In Focus: Akira Kurosawa

Kurosawa’s films were not only accessible, they were also beautifully executed. He made no secret of his love for Hollywood cinema, especially the work of John Ford, but his lyrical and dazzling style in turn influenced several Western filmmakers, including Francis Ford Coppola, Bernardo Bertolucci, Paul Verhoeven and Martin Scorsese. For his films, he worked with a fixed team of screenwriters, cinematographers, set designers and actors, with whom he maintained close personal relationships in line with traditional Japanese community views.

The 1970s were difficult for Kurosawa. His most personal film (and his first colour film) – Dodeska-den (1970) – was a commercial failure. This led to a period of ill health and depression, followed by an attempted suicide. In the 1980s, Kurosawa re-established himself and, with the help of foreign producers, made his comeback with two expensive epics: Kagemusha (1980) and Ran (1985).

Most filmmakers would give their right arm to make one film classic; Kurosawa made about half a dozen. This retrospective offers a unique opportunity to experience the work of this visionary filmmaker again – or for the first time – on the big screen.