tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2215553202978284468.post6933936789455962598..comments2024-02-06T16:17:25.826+00:00Comments on THE GRĂNMARK BLOG: The greatness of Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune: Throne of Blood, The Hidden Fortress, Stray Dog and SanjuroScott Gronmarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118026157459333174noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2215553202978284468.post-8592687494921350672018-11-01T12:29:55.287+00:002018-11-01T12:29:55.287+00:00Great round up. I thought they worked very well to...Great round up. I thought they worked very well together in both Samurai and modern day city dramas like Stray Dog.<br /><br />Sanjuro is, of course, one of the few sequels that betters the originalgogilesgohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07103323113636996342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2215553202978284468.post-40100873635028896002018-10-14T10:31:57.125+01:002018-10-14T10:31:57.125+01:00I really enjoyed this post [especially the clip ab...I really enjoyed this post [especially the clip about composing movement] so "Domo Arrigato!" It also reminded me again how much more effective black & white film can be in terms of drama and atmosphere and Kurosawa was a master of this medium. But he was also not bad at handling colour - see his take on "Lear". The colour photography in "Ran" [1985] is wonderful. <br /><br /><br />Toshiro Mifune was simply a great and natural actor. Huge presence. I know you are not a war film man, but he gave a very dignified performance as Admiral Yamamoto in "The Battle of Midway" [1976] in which he delivers the admiral's prophesy about awakening a sleeping giant after Pearl Harbour. Strong stuff.SDGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2215553202978284468.post-68954830212390127962018-10-14T00:21:46.137+01:002018-10-14T00:21:46.137+01:00Mystery Train 1989, not exactly a film in the Japa...Mystery Train 1989, not exactly a film in the Japanese Tradition, but for those who love Elvis it's a little gem. southern mannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2215553202978284468.post-26574218140510977052018-10-11T07:53:57.655+01:002018-10-11T07:53:57.655+01:00As often happens, in my view, subtitles can be a d...As often happens, in my view, subtitles can be a delight, and I enjoyed one which occurred in a Japanese film (title forgotten) in which a fierce historical figure shouted a very lengthy rant and the subtitle merely said "no!".Helennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2215553202978284468.post-59056894446235205302018-10-02T01:54:44.997+01:002018-10-02T01:54:44.997+01:00Riveting viewing.I can't help watching Japanes...Riveting viewing.I can't help watching Japanese cinema in the context of Japan's monumental, astonishing, and sometimes ghastly 20th.Century history which very approximately goes something like this:<br />The Russo-Japan war,the Great Kanto Earthquake,Imperialism in Manchuria followed by military expansion in the Far East (Pearl Harbour etc.) Hiroshima/Nagasaki and then Pax Americana and a slew of hokum from Hollywood, economic miracle, leading somehow unsurprisingly to asset price bubble. <br />I think it's an amazing country with Tokyo one of the world's safest most crime free cities unlike one I could mention. <br />southern mamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12809684682512439395noreply@blogger.com