I want to make movies, beautiful movies.
I've pursued that goal for more than 50 years.
Close to 60 years now.
But I don't think I've yet fully grasped what a movie is.
With this new movie,
I'd like viewers to be pleased that a wonderful new movie has been made.
I would like everyone to savor the beauty of cinema.
A MESSAGE FROM AKIRA KUROSAWA: FOR BEAUTIFUL MOVIES
AKIRA KUROSAWA
Film director Akira Kurosawa
was born in Higashi-Oi, Shinagawa, Tokyo, in 1910.
THE KUROSAWAS
His father Isamu was a descendant of a samurai in Akita
and had worked as a physical education instructor in the army.
In 1910, he was a trustee of Ebara Junior High School.
His mother Shima was the daughter of a merchant in Osaka.
However, the Kurosawas were slightly different
from other typical families in Japan.
At the time, watching movies
was thought to have a harmful influence on children.
But Kurosawa's father, usually strict due to his military background,
often took his family to the movies.
So Kurosawa was exposed to many movies from an early age.
OLDER BROTHER HEIGO AND AKIRA
In adolescence, Kurosawa was greatly influenced
by his brother Heigo, who was four years older.
Heigo later became HEIGO KUROSAWA aka TEIMEI SUDA
a movie interpreter at Kanda Cinema Palace,
going by the name Teimei Suda.
In later years, Kurosawa reminisced how he had seen
an amazing number of movies considered classics WAY DOWN EAST
in the history of cinema, SUNNYSIDE
and he thanked his brother for that. DR. MABUSE: THE GAMBLER
THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI
Looking back on the environment in which Kurosawa grew up,
you could say he matured as film evolved,
and his entire life was dedicated to creating movies.
It seems that, since birth, Kurosawa's destiny
was inadvertently but deeply entwined with movies.
We cannot use today's standards
to understand Kurosawa the man.
First of all, he was born during the Meiji era.
He described that era
as an arduous uphill climb
to reach for the clouds beyond.
Also, the democratic spirit of the subsequent Taisho era
must have had a great influence on his view of human nature.
The life of this giant of Japanese film
spanned four eras.' Meiji, Taisho, Showa and Heisei,
and his life paralleled the history of the film industry in Japan.
TOHO STUDIOS
In April of 1936,
my father Akira Kurosawa was hired
as an assistant director at PCL Studios,
one of the predecessors of Toho Studios.
VOICE: KAZUKO KUROSAWA
He was 26 years old at the time.
COMPOSITION CLASS DIRECTED BY KAJIRO YAMAMOTO
He apprenticed
under director Kajiro Yamamoto.
KAJIRO YAMAMOTO
He wrote many scripts in order to become a director
and attracted attention from early on.
His directorial debut was Sanshiro Sugata,
which was made in 1943, when he was 33 years old.
After that, my father worked actively for half a century
and met the industry's expectations of a top-ranked director
by making a total of 30 films.
I would like to share
and thoroughly examine what cinema meant
to Kurosawa the director.
I hope that doing so will give you some idea
of my father's passion for the movies he left us.
CHAPTER ONE - CINEMATIC MATERIAL
First of all, I have to have a feeling about something,
a feeling that it can become a movie,
whether it's a novel or anything else.
For example, in this new movie,
the kids run after the grandmother...
to help her in the driving rain.
I liked that scene very much.
And I thought
the scene would work wonderfully in a movie.
So I got interested in the material.
NABE NO NAKA by KIYOKO MURATA
WINNER OF THE AKUTAGAWA AWARD MADE INTO A FILM BY AKIRA KUROSAWA
Nabe no Naka, by Kiyoko Murata.
After completing Dreams, Kurosawa was drawn
to the novel that won the 97th Akutagawa Award.
PRESS CONFERENCE FOR RHAPSODY IN AUGUST
I was reading the book while I was shooting Dreams
and thinking how the book could be adapted,
and the story for the movie suddenly came to me.
So after Dreams wrapped,
I wrote the script in about two weeks.
It wasn't like an idea that had been brewing for a long time.
When I read the book about the story of a family,
I suddenly felt inspired to write the script
that became this movie.
The scene that Kurosawa found so cinematic is described thus in the book.'
"As I rounded the bend in the distant field
that was as dark as night,
I saw something white fluttering, and I stopped.
As I strained to see it clearly, I saw a human form beneath it.
'It's Grandmother, 'I thought.
With a white towel covering her head,
Grandmother was hurrying home.
But the fluttering white object wasn't drawing any closer. "
RHAPSODY I N AUGUST
But the movie is a little different from the book.
The towel described as a fluttering white object
has been changed to a parasol in the movie.
Why was this change made?
Well, it's totally different from the book.
I tried to show the details that weren't mentioned in the book.
The grandchildren are adorable.
And the situation is very interesting,
as is the fact that there were relatives they didn't know about.
And somehow
I felt they could all be incorporated into the movie.
It's like a hunch
when you know something can become a movie.
That's how I always know.
Grandma!
Kurosawa had this to say about the scene.'
"When the parasol collapses, everyone in the audience cries.
I wonder why. Why does that scene make people cry?
I can't explain it myself.
But that's the power of cinema.
The scene rises to the level of true cinema.
Nothing much happens in the scene,
but it rises completely to the realm of true cinema. "
Every time I make a movie,
I feel that a few scenes have reached that level,
but I've never felt that way about an entire film.
I can tell the difference.
With the scenes that really become cinema,
when I'm editing the filmed footage,
I feel a chill of excitement.
It would be ideal to make a film
in which every scene has risen to that level.
It's something I feel -
I know when it has happened.
Kurosawa says he can't logically explain why it happens.
RHAPSODY IN AUGUST- ON LOCATION
Explaining his movies is something he particularly detests.
But he relentlessly pursues that cinematic essence.
His pours all his energy
into attempting to express something cinematic.
I don't like to explain
the theme of a movie to everyone involved
prior to the shoot.
A theme alone doesn't explain
all the sensitive details of human feelings.
And I want the audience to see all those things.
So stating the aim or message of a movie beforehand
would work against that.
I want various shades of emotions
to express those human feelings.
So I don't like to present the message like a big sign
at the very beginning of the shoot.
It's awkward to express it in that manner,
and I really don't like doing it.
Kurosawa strongly stressed that theme is not the foundation
of moviemaking.
Instead,
it's finding something cinematic that would be perfect as a movie.
That is the requirement for making a good movie.
I have lots of ideas for possible future projects,
but until I finish the movie at hand,
I don't know which one will evolve into the next project.
It's like sowing seeds and watching them sprout.
Depending on the social situation of the time and such,
some seeds sprout all of a sudden.
That's how a movie is born.
If you try to make it happen, the movie won't be good.
Kurosawa said you don't discover material for movies.
It presents itself of its own accord.
It's Just a feeling I get.
I feel that something would make a great scene,
or I feel that a certain thing could definitely become a movie.
That feeling becomes my driving force.
And that grows into a movie. It's different for other people.
But that's how it is with me.
"I have many ideas or material for future projects,
but one of those ideas will suddenly expand and grow.
My Job is to capture that on film." - Akira Kurosawa
CHAPTER TWO - SCRIPTS
Kurosawa's mentor Kajiro Yamamoto told him
to write scripts first if he wanted to become a director.
The importance of the script was thus impressed upon Kurosawa,
and he poured his energy into writing scripts.
From collaborations with other screenwriters,
STRAY DOG, SEVEN SAMURAI
many great films were produced. THE LOWER DEPTHS, SANJURO
Interestingly, though,
Kurosawa didn't write on traditional writing paper.
His boundless imagination ignored the ruled lines
and freely overflowed all boundaries.
He skipped the conventional practice of outlining the story line
and instead just began writing from the first scene.
This way of writing reflected Kurosawa's boldness.
To him, scripts were like living things.
When I was writing the script and this character appeared,
I was able to write with ease and amazingly quickly.
SCANDAL
I'm gonna do it, too.
I'm definitely gonna do it next year.
SHIMURA TAKASHI AS OTOKICHI HIRUTA
I've been a worm this year,
but next year, I'm gonna be a respectable man.
There was a bar called Komagata-ya near this train station,
and I was a regular customer.
There I actually met a lawyer named Otokichi Hiruta.
I have a daughter.
She is so good.
Too good for a man like me.
I feel so ashamed
when she looks at me with her beautiful eyes.
But next year
I'm going to become a man worthy
of my daughter's beautiful eyes.
Hey! Let's sing.
The glow of fireflies
The lawyer was sitting next to me. He was like the man in the movie.
All he talked about was his daughter.
So what I wrote in the script was exactly what he said.
That's why it was so easy to write that script.
And I noticed that the bar owner and his wife
were fixing some food
that looked like something you'd prepare for a sick person.
I was puzzled.
Then, when the lawyer left with the food,
they told me they felt so bad for him
because his daughter had tuberculosis.
Back then it was an incurable disease.
That's why the man came to the bar and got drunk like that.
They told me his story, as if defending his behavior.
And that stayed in my mind.
So when I was writing the script, it all came back to me.
The lines for Otokichi Hiruta came to me easily,
because I was writing what I actually heard him say.
RASHOMON
Nearly 50 years ago,
Akira Kurosawa had this to say.'
"In order to create something new,
you must address those things that couldn't be depicted before.
And that should be achieved not through story but through character.
In fact, Japanese movies in the past
have only depicted the lower-middle class.
Missing has been the realistic portrayal
of intellectuals, scientists,
artists, politicians and laborers.
Such characters must be presented in movies from now on.
People often say story is boring.
But a story naturally forms around a well-drawn character.
If one is only concerned with story,
and characters are flat, the result will be a boring movie. "
MADADAYO
"Filmmakers in Japan focus on stories to make,
but when only formulaic characters are shown,
nothing interesting happens in a movie. "
"A good script gives a movie crew courage
to overcome almost insurmountable shooting conditions.
A good script enables a film crew
to exhibit their abilities to the fullest." - Akira Kurosawa.
CHAPTER THREE - STORYBOARDS
RHAPSODY IN AUGUST- ON LOCATION
Upon arriving on location, Kurosawa sometimes draws storyboards.
A new image comes into his mind.
He draws big, bold pictures. Only two frames fit on a sheet.
RHAPSODY I N AUGUST
Do you think what Grandma said is true?
I can't believe Suzukichi would come swimming here at night.
Drawing a storyboard requires you to make ideas more precise.
So showing the storyboard helps the crew to understand what I want.
It's the simplest way to achieve that,
and the easiest way to show them an idea.
Changes to storyboards are made constantly.
That's because a movie is like a living thing.
When a new idea pops up during shooting breaks,
he immediately draws it on storyboards.
He even writes new dialogue on the storyboards.
He speaks the lines out loud and expands further on the idea.
I made a storyboard for the scene where the kids look out over Nagasaki.
I explained to the kids the general idea of the scene.
Then Shinji climbed up on the fence.
It would never have occurred to me to do that.
An 80-year old man wouldn't do that,
and what I write comes from me.
So when Shinji did that,
I had to change everything,
from composition to the camera movements that had already been decided upon.
So in a sense, Shinji determined how that scene was shot.
But that improved the composition of the scene.
THE AMBUSH SCENE IN SANSHIRO SUGATA
This is the storyboard for the ambush scene in Sanshiro Sugata.
Each movement of the action is precisely drawn.
POSTER FROM 1929: "PROTECT OUR UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS"
It's well known that, as a young man, Kurosawa wanted to become a painter.
MEETING AT A CONSTRUCTION SITE
The storyboards for Ran were drawn in extravagantly rich colors.
That's because the movie called for the magical beauty of color.
The storyboards for Madadayo,
describe the actions of the protagonist's followers in minute detail.
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STORYBOARD FOR MADADAYO
Kurosawa had this to say.'
"You see many scenes that take place in the rain.
We shot all of them together.
I considered all camera angles so they could be shot in one long take.
On the storyboards, I drew the scenes from every angle.
The shot from the back of this house was done in one take.
The reason I draw storyboards
is to communicate to my crew what I have in mind,
and also to clearly grasp the visual image I'm after.
For example, how the building looks,
what is placed in the shot and where,
and what the characters wear.
These are all helpful when I direct. That's why I draw storyboards. "
"When I tried to draw well, the results were uninteresting.
But when I Just concentrated on drawing my image of a film,
people found the results fascinating.
I found this very intriguing." - Akira Kurosawa
CHAPTER FOUR- SHOOTING A MOVIE
Take your positions.
Move forward a little.
I'm actually not happy when the shot comes out as I imagined.
Rather-
I consider a scene thoroughly before I give direction to my crew,
but the actors or crew come up with new ideas,
and that changes things.
Although the overall story must be maintained,
these new ideas can enrich it in different ways.
For example, if the lighting guys suggest something interesting,
then the camera crew might find a different way to shoot.
What's the matter, Grandma?
It's the bomb!
MADADAYO
The sun's companion
Sometimes becomes round
Or grows as thin as a finger
Through spring and summer
Fall and winter
It shines down on Japan
Kurosawa often employs multiple cameras
to shoot a scene.
Kurosawa commented.'
"At the most, there are eight cameras shooting a scene.
Actors can't concentrate on just one camera.
They don't know which camera is shooting them,
or which one is trained on them for close-ups.
That makes them act with their whole body.
There's one camera getting an establishing shot,
and one for close-up shots is way in the back with a long lens.
When the camera isn't up close, actors must act with their whole body,
and that produces very natural acting. "
THE IDIOT
Kurosawa's films have several characteristic shooting styles.
Pan-focus is one example.
They contain images not typical in Japanese cinema.
He is intent on creating impressive imagery.
Kurosawa was an innovator of many shooting techniques.
RASHOMON
Using a camera in the forest on a location shoot
was very unusual back in 1950, when Rashomon was shot.
Effective use of the long lens for panning
was also revolutionary at the time.
Everyone thought it was a dolly shot.
And pointing the camera toward the sun was unthinkable.
The image captured was innovative,
but it was believed then that the sun would burn the film.
Such difficult demands
on the part of Kurosawa have been met by two men
who have worked with him since Kagemusha,
TAKAO SAITO - CINEMATOGRAPHER
Takao Saito and Shoji Ueda.
SHOJI UEDA - CINEMATOGRAPHER
RHAPSODY IN AUGUST
Let's take a look at Kurosawa's unwavering determination during a shoot.
The scene shows boys looking in the window...
and the view inside the window.
How the second part of the scene was shot shows his determination.
They begin by shooting the first part.
But the camera doesn't move at all. It remains in the same position.
This is the shot Kurosawa wants.
Instead of moving the camera, the walls are removed.
That's how this scene was shot.
Working on Kurosawa's team is a kind of film school.
Saito learned Kurosawa's work under Asakazu Nakai.
And Ueda learned under Saito
how Kurosawa's films are made, and he has grown into his job.
"It's critical to make sure you have a good subject.
If the subject itself is flawed,
changing the shooting method will not help the shot.
The challenge is in shooting something worthy of watching."
- Akira Kurosawa
CHAPTER FIVE - LIGHTING
In the thunder and lightning scene, we have terrifying lightning.
And it's a long scene. I'm not sure of the exact length -
I'm planning to shoot the entire scene all together.
How much intensity is required for the lightning,
and from which direction the flashes should come,
were discussed with the lighting team.
That's right. Do it like that.
Wait. Let's bring it down.
A bit more. A little longer.
There's a right moment for the light to go out.
TAKEJI SANO - LIGHTING DIRECTOR
It's better this way.
That's good. All right.
You know, Sano.
It's not good when the flashes are only coming from this side.
Some from that side, too?
Yes, it looks fat when they only come from one side.
It would be better to have some from the left side as well.
The first time Kurosawa made a color film
was several years after Japanese cinema entered the color era.
Lighting color films is different from lighting black-and-white films.
The established lighting technique of that time
was not satisfactory to Kurosawa.
His sense of color demanded
deeper and brighter levels of color.
Kurosawa once commented about lighting.'
"Lighting is all wrong in current color movies.
They are lighting everything to show the colors. "
Kurosawa said that that's why the colors lacked depth.
Therefore, the color green, for example,
in today's color films does not come out as deep green,
but rather as a flat green that lacks depth.
MADADAYO
Also, when shooting a truly black object,
he would use a red light on the object.
That's how true black can be captured on film.
Even for shooting a landscape,
the reflectors are colored to enhance the color he wants.
Blue to enhance red,
purple to enhance yellow, and so on.
It's as if he's using techniques from oil painting.
That's how the colors in his films take on their depth.
Perhaps what Kurosawa learned as an aspiring painter
comes alive in details such as this.
One person who was responsive to Kurosawa's sense of color
was lighting director Takeji Sano.
He was in charge of lighting from Kagemusha
to Kurosawa's last film Madadayo.
He made great contributions to Kurosawa's films.
This waterfall should look like it has clear water.
TAKEJI SANO - LIGHTING DIRECTOR
And it needs to have a somewhat strange color as well.
My team is lighting the waterfall, but it won't be an easy Job.
First of all, bringing in the equipment will be difficult.
So we'll use a crane and cables for that.
The waterfall is described as a place where a water sprite might lurk.
So my team's aim is to light the waterfall
so that the pool beneath it will have a strange color and atmosphere,
different from an ordinary waterfall.
When you read Mr. Kurosawa's script,
you know that that's the effect you need to get.
So the challenge is how to light the pool
to get that unusual color.
To do that, we're using fishing lamps
such as are used to light 900 feet below the ocean's surface.
As these lights are slowly raised,
the fish that gather around them are caught in nets.
We're going to sink 20 or 30 of them into the pool.
The lights will be colored when they are lit.
That would make the pool glow a strange color,
and I think we can achieve what Mr. Kurosawa is looking for.
The lamps we're using aren't ordinary fishing lamps.
We've checked the colors
and special-ordered light bulbs in a certain color.
I hope we'll find a use for these lights in the future,
but this may be the only time they'll be used.
But when you read the script and look at the storyboards,
we couldn't skimp on these lights.
We try our best to achieve
what Mr. Kurosawa has envisioned.
So for this scene, I hope the lights will produce the right effect.
"Through mastering the technology, the way will open.
If one neglects to hone one's skills in a rush to achieve results,
everything will be in vain." - Akira Kurosawa
CHAPTER SIX-ART DIRECTION
The irreplaceable art director on Kurosawa's films
first worked on Drunken Angel as an assistant in the art department.
His name is Yoshiro Muraki.
His first job as art director was on Record of a Living Being.
YOSHIRO MURAKI -ART DIRECTOR
Since then, he has worked steadily on Kurosawa films.
Muraki spoke about art direction in films.'
"In Japan, art direction in film
is heavily influenced by the style and conventions of Kabuki.
That's why, depending on the situation,
the classification of small props and large props changes,
which makes things confusing.
Artificial flowers on trees are classified as large props,
while those on a broken branch are considered small props.
Horses are classified among small props,
while sand clouds belong to large props.
It's the job of the small-props department
to make the scene of a castle on fire look realistic.
But the burning castle itself is part of large props. "
How amazingly complicated.
In this chapter, let's direct our attention
to movie sets and art direction.
We need this up to here. Get rid of the rest.
And make one of these to stand on its own.
This one is so big that it overpowers this one here.
MODEL OF GRANDMA'S HOUSE IN RHAPSODY IN AUGUST
A thinner one of these?
- For this one. - Which one?
The white one. That small one.
Yes, the small one.
When we were shooting Red Beard,
on the set one day,
teacups were lined up on a door that had been laid out horizontally,
like a working table.
I asked what they were doing.
When I looked at the teacups, they were all filled with tea.
They were staining the cups with tea.
It was the small-props guys.
The stains wouldn't show in the film, but they were sticklers for details.
You should never tell them that small details like that
won't show up in the film.
Without attention to detail like that,
you won't do a good Job on the parts that do show.
That's what creating involves.
The art team built the set for the house.
But I don't call it a set.
It's the place where Grandma lives,
where her siblings used to live, as well as Grandpa.
So the house has been, and still is, in use.
It needs to have a lived-in feeling.
It took quite a while to get that right.
We went to the set every day.
In the beginning,
the house looked like it was for a period drama,
filled with nothing but antique props.
I pointed out that people would drink Coke at that time.
So I told the team to get some Coca-Cola bottles.
But the guys in art direction tend to place props as if they're on display.
Instead of having some baskets lying about,
they look like they're on display.
I said, "No, not like that.
Just arrange them casually.
Don't put them on display.
Think of how they're used and left lying around the house."
But it was hard for the guys to get that.
They would "display" things.
"You need a well-made set to draw out good acting.
Off-the-set rehearsals can only bring performance to a certain level.
But once the set is complete and the aging treatment is done,
everything feels real.
When you bring actors into such an environment,
their acting rises to another level." - Akira Kurosawa
CHAPTER SEVEN - COSTUMES
They want to touch things up.
They try to put every hair back in place.
But hair falls out of place naturally.
No one constantly brushes their hair to keep it perfectly in place.
But they want to make it look perfect.
KAGEMUSHA - AT A SHOOT
Kurosawa's team is expected to improve
on what Kurosawa has imagined for his films.
What is expected of them is summed up by the key word "bolder."
That applies to costumes as well.
In other words, Kurosawa is in search of ways to enhance his vision.
When something's suggested that's better than his original concept,
he has no qualms about discarding his own vision
and accepting and adopting the new.
He is both insatiable and pure.
Some of his visions
are brought to life from his memory of the past.
The costumes for the procession scene
in the village of water mills in Dreams were inspired
by a trip to Tsugaru to scout locations
as assistant director on Kajiro Yamamoto's Uma.
He had actually seen peasants in such costumes.
Wearing straw hats called baori, quilted vests and colorful scarves,
the peasant girls working in the fields
made the landscape seem like a foreign land to Kurosawa.
COSTUME FITTING FOR KAGEMUSHA
On the other hand,
surviving costumes and armor from feudal Japan
have been designated important cultural artifacts
and are not available for film shoots.
Therefore, the majority of the costumes are made from scratch,
based on historical records.
It is important
not only to reproduce historically correct costumes,
but to integrate colors and functions
necessary to the film as well.
COSTUME DESIGNS FOR RAN
And we see the work of Kurosawa the costume designer.
To him, it is all part of directing a movie.
Therefore, as Kurosawa said,
the undergarments used with a kimono aren't normally visible,
but they could become visible accidentally,
so it is necessary to prepare them.
Also, costumes must look realistic.
Costumes for period dramas cannot look like modern-day kimonos.
If farmers are always wearing new clothes, it would look odd.
Kurosawa commented on this.'
"For Seven Samurai, I had the actors take
the peasants' costumes home and wear them.
I told them, 'That way, you'll know where they get dirty,
so scrub the spots that get tattered with a pumice stone,
and let some spots get shiny with dirt as well. '
Everyone did that very diligently,
and the costumes looked natural on the actors.
It would never have looked right if they wore brand-new costumes.
Though, naturally, I would prepare the costumes in advance. "
This is indicative of how Kurosawa takes responsibility
for every aspect of an on-screen image.
"During the war, there was a trend to enthusiastically praise
Japan and its traditions
out of a sense of nationalism.
Even without taking such a self-flattering stand,
Japan has its own unique world of beauty
that we can be proud of
before the rest of the world." - Akira Kurosawa
CHAPTER EIGHT - EDITING
It's during the editing process that you actually shape a film.
That's what editing is, and that's why it's fun.
When the rushes are ready, I work overtime.
MADADAYO
I would edit that footage in about two hours,
so by the time the entire shoot wraps,
I only have the last of the footage to edit, and the rest is done.
The reason this works best
is because it's a lot of work
to edit all the footage you've shot at once.
But if you edit daily,
the footage you shot is still fresh in your mind.
Also, in editing,
you discover things you overlooked or that you need to look out for.
Also, when I shoot,
I have two or three cameras rolling at the same time
from different angles.
My crew doesn't know how the movie is going to look.
I'm the only one who knows.
So it's important to edit and show the film to the crew right away.
Then they'll get an idea of what it looks like,
and that will help them do their job better.
RASHOMON
Kurosawa never considered filmed footage
anything more than raw material waiting to be edited.
He never left the editing job in the hands of an editor.
He found it most interesting and enjoyable.
You could say that shooting with multiple cameras
and drawing his own storyboards
are all part of his process leading up to the editing stage.
At the same time, as soon as it was possible,
Kurosawa showed edited footage to his crew.
If the crew was having difficulty grasping a scene,
once some edited footage was shown to them,
they would realize why it was necessary
to spend days shooting the scene.
The editing process is used as a way
to unite and guide his crew through the shoot.
It's one more element of Kurosawa's directing technique.
I'm really fast at it.
Probably the fastest in the world.
I'm not good with my hands, but it's different with editing.
I do this as I watch the film, and it accumulates here.
Then as it threatens to overflow, I do this,
and it naturally-
When I move the bag like this, the film falls into it.
I make all these movements automatically.
It's like second nature to me.
You have to get to that level.
If you're a filmmaker, you've got to get used to handling film.
It's difficult to wind film, too.
You have to wind it tight.
If it's all in a mess, it's very hard to untangle.
You have to learn those things first.
So when I'm asked how long a close-up should last,
I Just do like this to show how much.
They understand. That's all it takes.
Just show them like this.
You've got to learn everything until it's part of you.
In the lightning scene,
because Ms. Murase is a stage actress,
she blocked out her movements.
I told her that was all wrong.
I was in a bad mood at the time.
I told her she could stumble around or whatever it took,
but she had to cover the children with something white.
Then she asked me what to do next, and I was Just -
In the end, I was really irritated.
Do that quickly. Even more.
You two run to this side.
Now Tadao speaks.
No, no. Do your line correctly.
Do it right.
It's too slow.
Cover them more quickly.
Don't do it so neatly. Just throw it over them.
But she Just couldn't do it right.
So I thought I would Jump some frames
and edit these slow parts out.
As I was editing them out,
I inserted two frames of a lightning flash,
which are all-white frames.
That makes it's possible to Jump to any other frame
after those two white frames.
It's odd, but it works.
When you Jump frames, the next image that appears is disconnected.
But by inserting Just two frames of white-out,
you can Jump to any frame.
The bomb!
What's the matter, Grandma?
What is it, Grandma?
The bomb! You two, quick! Put this over you.
This is the best protection.
There are many who survived because they were wearing something white!
According to Kurosawa, the most important thing in editing
is to become free of subjectivity.
Even when a lot of work went into shooting certain footage,
if it would be confusing
or boring to viewers,
then that footage should be edited out.
He explains that as a film director you know this,
but it is often very hard to actually do it.
"To be faithful only to the director's vision
may or may not be the correct way to edit films.
Each fragment of imagery is a piece of art in itself.
One must first be aware of how each fragment is crying out to be used
before one begins the task of editing." - Akira Kurosawa
CHAPTER NI NE - MUSIC
In a movie, there's an interaction of visual image and sound.
Sometimes it's best when the two elements are in unison,
and sometimes it's best when there's a counterpoint.
"Counterpoint: A technique to compare and contrast opposing elements to develop a story."
I think music and film have that kind of relationship.
In some cases,
music by itself may be incomplete,
but that could be exactly why it may work perfectly with imagery-
because they would meld together.
When music is complete by itself, it interferes with the image.
Making music for a movie is not easy.
I've had problems in the past.
And the musicians, you know -
They want to provide you with music that's complete.
Hayasaka understood what is required of movie music.
It's different from conventional music.
There's a scene in Seven Samurai
where Heihachi dies.
As peasants cry,
Kikuchiyo dashes out
and raises Heihachi's flag on the roof,
and the fag flutters in the wind.
We had an orchestral rendition of the samurai theme first.
And I told Hayasaka
it was too soon to have
an orchestral rendition of the theme.
"Use trumpets instead.
I don't know exactly how many, but do a trumpet rendition like this.
Do something like that."
MUSIC COMPOSED BY FUMIO HAYASAKA
Then we can cut to the wind effect.
He said, "That's a good idea."
And he decided it would be better with some echo effect.
He gathered six trumpet players at Toho Studios
in the middle of the night
and had them play the music, which echoed through the studios.
He made them play it again and again until morning.
FUMIO HAYASAKA - COMPOSER
That's the music we used.
The next day, we had complaints from the entire neighborhood.
They couldn't sleep at all.
I'm sure that's true. The musicians were giving it all they had.
But that's what movie music is.
It's a little strange when you think of it as Just music.
SCANDAL
Masako died.
She died saying, "Father, Aoi won."
She cried, "Aoi won."
And then she died.
Kurosawa said the following.'
"In the scene where the father cries, saying his daughter died,
Hayasaka's work was revolutionary.
Ordinarily, you wouldn't use trumpets in a tragic scene. "
RASHOMON
With Rashomon,
there was a big debate over the use of"Bolero."
When you talk about "Bolero" -
I mean "Bolero" by Ravel. Bolero has a distinctive style.
The melody that Hayasaka wrote was very Japanese,
but it was rendered in the style of bolero.
But even knowing that,
Ravel's "Bolero" is so well known
that bolero music all sounds like Ravel's "Bolero."
So having this music that's associated with Ravel
in a Japanese period movie was a bit Jarring for viewers.
Viewers abroad commented on that as well.
So movie music is tricky.
Japanese movies of the past
had this custom of using
only music written by a certain film composer.
But what's really effective is -
This is a simple example.
When you're very sad and suffering -
We're talking about realism here.
When you introduce happy music into a situation like that,
the sadness and suffering really come through.
Banzai!
THE QUIET DUEL
Have some sweets.
THE IDIOT
You look like you're scared of that girl.
I am.
I'm scared of seeing her.
She represents
all my dreams.
Until then, movie music
had been a mere accompaniment to explain the story.
The way music was used in Kurosawa's films always surprised us.
Drama depicts all these human emotions,
and music intertwines among them
in a strange and mysterious way.
If you compose the music first on its own,
all those human emotions would be missing from it.
"A woman is crying.
But there are different kinds of crying.
If mediocre music is added to the scene,
the woman's sadness cannot be fully expressed by the music.
It restricts interpretation.
It's no good when music's only function is to describe."
- Akira Kurosawa
CHAPTER TEN - DIRECTING
RHAPSODY IN AUGUST- LOCATION SHOOT
I can't forget that eye either.
There's nothing as frightening.
No. You're trying too hard with your line.
Do it more offhandedly.
"I can't forget that eye either."
"That eye either."
I can't forget that eye either.
There's nothing as frightening.
The last part was good. So let's do -
Your idea is a little off, and you're stressing it too much.
Say the line more casually.
When you say it, the character has become her past self.
She doesn't know the kids.
She forgets about her grandchildren and returns to her past self.
Otherwise the kids won't be able to see the eye.
The kids witness their grandma's strange outburst.
Then, when they get together later to talk about it,
they see the eye in their imagination.
That's the point of this scene. So try to do it as I've explained.
Your mind has completely returned to the past.
When you talk about Suzukichi,
you must look like you're actually seeing him.
Suzukichi was terrified. He didn't move.
He stared wide-eyed at the sky.
After that, he was possessed by the eye.
He could see nothing else.
And he kept drawing that picture.
You're saying the last part as if you're describing it to the kids.
But that's not good.
Say it as if Suzukichi is actually visible.
Don't think about the kids.
Look here where Suzukichi is sitting on his behind.
You're looking at Suzukichi.
He stared wide-eyed at the sky.
Point your feet like this.
You keep on pointing them like this.
Suzukichi was staring at the sky.
Grandma.
What's the matter, Grandma?
The bomb! You two, quick! Put this over you.
This is the best protection.
Just move around.
Just move as you like and respond naturally.
You're planning how to move. That's why you're not getting it.
Don't think about where to move next.
Just do it naturally.
Don't hold back.
In the end, do it like you're -
Cover the kids with your body, almost diving on top of them.
I know it's physically difficult.
Please, let's do it.
My way of thinking isn't all that complicated.
To be natural -
I like to live my life in a natural manner, for example.
So I like everything to be natural.
That applies to acting as well.
Even if I already have an idea of how a scene should be acted,
I never insist on it.
So when an actor comes up
with another idea for a scene,
if it's good, I'll go with that.
Even if it's different from mine.
That is, as long as it doesn't stray from the main story line.
CAN YOU TEACH SOMEONE HOW TO DIRECT?
It's very difficult.
There's the question of building a film school, for example.
Building it is fine,
and practical things can be taught.
But talent can't be taught.
Teaching what cinema is is also very difficult.
People who don't get it, Just can't get it.
To explain what cinema is in abstract words
is not something I'm capable of doing.
Throughout his life, director Akira Kurosawa
continued questioning and exploring what cinema is.
He described it as follows.'
"Directing includes guiding actors,
shooting, lighting, sound recording, art direction,
music, editing and dubbing.
They are all part of directing.
Although they are all classified as separate tasks,
they are mixed together in my mind,
and it's impossible to think of each one separate from the others. "
Kurosawa revolutionized all aspects of directing.
He was the first director to point the camera directly into the sun.
He used the reflection of light in an actor's eyes
to portray a girl suffering from fever.
He had the playfulness to paint the shadow of a house on the ground.
He was an internationalist
who shot a story about Russians in the Russian language.
He was a forerunner who developed the current model for cop films,
in which an older, experienced detective is paired with a rookie.
A higher percentage of his films are remade abroad than anyone else's.
Also, as a filmmaker he pioneered
the use of new technology in moviemaking.
His vision also encompassed movie theaters themselves,
as well as issues concerning film education.
For Kurosawa, directing a movie
was as multifaceted as his life.
In other words, for Kurosawa
directing was equivalent to creating movies.
There are many talented comic-book artists.
You can make money with comic books,
but you can't make money with movies.
That's one of the reasons the Japanese movie industry is dying.
When I became an assistant director,
500 people applied for five available positions.
They were the most promising students from the best universities.
But now, no such students would apply.
When I ask why, they tell me the movie industry seems dead.
An industry with no apparent future doesn't attract talent.
It wasn't always like that.
When Mikio Naruse and Sadao Yamanaka were becoming known,
the movie industry was full of talented people.
So it attracted new talent,
and only the most promising five were hired.
I was the odd man out. They would hire one who was different.
That was their policy. I was also not a college graduate.
The others were from the universities of Tokyo, Kyoto, Keio and Waseda.
One remaining spot went to a guy with an interesting resumé.
That was the policy at PCL back then.
Now, the good ones don't apply.
Movies were really big back in those days,
so everyone who had talent wanted to work in the industry.
In Toho Studios' early days, assistant directors were considered
executive trainees.
That is, directors in training.
So they made us study in every department of movie making.
By the time you became a chief assistant director,
you'd built up some experience.
Nowadays, chief assistant directors aren't developed like that.
So it's a problem.
When shooting a battle scene,
Honda, the chief, oversees the shoot,
and we can hear his voice in this vast, open space.
My voice travels well, too.
But assistant directors all use the bullhorn,
and it Just isn't the same.
Their voices Just don't travel well.
I guess that also comes from practice.
Before the film starts rolling, the chief says, "Quiet, please."
Then it gets really quiet.
But other assistant directors can't do that.
When I do it, my voice gets a little high-pitched,
like, "Quiet, please." But when it's the chief-
One chief I had said it like, "Quiet, please."
But his voice still traveled well
because he had learned from experience.
When shooting a battle scene on location,
we'd scream "Charge!" and such.
The guys with bullhorns are Just not effective.
But when Ino-san, who's a quiet man, INOJIRO HONDA - DIRECTOR
says, "Charge!" Everyone can hear it.
That's a result of practice.
It's actually an essential skill.
In spite of his concerns about the industry,
Kurosawa did not forget his love of movies
or the people who carried on the tradition.
His love of movies was never stronger.
In other words, for Kurosawa, directing was not
just a technique used to express something.
He thought of it as something that reflected how you lived your life.
Therefore, if a director makes a film he really wants to make,
his ability as a director should really shine.
Anyone who creates something is a perfectionist.
Someone who's never satisfied with what he makes
is the real creator.
If you are really dedicated to your work,
any kind of Job becomes enjoyable.
That's why people work enthusiastically. They find their Job enjoyable.
You can't make good stuff unless you enjoy your work.
Otherwise, it can be really hard to go to work.
My crew like their Jobs here.
It's fun to see how your work contributed to a film.
So that makes everyone work hard.
If you don't have enthusiasm for your work,
then Just quit.
I would fire someone like that.
Even if your contribution is very small,
you're working hard to make it better.
That makes the Job fun.
It seems directing reflects
one's entire humanity.
Therefore, directing is one of those fields
that is most difficult to explain logically.
Kurosawa had a stock answer
when asked about his goal when directing a film.
He would say, "The movie just turned out that way by itself."
He was not trying to evade the question.
That's truly how he felt.
If you aspire to become a film director,
actual movie making is more important than film theory.
"Even if you can't make a film, you can still write a script, "
was Kurosawa's favorite saying.
Through real movie making,
he challenged himself over and over and gained experience.
And through his rich memory, he was able to find
his own directing style appropriate for each movie.
I want to make movies, beautiful movies.
I've pursued that goal for more than 50 years.
Close to 60 years now.
But I don't think I've yet fully grasped what a movie is.
With this new movie,
I'd like viewers to be pleased that a wonderful new movie has been made.
I would like everyone to savor the beauty of cinema.
What I am aiming for- rather, hoping for-
is to make a wonderful, beautiful movie.
I want to convey in a natural fashion what I think through the movie
and have people around the world appreciate it.
A movie projected on a screen
allows people all over the world
to share in the lives of the movie's characters.
Sharing their suffering and sadness helps people understand each other.
That is a special role that movies play.
I think that's the best thing about movies.
It's through the beauty of a movie
that this can be accomplished.
People appreciate beauty all over the world.
Through beauty, we can -
If the beauty of a movie is appreciated, then we can understand each other.
That's the kind of movie I want to make.
That is my aim with this movie.
In that sense, with this new movie,
I wanted to make a movie that would be considered
the most beautiful of my movies.
That was my primary purpose in making this movie.
So it isn't really about presenting a message.
"Obviously, directing is different from writing a script.
It's quite different from drawing storyboards.
It's not possible to direct with words.
One directs with living human beings." - Akira Kurosawa
I hope you've enjoyed this film.
KAZUKO KUROSAWA
It's difficult to describe Akira Kurosawa in a few words,
and movies cannot be described in a few words either.
I believe Akira Kurosawa strove
for clarity and simplicity in filmmaking,
and he pursued that to the end.
As a member of his team, I will carry on his legacy
and endeavor to make movies in the future.
To everyone on the Kurosawa team, thank you for years of dedication.
And to his fans, thank you very much.
FOR BEAUTIFUL MOVIES