• Stumble Upon
  • Reddit
  • Digg
 

A Kurosawa Celebration, From Many Angles

Akira Kurosawa, Francis Ford Coppola during the production of KAGEMUSHA
Enlarge AMPAS/Margaret Herrick Library

Akira Kurosawa (left) with Francis Ford Coppola during the filming of Kagemusha.

Akira Kurosawa, Francis Ford Coppola during the production of KAGEMUSHA
AMPAS/Margaret Herrick Library

Akira Kurosawa (from left) with Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas during the filming of Kagemusha.

See The Sketches

Kurosawa's fanciful, color-saturated scene studies are part of this photo gallery hosted at Oscars.org:

text sizeAAA
November 10, 2008

In 1989, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded an honorary Oscar to Akira Kurosawa, whose big-canvas, big-theme pictures helped bring Japanese cinema to audiences around the world.

Now, the academy has launched a three-month tribute to the director, anchored by a restored version of Rashomon — Kurosawa's legendary study of truth, memory and perspective — along with rarely seen sketches in the director's own hand.

The latter are crucial: During shooting, recalls fellow director Martin Scorsese, Kurosawa would communicate what he wanted from cast and crew by showing them his renderings of specific scenes. More than 100 of those paintings and drawings are on display through Dec. 14 at the academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. The restored Rashomon screens in New York on Nov. 17.

 
  • Stumble Upon
  • Reddit
  • Digg
 

Podcast and RSS Feeds

PodcastRSS

  • Movies
     
  • All Things Considered
     
 
 

Comments

Discussions for this story are now closed. Please see the Community FAQ for more information.

 

More Movies

Bright emotional highs, dark noir lows &mdash; that's the stuff of Almodovar's latest film. <strong><em>(Recommended)</em></strong>

'Broken Embraces': The Very Picture Of Romance

Bright emotional highs, dark noir lows — that's the stuff of Almodovar's latest film. (Recommended)

The flamboyant emotionality that marked the first <em>Twilight</em> film is missing in the second.

Under A 'New Moon,' A Surprising Lack Of Passion

The flamboyant emotionality that marked the first Twilight film is missing in the second.

Nicolas Cage's pain-wracked, drug-addled cop is hero and villain, vulnerable and invincible.

Herzog's 'Bad Lieutenant': He's Crescent City Crazy

Nicolas Cage's pain-wracked, drug-addled cop is hero and villain, vulnerable and invincible.

John Lee Hancock's julep-sweet film turns a well-told true story into a feel-good liberal fantasy.

In 'Blind Side,' A Tunnel-Vision Take On A True Story

John Lee Hancock's julep-sweet film turns a well-told true story into a feel-good liberal fantasy.

While the director kept some of his famed mobster-flick trademarks, <em>Red Cliff</em> feels less authentic.

John Woo's 'Red Cliff': An Epic Cut Down To Size

While the director kept some of his famed mobster-flick trademarks, Red Cliff feels less authentic.

Harrelson's latest performance in a new movie about the costs of war is generating Oscar chatter.

Woody Harrelson, Part 2: When War Comes Home

Harrelson's latest performance in a new movie about the costs of war is generating Oscar chatter.

more