Dreams (1990)

A collection of tales based upon eight of director Akira Kurosawa's recurring dreams.

Directors:

Akira Kurosawa, Ishirô Honda (uncredited)

Writer:

Akira Kurosawa

Stars:

Akira Terao, Mitsuko Baishô, Toshie Negishi

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 3 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Akira Terao	...	I
Mitsuko Baishô	...	Mother of 'I'
Toshie Negishi	...	Mother carrying child
Mieko Harada	...	The Snow Fairy
Mitsunori Isaki	...	'I' as a boy
Toshihiko Nakano	...	'I' as a young child
Yoshitaka Zushi	...	Pvt. Noguchi
Hisashi Igawa	...	Nuclear Plant Worker
Chôsuke Ikariya	...	The crying demon
Chishû Ryû	...	Old Man
Martin Scorsese	...	Vincent Van Gogh
Masayuki Yui	...	Member of climbing team
Tessho Yamashita
Misato Tate
Catherine Cadou

Storyline

This is essentially eight separate short films, though with some overlaps in terms of characters and thematic material - chiefly that of man's relationship with his environment. 'Sunshine Through The Rain': a young boy is told not to go out on the day when both weather conditions occur, because that's when the foxes hold their wedding procession, which could have fatal consequences for those who witness it. 'The Peach Orchard': the same young boy encounters the spirits of the peach trees that have been cut down by heartless humans. 'The Blizzard': a team of mountaineers are saved from a blizzard by spiritual intervention. 'The Tunnel': a man encounters the ghosts of an army platoon, whose deaths he was responsible for. 'Crows': an art student encounters 'Vincent Van Gogh' and enters the world of his paintings. 'Mount Fuji in Red': nuclear meltdown threatens the devastation of Japan. 'The Weeping Demon': a portrait of a post-nuclear world populated by human mutations. 'Village of the ...

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Plot Keywords:

japanese boy | japanese woman | japanese mother | mother son relationship | sandal | 

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Taglines:

The past, present, and future. The thoughts and images of one man... for all men. One man's dreams... for every dreamer.

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

In an interview at the BFI in London in February 2017, Martin Scorsese told interviewer Nick James that Akira Kurosawa asked him to appear as Van Gogh in " Dreams " because Francis Ford Coppola had told Kurosawa that Scorsese would do it.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Mother of 'I': You're staying home. The sun is shining but it's raining.

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Connections

Referenced in Waking Life (2001)

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Soundtracks

In the Village
(from "Caucasian Sketches, Suite for Orchestra Op. 10, No. 2")
Music by Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov (as Ippolitov-Ivanov)
Conducted by Vladimir Fedoseyev (as Vladimir Fedoseev)
Performed by Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra

User Reviews

Living is exciting

Akira Kurosawa's insights on man's need to harmonize with nature, the costs of war and the bad fruits that nuclear power can bear. This is the first Kurosawa movie I have seen, but I can see how true it is that Kurosawa is a master of creating atmosphere in a film. Such as the dark, post-nuclear apocalyptic world of THE WEEPING DEMON. Or the very first episode when the little boy sees something he is not supposed to see in the forest.

I found THE BLIZZARD rather strange, and you'll see a scary part when the mountainman is having his mirage of the beautiful woman who symbolizes the snowstorm. I'm not sure what the significance of the dog was in THE TUNNEL, but I guess it illustrates the fact that though he was the commander of Third Platoon , he felt like a coward because of his command, his men paid the price.... yet he is guilty of still being alive; he's afraid of the dog.

It ends rather low key, but the last episode THE VILLAGE IN THE WATERMILLS is the most insightful and bold in expressing the movie's theme... of harmonizing with nature, and maybe harmonizing with ourselves.

The procession displays the unity and the communal harmony that the villagers have. And it is the exact opposite of what is grieved about in MOUNT FUJI IN RED or THE WEEPING DEMON. The cinematography is just beautiful. The movie is beautiful and captivating.

Akira Kurosawa's YUME is Grade A- 9/10

Details

Country:

Japan USA

Language:

Japanese French English

Release Date:

24 August 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Akira Kurosawa's Dreams

Filming Locations:

Daio Wasabi Farm, Azumino, Nagano, Japan

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$1,963,207

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,970,161

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Akira Kurosawa USA

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1