There is something Shakespearian about Kurosawa. He deals with huge themes, and is willing and able to deal with multiple themes and work on many levels. A strong and evocative story-line with fascinating central characters is his starting point, and he directs with compassion, imagination and the eye of an artist. Many of the frames are filled with beautifully balanced shots that are rarely seen outside of the work of a handful of great directors. He is not afraid to shoot actors from behind or from awkward but revealing angles. This is one of the most gripping and satisfying Kurosawa films I have seen. The image of the sacrifice of the foundry and the theme of destruction by atomic war brings to mind Tarkovski's The Sacrifice. Indeed, with so much drenching rain in some scenes, and with Tarkovski's known admiration for Kurosawa, it is quite possible that this film did have some influence.
The story is about an extended family who are charging their father with insanity as he is determined to sell up the family business and move to Brasil because of his fear of atomic radiation engulfing Japan. Atomic radiation was a major cause for concern in post-war Japan, and there were many books and newspaper articles at the time explaining that the Earth's wind currents would bring radiation from atom bomb tests and from atomic war to Japan. This fear was the impetus for such monster films as Godzilla. However, Kurosawa is also using the radiation as a symbol for modern development - the changes that are taking place to the traditional Japanese ways, mainly from the mysterious modern world beyond Japan's shores.
The film opens not with the family, but with a dentist who is to be one of the judges who will decide on the old man's sanity. It is notable that the dentist works in bright, clean, modern surroundings with modern equipment, while the old father owns an old, dirty, dark, dangerous foundry where the workers have to be warned to take care of the fires or the place will be engulfed. We first encounter the family as they squabble outside the informal family court room where the case will be heard. The heat, anger and irritation are made very clear - there are sweat stains and angry swishing of fans throughout this and many of the other early scenes. It was at this point that I knew that I was going to enjoy this film a lot. There are many films that within the first ten minutes you know if the director is confident and in charge, and is ready to take risks. There is no doubt at this point that the placing of the actors, the camera angles and even the actors' gestures has been controlled by the director and that everything is working smoothly and effortlessly in the right direction. Even though the story is about the father and his family, we are kept in contact with the dentist throughout the film, even when the court case is over. And it is he we see in the final scene walking down the slope of the hospital as the father's youngest daughter walks up.
This is a film about a family. This is a film about moral values in a changing world. This is a film about the fear of modern society. This is a film about a Japanese society coming to terms with itself and its relationship with the outside world in the aftermath of the Second World War. This is a film about living in fear. This is an awesome film. I understand that this is the film that Kurosawa himself was most proud of. And I can certainly see why.
The story is about an extended family who are charging their father with insanity as he is determined to sell up the family business and move to Brasil because of his fear of atomic radiation engulfing Japan. Atomic radiation was a major cause for concern in post-war Japan, and there were many books and newspaper articles at the time explaining that the Earth's wind currents would bring radiation from atom bomb tests and from atomic war to Japan. This fear was the impetus for such monster films as Godzilla. However, Kurosawa is also using the radiation as a symbol for modern development - the changes that are taking place to the traditional Japanese ways, mainly from the mysterious modern world beyond Japan's shores.
The film opens not with the family, but with a dentist who is to be one of the judges who will decide on the old man's sanity. It is notable that the dentist works in bright, clean, modern surroundings with modern equipment, while the old father owns an old, dirty, dark, dangerous foundry where the workers have to be warned to take care of the fires or the place will be engulfed. We first encounter the family as they squabble outside the informal family court room where the case will be heard. The heat, anger and irritation are made very clear - there are sweat stains and angry swishing of fans throughout this and many of the other early scenes. It was at this point that I knew that I was going to enjoy this film a lot. There are many films that within the first ten minutes you know if the director is confident and in charge, and is ready to take risks. There is no doubt at this point that the placing of the actors, the camera angles and even the actors' gestures has been controlled by the director and that everything is working smoothly and effortlessly in the right direction. Even though the story is about the father and his family, we are kept in contact with the dentist throughout the film, even when the court case is over. And it is he we see in the final scene walking down the slope of the hospital as the father's youngest daughter walks up.
This is a film about a family. This is a film about moral values in a changing world. This is a film about the fear of modern society. This is a film about a Japanese society coming to terms with itself and its relationship with the outside world in the aftermath of the Second World War. This is a film about living in fear. This is an awesome film. I understand that this is the film that Kurosawa himself was most proud of. And I can certainly see why.