"A sort of pop culture prophet, Akira Kurosawa was more than the first Japanese director-or, indeed, the first Asian director-to achieve an international reputation. Kurosawa's remarkable Global Village synthesis of disparate cinematic and literary traditions was itself instrumental in revitalizing the Hollywood genre film, and not just in Hollywood. Kurosawa fused Eisenstein's graphic sweep and rhythmic montage with Ford's nostalgic esprit de corps, and his own disciples are legion: Sam Peckinpah, Sergio Leone, George Lucas, Walter Hill, John Woo, and just about anyone who has ever used the widescreen format with a modicum of pizzazz." -J. Hoberman

Featured Works:

Sanshiro Sugatai (Akira Kurosawa, 1943); The Most Beautiful (Akira Kurosawa, 1944); Sanshiro Sugata II (Akira Kurosawa, 1945); They Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail (Akira Kurosawa, 1945); No Regrets for Our Youth (Akira Kurosawa, 1946); One Wonderful Sunday (Akira Kurosawa, 1947); Rashomon (Akira Kurosawa, 1950); Scandal (Akira Kurosawa, 1950); The Idiot (Akira Kurosawa, 1951); Ikiru (Akira Kurosawa, 1952); Seven Samurai (Akira Kurosawa, 1954); I Live in Fear (Akira Kurosawa, 1955); The Lower Depths (Akira Kurosawa, 1957); Throne of Blood (Akira Kurosawa, 1957); Drunken Angel (Akira Kurosawa, 1958); The Hidden Fortress (Akira Kurosawa, 1958); The Quiet Duel (Akira Kurosawa, 1959); The Bad Sleep Well (Akira Kurosawa, 1960); Yojimbo (Akira Kurosawa, 1961); Sanjuro (Akira Kurosawa, 1962, pictured); High and Low (Akira Kurosawa, 1963); Red Beard (Akira Kurosawa, 1965); Dodes'ka-den (Akira Kurosawa, 1970); Stray Dog (Akira Kurosawa, 1973); Dersu Uzala (Akira Kurosawa, 1975); Kagemusha (Akira Kurosawa, 1980); Ran (Akira Kurosawa, 1985); Dreams (Akira Kurosawa, 1990); Rhapsody in August (Akira Kurosawa, 1991)

Program information:

Kurosawa Festival

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