle.
@@albiariza I haven't watched it yet and you probably already did but it's uploaded to a site that I regularly watch movies at named fmovies if you haven't still .
"If you combine the right motion and emotion. You get something cinematic."
I periodically come back to this video. Probably one of my favorites on RUclips. Eye opening and beautiful, simple and elegant, important yet entertaining. Really a banger. I'm really sad this channel is dead.
Yeah. My dad's dead too. But I'm not sad about it. He was a prick.
Kurosawa made me study cinematrographic arts
Andrés Celis do you know any good films that show the types of movements discussed?
@@ceciliatulip You can watch any of the old samurai movies. Almost all of them have these types of movements and are excellent movies in their own right. Onibaba, Harakiri, Sword of Doom etc
Watching Kurosawa movies makes you a better human being. His whole cinema is about humanism.
* sigh *
Ikiru still breaks my heart so much
yeah.
same goes with satyajit ray
"Red Beard" should be required viewing for the human race. I think we'd have a much better planet, if we all watched it.
@@fiarandompenaltygeneratorm5044 and Dersu Uzala
@@guillegui6487 100%.
Kurosawa's directing style is what I would describe as "art in simplicity." Notice how most of his shots are simple static shots, pans and high angle/low angle shots. Granted that he's working within the technical limitations of his time, but he was able to convey cinematic art through the movement of characters and nature (esp. rain and wind). This means that even audiences who don't know Japanese can tell what's happening in a particular scene like in Seven Samurai or The Bad Sleep Well.
5:31 It's kind of insane to me how well Kurosawa could match up the frame position of the flag between these two shots without the aid of any kind of visualization software or something, just doing it by eye.
my favorite part of this analysis! Such a cool thing that you could easily miss without this brilliant breakdown!
This video explains brilliantly Martin Scorsese's recent criticism of Marvel movies.
Was just thinking that.
about that, I think the real reason was Scorsese wanted to boost his newly released film: The Irish Man =))
Tùng Dương Regardless of his intention, he was saying the truth.
@@tungduong7995 no no no, the real reason behind his action because indie film never got the chance, big studios always wanted blockbuster movies even if they sucks dick just look fast and furious. And cinemas not so different from that, just look at Quentin's hateful eight wit Disney feud.
Isak Isakov but the irishman sucked. The CGI looked horrible as well. its just an opinion
5:30 that flag and cut to the next scene. Amazing
it keeps your emotions in the right place
I haven't seen such a scene in a long time (ever) again (maybe Grand Hotel Budapest - not sure?)...Wow
jonanjello Hi Im just learning filmmaking. What is so special about that specific scene? Is it the way the flag is positioned at the top of the frame in the wide shot?
Bommireddipalli Aditya Thank you. 😊
Next scene? I think you guys mean shot.
Kurosawa trumps 99% of contemporary directors for precisely one reason; "SHOW, don't tell".
The problem is they aren’t subtle with it. Whenever a character is sad, tiny violins begin to move in and the music is so over bearing and obvious. But with something like Ran, for example, during the Castle Attack we see the king just sitting there with flaming arrows flying everywhere and blood on the walls and there’s a certain nothingness in his eyes. This conveys that he is close to death and in complete shock and sadness so the audience can interpret that and not be treated like an idiot. Sorry that I went on a bit of a ramble here, you just perfectly put into words what everyone’s thinking and I felt obliged to add.
@@noahlasher9724 It's pretty hammy, but it shows you in like 1 second what could take 1-5 minutes worth of fourth-wall breaking exposition dialogue. There's so many movies that begin with two characters who already know everything about each other having their first ever chat about some other character or event that they both already know everything about, and you're just sitting there thinking "why is this conversation happening... Oh it's happening purely for my benefit". You could just have the two characters sat next to a photo that reminds them of said character or event and have them convey their emotions with body language. Saves 5 minutes of fourth-wall breaking dialogue.
@@BibleStorm Couldn’t agree more
More so contemporary mainstream post-New Hollywood directors. Tons of contemporary directors are experts in subtlety and nuanced cinema.
@@acetofresh1 "tons of contemporary directors"? Like who? Where are the Fellini, Bergman, Kurosawa, Polanski, Kubrick, Hitchcock, Orson Welles of today? Cinema, like pop and rock music, has peaked in the '70s, and since the '90s has entered a comatose state form which it will sadly never recover. Feminism, woke culture, and garbage platforms like Netflix, have finally ended the agony by pulling the plug once and for all.
Im really falling in love with movies from the 40s 50s and the 60s . There's an inherent peaceful beauty about how these films look , you never miss whats happening on the screen , no room for confusion , no waster shots , great blocking and staging .
40's and 50's films were mostly propaganda.
@BoneHammerher yes , but that doesn't mean they aren't good movies . Also, if you're getting your political info from movies , there's bigger problems you need to sort out
@@nihaalsandim9986 Oh? Thank you.
As a kid I remember going to the theater and being just blown away by the awesome violence of Bruce Willis's Last Man Standing. And my Dad was just utterly disgusted, right? So, the next day he goes to the video store, not the video store down the street. I am talking the video store like two towns over, where you have to know a guy that knows a guy type of place. And he rents Yojimbo! Man, I will never forget that day. That was the first time my Dad and I really connected. I had no concept of what REAL storytelling was till he showed me that movie. And after that every Saturday afternoon became classic movie day at our house. Those Saturday's were the fucking best! A Thousand Clowns, Stray Dog, The Third Man, Harvey, 12 Angry Men, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. I think I'm gonna start that up again.
A thousand clowns
That's a great way of watching movies
"Saturday at the Movies" has been around for awhile. Hopefully, you've gotten out of that house and learned about theaters?
“It’s the visual stimulation that hits the audience- that’s the reason for film. Otherwise we should just turn the light off and call it radio”
Perfectly describes the problem with modern Hollywood films
Seems to more accurately depict why modern hollywood films are so popular, since the visual stimulation of action set pieces and CGI are what sells them.
Why try to draw all your conlcussions in line with your obvious bias towards finding the "problems with modern Hollywood films"?
Perhaps there is something you don't understand about the "problem" hence why you can't characterize is properly.
@@wrathborne00 Yes, because jamming as much stuff into the frame as possible while adhering to the basic wide-shot, shot-reverse-shot formula definitely makes use of the medium's unique visual potential
@@Agos226 Which movies in modern hollywood would you say suffers most from this? Because the first and mostly second Avengers movie is an example in blandness even those who like marvel movies can agree on, but the later editions to the universe (guardians of the galaxy 1&2, thor ragnarok, doctor strange, spider man, black panther infinity war, endgame) are definetly vibrant and interesting from the perspectives of cinematography, various forms of visual composition, choreography and acting. These are mainstream modern films with often excellent scores from both audiences and critics. Same goes for the very unique and interesting john wick movies. Are these films also part of the problem? Is your criticism directed at some moives in particular or some directors, or perhaps just those that can be categorized as blockbusters? Is there something fundamentally flawed with the critique of these acclaimed movies that your issue lies with, or are you perhaps unfairly generalizing "modern hollywood".
When I was a kid, I was in love with adventure radio broadcasts, a real aural experience where sound develops emotion and kick off imagination. Then came the pictures and the visual elements were exploited. Now it seems that sound is more important in a film and the screen just shows impressive yet lifeless visuals. All the load is on the sound, so the assertion is true!
See "Roshomon" especially the last scene.
Constant motion.
Ghosts of Tsushima didn’t stop at putting in a Kurosawa mode. Every shot is filled with motion.
I also came here after playing hours upon hours of GoT. I agree about movement gameplaywise, and the combat, but I do think that the blocking of the cutscenes could have been a lot better. Very awkward at times, just wide shots of standing and talking, with random pans.
@@LorenzoWake Hard agree. Those scenes (of which there are many) feel extremely dated. Like playing an early 2000's PC game after the developers finally figured out how to include voice acting. But it's a pretty small gripe about an otherwise flawless game.
@@DoctorPsyduck Haha that is an extremely accurate description
@Crabby Patty Sucker Punch is a relatively small company compared to a lot of the AAA companies though. CD Projekt Red is 5 times the size of them and has a insane budget... Not quite Rockstar levels, but pretty close. (And compared to Ubisofts 18,000 employees, Suckerpunch has 200.)
Like what they accomplished with GoT is amazing, with it's super fast load times on top of a great looking and fun playing game.
Andreas Michael Design Making game with as big of a map as they have, as much playtime as they offer, and as much side content as main content as well as a vast amount of customization options: All under 50GB. Not one single AAA company offers something like that. I love small companies because they have such a dedicated staff, games are always made with so much more heart. That’s all in my personal opinion at least, but I can’t help but praise SP for their work.
I’ve never realized how much an actors performance plays into the meaning of a film, in a whole. I mean, yes, it’s quite obvious how that checks out; but I’ve never seen it on such an artistic scale that Kurosawa has been able to achieve. It’s as though he adds poetic imagery to his shots, to really hit the nail on the head with that emotional ambiance. It keeps you questioning the inspiration/significance behind some of his techniques, and in my opinion, that makes a great film/director.
I love the fact that you used the Avengers to show how filmmaking has been reduced to a boring endless camera movements that does not say anything about the scene, it just looks "cool"
Avengers serves the emotional purpose of that moment.
It's great.
Stop the cap
Mavel trash, ppl who love is trash tier bring down the whole cinematic
@@nunuchan2011 pretentious movie intellectual spotted
God I miss this channel.
Odysseus Lug I’m happy I’m not the only one who comes back from time to time. Cheers.
🙏
Do you know a channel similar to this one? I’ve been searching but I’ve not been able to find one
@@alfredogonzalez2779 nerdwriter is pretty good.
Alfredo Gonzalez check out The Cinema Cartography, used to be called Channel Criswell a few years ago.
I loved that end scene with the katana cutting through the guy, not showing the cut, such a simple effect, and i bet tarantino used it somewhere in kill bill
It's from Ran.
Guy? I think that was a woman...
No he borrowed that idea from Hitchcock not Kurosawa. From the film, 'Marnie'.
Tarentino practically plagiarised Toshiya Fujita's 'Lady Snowblood' for 'Kill Bill Vol. 1'
I think he's talking about the shot from Sanjuro.
Tarantino most definitely copied his style. Watch Everything Is a Remix.
Kurosawa “fills” the screen with dynamism either minimally or literally. And there is one film in particular in which he relies on the rules of Kabuki and translates it seamlessly into film without being overt. He accomplished the intent: to pull you into the character without knowing so that you are on the screen. I love that he was never afraid to grow and reflect that in his work.
Don't leave us in suspense. What movie was this?
The point you made about movement in the background is so true I'm only just realising it. I feel the same principle can be applied to sounds and not just visuals. For example when you hear a song but something very quiet in the background creates a layer that fills the composition.
one such example is bob Marley's song playing in the scene where will smith and the dog are just spending a boring evening in silence!
movie : I am legend
for my money Seven Samurai is one of the 3 greatest movies ever.
Azku Shang Yeah and the other two are Rashomon and Kagemusha
Yojimbo, Tengoku to Jigoku and Salinui Chueok in that particular order.
Azku Shang for my money, Chimchar is the best pokeman
Lilty, well for my money, magmar is probably the best pokemon
Yojimbo is my favorite Kurosawa film.
Thanks for the subtitles, help a lot non-english expert viewers
Indeed!
Yes，really great.
Amazing video and subtitles
This helps me to appreciate a little more Kurosawa's films, everything in his shots are very poetic and conveying. Thanks
I really wanted you to do a Kurosawa video. It did not disappoint. Amazing.
Alfredo Marquez He did a quick analysis on The Bad Sleep Well before.
Mateus Murozaki Checking it out :D
Master class
I never tire of watching these videos repeatedly. Especially this one.
Master class.
Great work Tony
I have never been so inspired on youtube so much after watching this vid.
I was already a fan of Kurosawa, but I learnt so much from this video. You really get so much more out of movies when you know what to look for. Thanks.
I watched seven samurai because of this video and channel....all I can say is WOW! you aren't kidding....he truly is a master story teller in film...Watched Yojimbo and sanjuro right after...and they are ALL amazing....Don't know which one to watch next any recommendations anyone ???
MovieHound17 Ran is a visual spectacle.
MovieHound17 Rashomon
MovieHound17 Rashomon is *FANTASTIC*. Watch it ASAP. Ran is AWESOME as well, a true masterpiece.
MovieHound17 My favorite Kurosawa film is "Ikiru" (1952). Incredibly moving film enhanced by what I consider Kurosawa's greatest visually greatest cinematography.
MovieHound17 Personally I'd recommend Throne of blood (Kumo no Sujō), wich is an adaptation of Mc.Beth. Really a masterpiece too.
Most people only know Kurosawa for classic Japanese directors. I urge everyone to also check out Kaneto Shindo. One particular work of his that stands out for amazing use of scenery and sound is Onibaba. The entire movie is 3 people walking through brush and sitting in huts but it remains captivating the entire time.
Good recommendation.
The Naked Island is Shindo's masterwork.
i love ozu. do you guys watch newer filmmakers like kore-eda?
Masaki Kobayashi is also another great Japanese director. Harakiri is easily on par with Kurosawa's best work.
That’s why I love RUclips comments. You can find shit, which you do like 80% of the time and you can find gold, which is the case right now. Thanks so much for the recommendation
That feeling when Nujabes and J Dilla come up... :)
+StatusQuo137 I feel you.
+StatusQuo137 It started with The Seatbelts, I thought throughout the video I had my iTunes playing! This guy has dope taste in music.
+StatusQuo137 Wasn't expecting DJ Shadow at the end though.
"It's the money!"
+fusionshredder Yeah great taste all-around!
StatusQuo137 I felt it too
this is the best video essay on kurosawa i've ever seen and i rewatch it regularly
07:10 "By the way, you don't need to put every type of movement in every shot, that's just tiring." - One phrase to sum up literally all of Michael Bay's films.
PEW PEW PEW
Effects go brrr
I love it when someone appreciates Kurosawa this much.
Let me guess RUclips, you know I’m playing Ghost Of Tsushima?
I just started playing this fame today and it’s amazing.
😂🤣😂🤣 well the Game is a Homage to Kurosawa 😅✌️😁🤷♂️
@@ferdinandmaldonado3582 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😀😀😀😀🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪
Everyone’s playing it rn
@Leonel Soto
You gave me cancer by the amount of emojis you used...
I’ve watched every Kurosawa’s movie more than twice (five times for Seven Samurai) and always find something new every time. He’s just amazing! And Toshiro Mifune, no one does better as Kirosawa’s samurai than him.
Fuck, I love movies. They're the best.
Well, yes -- but a good sammich is worth something, too.
This is, 5 years late, still arguably the best youtube video I've seen.
2:33 wow, how on earth could some one shoot a scene like that.
Literally every anime now lol
No idea which punctuation to place at the end of a question? (Hint: it's not a period.)
mano a mano who fucking cares this is the youtube comment section
@@tumsfestival8027 Anime don't shoot scenes because they're animated
TheDragonKing 🤪🙄
This is the best video for explaining what to look for in film. I’ve shown a lot of people who know next to nothing this video and it’s instantly turned them into cinephiles
So how to fix the scene Avengers ? Here's my amateur non-experienced take on it: Scene begins looking out the "viewport" where it rains (characters are behind the camera), camera turns to face the characters (slowdown when facing), all three in the shot (Nick Fury in front, Cap and Stark behind) being mopey. Camera continues to move to the hand of Nick Fury, showing the bloodied carddeck. Still on the card deck, Nick throws it on the table. Cut during throw, to the landing of the cards on the table. Camera moves from the cards to the right to reaction of mopey Stark, to the left to mopey Cap. (Meanwhile, the shadows of the rain on the "viewport" are visible on both characters.
Yea. And how how about the camera faces cap head on because he is willing to face the problem. Whereas stark almost seems to hide from the camera, not confronting the issue at hand. We only ever see one side of his face.
Also, I actually really like in the avengers table scene when tony stands up and it's the hero shot. You think he's finally accepted his role, but then he just walks away. Such a good tease.
+Lawrence Tider That sounds pretty good! I like the cut during throw part.
Dat cowboy bebop jazz intro music 👌
Same thought here. NY Rush, performed by the Seatbelts was Superb. Yokko Kano deserves some credit.
sounds a lot like kamasi washington
Kamasi Washington sounds a lot like the greats from bebop and modal jazz's heyday, too. Looking forward to hear him develop a jazz language that will define the early 21st century for the genre, as much as the guys he taking cues from did during their time. The Epic hints at this many times, so I'm excited to hear whatever Kamasi has in mind next.
and also some soundtracks from Samurai Champloo too
C'mon maaan, you know Yoko Kanno and don't know Nujabes?!
Cowboy bebop episode one music, I'll never forget it. Wishes of peace and love for everyone in the comments
Asteroid Blues tatted on my chest 😤
Ed and Ein leave 😢
Samurai Champloo as well. This man clearly has exquisite taste in the arts
I took my bestie to Seven Samurai in a theater for its 70th anniversary. He'd never seen it, I'd only seen it once like a decade ago. We were both totally floored by how amazing it was. The entire time I was realizing just how many techniques and stylistic flourishes were swiped by western directors from that film, and his others. Sergio Leone in particular was obviously a HUGE fanboy.
I can honestly say that you have opened my eyes to cinematic appreciation. I'm truly blown away. Will have to start watching Kurosawa.
Thank you.
I watched Seven Samurai so much I picked up the repeated head rubbing gesture without even realizing I had done so.
Masterfully done. I think everyone should study Akira's films. The pacing and cinematography is so amazing.
Ghost of tshushima really took and implemented Kurosaea's filmmaking extremely well. The entire game shows this by the wind markers the birds etc and even has a Kurosawa mode!
yea used as visual direction "guiding winds". love how it showcased all the elements during the invasion and boss fights.
I recently watched Ikiru as my first Kurosawa's film and I was blown away by how creative it was when combining shapes and indicating direction and movement's anticipation through framing, without getting quirky, staying elegant at all times.
I LOVE Ikiru! Quite a masterpiece!
I love the way Mifune rolls his shoulders in Yojimbo- I catch myself doing it sometimes XD
Show; don't tell. But don't show too much.
Modern film, along with modern culture, suffers from the "paradox of choice." With too many ways to relay information, much of it may be lost or overlooked. There is something hauntingly beautiful about simplicity; the more conveyed through little, the more striking it is. Just think how tense silence can be, and how loud it is then perceived.
By having overly complex scenes, contrast is harder to establish. And, at least to me, good contrast (or the lack thereof) is the deciding factor whether something is interesting or not.
Not showing may be far more telling; not saying may be far more revealing.
These films age well due to their exciting use of 'little', to create a sense of great. While many million-dollar Hollywood-productions from the past ten years already look dated, Kurosawa's work has stood the test of time, and they will continue to do so because Akira understood what it means to move.
There's a good quote about confidence, which I'll paraphrase: "Always walk (move) with purpose; even if you are somewhere you have never been. You will direct confidence not only to yourself, but those around you."
Well said
So many years and I still come back to this video, everytime RUclips decides its time for it to show up in my reccs
Holy fuck... Dilla, Nujabes, Kanno, and Shadow all in a video about Kurosawa? Did you make this specifically for me?! This is absolutely mesmerizing. You have yourself a new subscriber. You're going to be big, man. You have the know-how and the intensely subdued passion to keep us invested from start to end. Thank you for this.
No kidding, I felt a twinge of emotion at the "sword stuck in the hill" scene. No context necessary, the guy's body language did all the work. Kind of a surprise, haha.
+Limey Lassen That scene gives me goosebumps every time.
+Bergonath that shot with the two of them and the inverted katana is so beautiful in it's simplicity, you can just frame it as a painting.
As a person who only watches movies/anime for fun I never understood why I liked watching these Japanese movies and the natural movements in them so much. You explaining it all so simply in layman terms is like a window opening up in my mind. Thank you. Also amazing video. 👏🏻
This helps me understand more why Scorsese says Marvel films should not be considered „cinema“
😊@a@
Because they were comic books for fags?
When you see these shots you can see how much he influenced anime.
Birta R I read somewhere that Kurosawa cried when he watched some Miyazaki movie (Castle in the sky I think), because "All the good Japanese directors are in the anime."
TheSetkon Miyazaki does not do anime, though. Anime is about taking shortcuts, which Miyazaki does not like.
www.tofugu.com/2015/07/01/animes-great-deception-difference-anime-cartoons
TheSetkon "It's anime, but I was so moved. I really loved Nekobus. You wouldn't come up with such an idea. I cried when I watched Kiki's Delivery Service. Really, all the talents I want for the movie industry have gone to the anime, so the movie industry has to really work hard. We have to make such movies that they make young people want to come."
+Fanta711 What you said is like "Movies are all about taking shortcuts". Anime and animation is a whole medium. You can't just say that just because some anime are made for teens and the masses for entertainment(like the Avengers). There are tons of great TV anime as well as movies that are overlooked because everyone wants to suck Miyazaki's dick all the time.
Fanta711 anime is literally the shortened version of the Japanese word for animation, you and that article are both wrong.
The music is Nujabes and the Cowboy Bebop OST if anyone's wondering
The Seatbelts?
Yoko Kanno and The Seatbelts, yeah
First song is "Clutch" from the Cowboy Bebop movie.
Nujabes was the producer not the 'music'.
Wonderful!
Interestingly, the "beginning/middle/end" technique also resonates with the "heaven/man/earth" structure that completes floral arrangements in the Japanese tradition of Ikebana.
i always liked the seven samurai- each came from a different walk of life/slice of life: young, rich boy:, country/wanna be samurai: separated husband; old man; calm, mild manner man; a warrior; happy-go-lucky man..
but they all had a purpose: to help the commoners and protect them.
That scene with the flag in Seven Samurai, it made me cry...again.
Beautiful video Every Frame a Painting, just wonderful.
Some of Kurosawa's shots are so impressive, so beautiful, so epic, that I can't help to cry.
I'm not a sentimental guy; but beauty, art masterfully presented, get't to my guts and I can't help to become a crying baby.
I remember crying for the first time at Return of the King's scene of the "Charge of the Rohirrim" some years ago, I just started to cry, like...fucking out of nowhere, I got so dragged in by the moment, by the music, the color, the composition, that fucking epic dialog, bam, I was crying, and I had seen that movie at least 10 times already.
This doesn't happen to me very often, but I remember a scene in Amelie (when they are presenting adult Amelie), that flag scene in Seven Samurai, The Return of the king (and the trilogy in general), and some other films I fail to recall at this moment.
This effect movies (good movies) can take out of you, are one of the reasons cinema is, and will ever be, one of the greatest achievements of the human.
the nujabes and fat jon were a nice touch
(and yoko)
I wonder if this video affects the sales of Kurosawa movies - I know i'll certainly be checking them out
DSLRguide This is funny, I was just watching one of your videos and then I see you here! Cool to see that you're a fan of this channel too!
I've been collecting Kurosawa movies for decades. They are ALL worth watching. If you're a film maker your teachers should have taught you all about his work.
@@itsjim2875 That's right. Our film class prof introduced both Stanley Kubrick's and Akira Kurosawa's works to us. I find their talent in this type of art so fascinating. They're genuises.
Nearly a decade ago now, your channel helped get me into Japanese cinema and foreign films in general ❤
Not sure if you read comments anymore Tony, but I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for directing me toward watching an Akira Kurosawa film. I just finished Seven Samurai. The first Kurosawa of many!
I always come back to this series. Such a lovely and loving analysis of each topic, never too lengthy or wordy or preachy and using excellent global examples. Quality quality quality every time.
Mindblowing! Now I see why Roshomon and seven samurai and other Kurosawa movies stunned me into silence and stillness. Paradoxically, it was the movement and the emotions of the movies!
When i see these Movies Move, it Feel like seeing a River, a Waterfall, and a Water Pooring. So gentle, So Smooth, So Effective!
Akira Kurosawa's film is a WORK of ART! On the same level as Picaso, Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Gogh,.. Mozart, Beethoven...
Hey Tony, no joke I just got off the phone with VFS where you went to. I'm thinking about going and the guy mentioned a video of yours and I was mind blowed because I love your videos! And I'm a film director always looking to get better
Blown* lol
+jeremy ybarra Before you make a decision, send me a private message.
+Every Frame a Painting hey how do I send a private message?
+jeremy ybarra click on his channel, go to the "About" section, and you'll see a button that says "Send Message"
+Every Frame a Painting i love you
I don't know if you do this on purpose, but I LOVE how in this and the Jackie Chan one you use marvel films as the example of how to not be genius.
dontpokethebear3893 I actually don't have any beef with either Guardians or Avengers. They're fun and I enjoyed seeing them in theaters. If they're on TV and I'm not doing anything I might watch. But Marvel's desire to create a coherent cinematic universe means that each film, stylistically, is really safe and middle-of-the-road. It just happened that for this video, Seven Samurai is kind of the predecessor for the plot of The Avengers (i.e. we need to gather a team to save the village)
Every Frame a Painting Captain America Winter Soldier have some interesting shots. The Russo brothers did a thing or two different than thw others Marvel movies.
Every Frame a Painting yeah, I don't think theyre awful either but I do think it's important to understand how they're very mediocre cinema and what to actually look to as the example of greatness
your eyes being drawn to movement isnt just a preference you hold but its actually a universal human characteristic. It was taught to me as a theory called the heirarchy of interest. Essentially, your eye first looks for movement, then light, then colour. this effect is only present in the instant a new shot comes in, and simply accounts for what your eye focuses on without any conscious thought on the part of the viewer
I'm not familiar with Kurosawa's work, but even from the clips I've seen here its clear how massive an influence he's had on film, and on anime in particular.
+Chris McCartney
Actually you've seen his work everywhere. Many American movie classics were copied almost directly from Kurosawa's work.
Darus Smins I get that there are many imitators; Magnificent 7 being a knockoff of Seven Samurai for example. What I was saying is that I've never actually seen one of Kurosawa's films itself.
+Liam O'Quin works in reverse too, RAN was based on King Lear.
If you really want to get into film history, Kurosawa is a very important step. Anime, spaghetti westerns, scifi, and a whole slew of of other genres have taken off from his work.
Definitely take the time to watch a couple of his films. Seven Samurai, Ran, Yojimbo, and so on.
dannydoc1969 old comment, but king Lear isn't a film. He wasn't talking about the akira's influences.
Este posiblemente es el mejor canal que he tenido la suerte de descubrir este último tiempo. Además tiene excelente subtitulos.
黒澤さんの映画は場面場面が全て絵になるし、画面そのものに力がある。
何故かわからないけど綿密な計算もあるだろうし普通の感覚ではないんだろうな。
音楽も自然の音も使い方が本当に凄いと思う。
This is superb. I have never seen a better commentary on what the film director has in his toolkit. Kurosawa is the perfect choice because he is the greatest director o f all time. Thank you.
The important thing here is not that there is always movement. It's how that movement is used.
Michael Bay is the opposite of Akira - he's always got movement, but it's rarely important. It's just there because Bay thinks movement = entertainment.
bay's movement is supposed to distract from blandness. it covers up the lack of substance.
Bay can take it to extremes. I actually got motion sick while watching one of the transformer movies in the theater.
@@thetasurfers I agree with you there. In Kurosawa's movies, motion enhances the scene or tells the story, so you don't need to say it with dialog. One of the reasons his movies hold up over time is because he's a firm believer in the "show, don't tell" method of directing. If you compare the beginning of Rogue One to the beginning of The Force Awakens, in both movies we're being introduced to the lead character, but in RO we're being told what she's about while in TFA we're being shown. The result is that TFA is more engaging. Another good example is the beginning of Wall-E. I think that movie went almost 20 minutes before the first dialog, but by then we'd been shown enough about that lonely little robot that we wanted to know more about his story. Showing us hooked us better than telling us.
One thing about why Marvel movies has the artistic quality of a big mac, is because it's style is heavily influenced by TV movies...
tV movies?
Bismuth Blues Yep, movies that are made for television.
Is that inspiration meant to make them easy to watch? Because the only other benefit I could see them taking from a tv movie would be making good use of budget (which is probably not a factor for marvel)... I mean- if it works, I don't see why they'd change it, but still...
sebastianwillows Actually it's the format, as in it's serialized, which is a good thing for marketability and even character/story-telling, but not much for becoming a classic of _"film literature"_
Kezo lastname ahh- I see what you mean! There is definitely a serialized feel to pretty much the entirety of the MCU. Thanks for clarifying :)
this is what I call a movie related channel, not that watchspoilermojo.com shit
One never tires of real artistry. Each revisit brings something new to the participant, for it is a mirror of a real shared reality one experiences. Kurosawa in interview is well worth hearing.
Ik this isn’t related but ghost of Tsushima was based mostly of korosawa’s movies and Japanese mythologies and folklore.
Even has a kurosawa mode for the camera effects.
@@TSE_WOODY you even get that sound grain you get in his films
@@AlterFoxEast Yeah man it is fucking dope that grainy steel sound of your sword being unsheathed.
too bad Suckerpunch used too many close up shot, other than that i think the game's pretty neat
That bebop at the beginning instantly made me smile.
And then that Samurai Champloo Music, bruhhhhh
2 4 2
AND J DILLA!
That's N.Y. Rush from the Cowboy bebop soundtrack. It's the combo version of the bigband arrangement.
In animation, Miyazaki is a master of movement. Kurosawa may have influenced Miyazaki.
It's possible. A lot of great media was inspired by Kurosawa.
It's not the most known but watch "A bug's life" again and then tell me
TitoRag ? I don't get it.
I think he means Bug's Life is based on Seven Samurai (at least I think it was, memory is kinda fuzzy).
Foxman4900 Change "ants" for farmers and "circus bugs" for Samurai
I miss this channel. I hope that you are having an amazing career. The knowledge and insight that you have about film making is amazing.