Classics of Japanese cinema for people to enjoy~. I will upload more in a couple of days when I get some more free time. I've heard that the pacing of the older Japanese movies is a bit slow for American audiences so if you're used to Hollywood, might want to save these for when you're feeling a bit patient haha.
Kurosawa Akira's Rashōmon
Synopsis (Rotten Tomatoes):
Akira Kurosawa's highly acclaimed film, set in feudal Japan
(HEIAN PERIOD: correction by me), presents an intriguing tale of violent crime in the woods, told from the perspective of four different characters--a bandit (Toshirô Mifune), a woman (Machiko Kyô), her husband (Masayuki Mori), and a woodcutter (Takashi Shimura). Only two things about the incident seem to be clear--the woman was raped and her husband is now dead. However, the other elements radically differ as the four participants and/or witnesses relate their own stories (with the dead man, eerily enough, speaking through a medium). As each account is revealed, what seemed black and white turns to various hues of gray, leading to surprising--and confounding--relevations. A landmark of international cinema, RASHOMON won the prestigious Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 1951, bringing both Kurosawa--and Japanese film in general--to the attention of Western audiences. From the rain-soaked opening sequence to its moving conclusion, the film is a stunning examination of truth and human nature. The entire cast is pitch-perfect, with regular Kurosawa lead actors Mifune and Shimura giving typically outstanding performances. While critics and cinephiles debate over exactly how many masterpieces Kurosawa directed, RASHOMON stands as one of the revered filmmaker's indisputably brilliant motion pictures. In fact, the film's influence is so pervasive that it has inspired everything from a high profile Hollywood remake (THE OUTRAGE starring Paul Newman) to numerous tributes in movies such as COURAGE UNDER FIRE and THE USUAL SUSPECTS.
Japanese Dub
English Sub
Black & White
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Yojimbo
Synopsis (Rotten Tomatoes):
In director Akira Kurosawa's comedic YOJIMBO, a masterless samurai, Sanjuro (Toshirô Mifune), wanders into a town divided by two warring clans. After displaying his formidable swordsmanship before both clans in a brawl with street thugs, Sanjuro offers his services to the highest bidder. When one clan conspires against him, the clever warrior switches his allegiance to the other side, with the ultimate goal of tricking the two equally despicable and foolish clans into exterminating each other. Sanjuro's authority is challenged, however, when Unosuke (Tatsuya Nakadai), a brother of one of the leaders, comes to town wielding a modern contraption: a gun. In the classic final showdown, the old world samurai is pitted against new world progress, and must use both his wits and physical prowess to survive. Perhaps Kurosawa's most overtly comic film, YOJIMBO easily ranks with the director's finest work. In this reconception of the Western, Mifune plays Sanjuro, the tough mercenary of few words, to perfection, often allowing his subtle movements and swift actions speak for him. Throughout the entire film, Sanjuro is vigilant yet stoic, conceding that he finds the scenario entertaining and absurd, and essentially has nothing to lose. Mifune's outstanding performance, combined with Kurosawa's expert direction and Kazuo Miyagawa's beautifully balanced photography, makes for one of the finest, and funniest, films in Japanese cinema.
Japanese Dub
English Sub (Secondary Sub in some language I can't understand)
Black & White
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Teshigahara's Suna no Onna (Woman in the Dunes)
Synopsis: (Rotten Tomatoes)
A Japanese entomologist finds himself held prisoner in a sand pit with an alluring woman who expects him to work at her side. To his surprise, the scientist develops an intense bond with his female companion and resigns himself to an eternity of hypnotic routine. A surreal allegory reflecting man's grim fate, adapted from the acclaimed existentialist novel by Kobo Abe. Academy Award Nominations for Best Director and Best Foreign Film.
Japanese Dub
English Sub
Black & White
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I'll upload Files 10-14 soon; sorry for the delay.