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Akira Kurosawa (1910–1998)

Writer | Director | Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

After training as a painter (he storyboards his films as full-scale paintings), Kurosawa entered the film industry in 1936 as an assistant director, eventually making his directorial debut with Sanshiro Sugata. Within a few years, Kurosawa had achieved sufficient stature to allow him greater creative freedom... See full bio »

Born:

in Tokyo, Japan

Died:

(age 88) in Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan
Akira Kurosawa Akira Kurosawa and John Huston Akira Kurosawa famous japanese director circa 1975 Akira Kurosawa, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg Akira Kurosawa, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg Akira Kurosawa, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg
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Projects In Development help

2015
The Magnificent Seven
2014
The Seven Samurai
High and Low
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Nominated for Oscar. Another 63 wins & 17 nominations See more awards »

Known For


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Filmography

Hide HideWriter (72 titles)
2013 Stray Dog (TV movie) (based on a script by)
 
2008 Hidden Fortress: The Last Princess (original screenplay)
 
2007 Tsubaki Sanjûrô (screenplay)
 
2004 Samurai 7 (TV series)
– Ochiru! (2004) (film "Shichinin no samurai")
– Ueru! (2004) (film "Shichinin no samurai")
– Chigiru! (2004) (film "Shichinin no samurai")
– Usotsuki! (2004) (film "Shichinin no samurai")
– Hippataku! (2004) (film "Shichinin no samurai")
See all 26 episodes »
 
2002 The Sea Is Watching (original screenplay)
 
2000 Dora-heita (screenplay)
 
1999 After the Rain (screenplay)
 
1996 Last Man Standing (story)
 
1993 Madadayo (writer)
 
1991 Rhapsody in August
 
1990 Dreams (written by)
 
1985 Runaway Train (based on a screenplay by)
 
1985 Ran (screenplay)
 
1980 Kagemusha
 
1975 Dersu Uzala
 
1973 Nora inu (1949 screenplay)
 
1970 Dodes'ka-den (screenplay)
 
1970 Tora! Tora! Tora! (Japanese sequences - uncredited)
 
1968 The Last Day of Hsianyang (screenplay)
 
1965 Sanshiro Sugata (1943 screenplay "Sugata Sanshiro" and 1945 screenplay "Zoku Sugata Sanshiro")
 
1965 Red Beard (screenplay)
 
1964 The Outrage (screenplay "Rashomon")
 
1964 A Fistful of Dollars (screenplay "Yojimbo" - uncredited)
 
1964 Jakoman to Tetsu (and earlier screenplay)
 
1963 High and Low (screenplay)
 
1962 Fencing Master (1950 screenplay Tateshi danpei)
 
1962 Sanjuro (screenplay)
 
1961 Yojimbo (screenplay / story)
 
1960 Play of the Week (TV series)
– Rashomon (1960) (teleplay)
 
1960 The Magnificent Seven (screenplay "Shichinin no samurai" - uncredited)
 
1960 The Bad Sleep Well (written by)
 
1959 Sengoku gunto-den (writer)
 
1958 The Hidden Fortress (written by)
 
1957 Nichiro sensô shôri no hishi: Tekichû ôdan sanbyaku-ri (earlier screenplay "Techiku odan sanbyaku ri" / screenplay)
 
1957 The Lower Depths
 
1957 Throne of Blood (screenplay)
 
1955 I Live in Fear (story)
 
1955 Asunaro monogatari (screenplay)
 
1955 Kieta chutai
 
1955 Sanshiro Sugata
 
1954 Seven Samurai (screenplay)
 
1953 Fukeyo haru kaze (writer)
 
1952 Ikiru (written by)
 
1952 Sengoku burai
 
1952 Vendetta of a Samurai
 
1951 Kedamono no yado
 
1951 The Idiot
 
1951 Ai to nikushimi no kanata e
 
1950 Tateshi Danpei
 
1950 Rashomon (screenplay)
 
1950 Jiruba Tetsu
 
1950 Scandal
 
1950 Desertion at Dawn
 
1949 Stray Dog (writer)
 
1949 Jakoman to Tetsu (writer)
 
1949 Jigoku no kifujin (writer)
 
1949 The Quiet Duel (writer)
 
1948 The Portrait (writer)
 
1948 Drunken Angel (written by)
 
1947 Snow Trail
 
1947 One Wonderful Sunday
 
1947 Four Love Stories (segment "Hatsukoi")
 
1946 No Regrets for Our Youth (uncredited)
 
1945 Sanshiro Sugata Part Two
 
1945 Appare Isshin Tasuke
 
1945 The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail
 
1944 The Most Beautiful
 
1944 Dohyosai
 
1943 Sanshiro Sugata (writer)
 
1942 Tsubasa no gaika
 
1942 Currents of Youth
 
1941 Uma (uncredited)
 
Show ShowDirector (32 titles)
1993 Madadayo
 
1991 Rhapsody in August
 
1990 Dreams
 
1985 Ran
 
1980 Kagemusha
 
1975 Dersu Uzala
 
1970 Dodes'ka-den
 
1965 Red Beard
 
1963 High and Low
 
1962 Sanjuro
 
1961 Yojimbo
 
1960 The Bad Sleep Well
 
1958 The Hidden Fortress
 
1957 The Lower Depths
 
1957 Throne of Blood
 
1955 I Live in Fear
 
1954 Seven Samurai
 
1952 Ikiru
 
1951 The Idiot
 
1950 Rashomon
 
1950 Scandal
 
1949 Stray Dog
 
1949 The Quiet Duel
 
1948 Drunken Angel
 
1947 One Wonderful Sunday
 
1946 No Regrets for Our Youth
 
1946 Those Who Make Tomorrow
 
1945 Sanshiro Sugata Part Two
 
1945 The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail
 
1944 The Most Beautiful
 
1943 Sanshiro Sugata
 
1941 Uma (some scenes - uncredited)
 
1941 Uma (assistant director, second unit director)
 
1940 Enoken no songokû: songokû zenko-hen (chief assistant director)
 
1940 Enoken no zangiri Kinta (chief assistant director)
 
1940 Roppa no shinkon ryoko (chief assistant director)
 
1939 Nonki Yokocho (chief assistant director)
 
1939 Chûshingura: Kôhen (chief assistant director)
 
1939 Enoken no gatchiri jidai (chief assistant director)
 
1938 Enoken no bikkuri jinsei (chief assistant director)
 
1938 Tsuzurikata kyoshitsu (chief assistant director)
 
1938 Tojuro no koi (chief assistant director)
 
1938 Chinetsu (chief assistant director)
 
1937 Utsukushiki taka (chief assistant director)
 
1937 Enoken no chakkiri Kinta 'Go', kaeri wa kowai, mateba hiyori (third assistant director)
 
1937 Enoken no chakkiri Kinta 'Zen' - Mamayo sandogasa - Ikiwa yoiyoi (third assistant director)
 
1937 Avalanche (third assistant director)
 
1937 Nihon josei dokuhon (third assistant director)
 
1937 A Husband's Chastity: Fall Once Again (third assistant director)
 
1937 Otto no teiso - haru kitareba (third assistant director)
 
1937 Sengoku gunto-den - Dai nibu Akatsuki no zenshin (third assistant director)
 
1937 Sengoku gunto-den - Dai ichibu Toraokami (third assistant director)
 
1936 Tokyo rapusodei (third assistant director)
 
1936 Enoken's Ten Millions 2 (third assistant director)
 
1936 Enoken no senman chôja (third assistant director)
 
1936 Shojo Hanazono (third assistant director)
 
Show ShowEditor (17 titles)
1993 Madadayo
 
1991 Rhapsody in August
 
1985 Ran
 
1963 500,000 (uncredited)
 
1961 Yojimbo
 
1960 The Bad Sleep Well
 
1958 The Hidden Fortress
 
1957 The Lower Depths
 
1955 Asunaro monogatari
 
1954 Seven Samurai
 
1951 The Idiot
 
1950 Rashomon
 
1947 Snow Trail (uncredited)
 
1946 No Regrets for Our Youth
 
1945 Sanshiro Sugata Part Two (uncredited)
 
1943 Sanshiro Sugata
 
1941 Uma
 
Show ShowProducer (11 titles)
1980 Kagemusha (executive producer, producer)
 
1970 Dodes'ka-den (planner, producer)
 
1965 Sanshiro Sugata (producer)
 
1963 High and Low (associate producer)
 
1961 Yojimbo (producer)
 
1960 The Bad Sleep Well (producer)
 
1958 The Hidden Fortress (producer)
 
1957 The Lower Depths (producer)
 
1957 Throne of Blood (producer)
 
1949 Stray Dog (associate producer)
 
1949 Haru no tawamure (associate producer)
 
Show ShowSoundtrack (2 titles)
1990 The 62nd Annual Academy Awards (TV special) (performer: "Happy Birthday to You")
 
1948 Drunken Angel (lyrics: "Janguru bugi")
 
Show ShowMiscellaneous Crew (1 title)
1998 China Gate (in tribute to)
 
Show ShowSound Department (1 title)
1938 Tojuro no koi (dubbing supervisor)
 
Show ShowThanks (8 titles)
2012 A Little Bit Zombie (acknowledgment to the works of)
 
2010 Star Wars: The Clone Wars (TV series) (in memory of - 1 episode)
– Bounty Hunters (2010) (in memory of)
 
2007 777 (short) (dedicatee)
 
2007 Black Santa's Revenge (short) (special thanks)
 
2004 Throw Down (dedicatee)
 
1999 After the Rain (in memory of)
 
1999 Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (personal thanks)
 
1992 Visions of Light (documentary) (special thanks: AFI)
 
Show ShowSelf (14 titles)
2007 Fûshi kaden (documentary short)
Himself
 
2002 Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create (video documentary short)
Himself
 
1993 Takeshi no big talk (TV movie)
Himself
 
1993 Eiga ni koishite aishite ikite Akira Kurosawa & Hayao Miyazaki (TV movie)
Himself
 
1993 Akira Kurosawa: My Life in Cinema (TV movie)
Himself
 
1991 Akira Kurosawa Making 'Rhapsody in August' (video documentary)
Himself
 
1990 The 62nd Annual Academy Awards (TV special)
Himself - Honorary Award Recipient
 
1986 The 58th Annual Academy Awards (TV special)
Himself - Nominee: Best Director & Co-Presenter: Best Picture
 
1985 A.K. (documentary)
Himself
 
1985 Étoiles et toiles (TV series documentary)
Himself
– Episode dated 25 March 1985 (1985) … Himself
 
1980 The South Bank Show (TV series documentary)
Himself
– Akira Kurosawa (1980) … Himself
 
1980 Billy Baxter Presents Diary of the Cannes Film Festival with Rex Reed (TV documentary)
Himself
 
1972 75 Years of Cinema Museum (documentary)
Himself
 
1970 The 42nd Annual Academy Awards (TV special)
Himself - Commenting on New Freedom and Trends in Film: Pre-Recorded
 
Show ShowArchive Footage (12 titles)
2013 SK13 (documentary)
Himself
 
2010 Cinema 3 (TV series)
 
2009 Kyôiku terebi no gyakushû: Yomigaeru kyoshô no kotoba (TV movie)
Himself
 
2007 The Making of 'Drunken Angel' (video documentary short)
Himself
 
2007 Challenging Kurosawa: Yoshimitsu Morita Remakes 'Sanjuro' (TV documentary)
Himself
 
2005 Cinema mil (TV series)
 
2005 49º premis Sant Jordi de cinematografía (TV special)
Himself
 
2003 Tsukuru to iu koto wa subarashii! Kurosawa Akira: Korega Kuroswa sasupensu da (video documentary short)
Himself
 
2003 Tsukuru to iu koto wa subarashii! Kurosawa Akira: Shikisai wo te ni ireta Kurosawa Akira (video documentary short)
Himself
 
2000 Great Performances (TV series)
 
2000 A Message from Akira Kurosawa: For Beautiful Movies (video documentary)
Himself
 
1999 The 71st Annual Academy Awards (TV special)
Himself - Memorial Tribute
 

Related Videos

High and Low -- Toshirô Mifune is unforgettable as Kingo Gondo, a wealthy industrialist whose family becomes the target of a cold-blooded kidnapper in Akira Kurosawa’s highly influential High and Low (Tengoku to jigoku). Dreams -- A collection of tales based upon the actual dreams of director Akira Kurosawa. Ran -- Trailer for the 25th Anniversary release of Akira Kurosawa's classic film
See all 6 »
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Personal Details

Other Works:

(Book) "Something Like an Autobiography"

Publicity Listings:

3 Biographical Movies  | 4 Print Biographies  | 1 Interview  | 14 Articles  | See more »

Height:

5' 11½" (1.81 m)
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Did You Know?

Personal Quote:

When I start on a film I always have a number of ideas about my project. Then one of them begins to germinate, to sprout, and it is this which I take and work with. My films come from my need to say a particular thing at a particular time. The beginning of any film for me is this need to express something... See more »

Trivia:

His family, when traced back a few generations, were samurais from the Akita Prefecture. Kurosawa said later that his father, who was tall, with a commanding presence and worked as a fitness instructor, had a bearing he thought was samurai-like. Unlike his father, Kurosawa himself was never athletically inclined. See more »

Trademark:

Female characters that are usually either sweet but weak and submissive or are deceitful, evil and conniving See more »

Nickname:

The Emperor See more »

Star Sign:

Aries