Kurosawa is one of the great story tellers of all time. If he had been living a thousand years ago he would have been the one that created fables and legends. There is often a moral in his work and there is always a portrait of humanity. In Dersu this is more naked than ever as it focuses on just two people, the Captain, a Russian military surveyor and a clever old hunter called Dersu Uzala. They are set against a backdrop of the harsh, but stunning Siberian landscape. This is where we get to see the beauty of Kurosawa's direction with his amazing ability to paint skies with his camera and make you feel the cold wind blowing across the land. Dersu and his Captain quietly wander the forests charting the land. The unspoken communication between them and the feeling of immense respect that grows is warming. A truly magical story.
Review of Dersu Uzala
