Akira Kurosawa's Madadayo

Why, I would like it if you did get started, because then I could have some meaningful dialouge with you.

My favorite scenes:

When the prisoners escape and fight for freedom on the straircase.

When Matakishi and Tahei swear allegience to eachother only to forget when the horses show up with the gold.

When Makabe and Tadokoro have their fight.

When Makabe chases down the scouts. I was very impressed with Toshirô Mifune's riding skills.

When the Princess smacks the greedy ones with reeds, bamboo, and tree limbs.

When the slave falls in love with the princess and becomes protective of her.

I also love the setting where the fortress is located. I felt like I was seeing a whole new world that I never belonged to.

I kept waiting for the greedy ones to show their worth and place their friends first, but they never did. I liked that. It was true to life.

A wonderful film.

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"Today, war is too important to be left to politicians. They have neither the time, the training, nor the inclination for strategic thought. I can no longer sit back and allow Communist infiltration, Communist indoctrination, Communist subversion and the international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids."

Slay, you chose one of the best filmmakers to start your journey!
(Your reviews are always interesting to read too.)

I can't understand why nobody has mentioned Kagemusha. Maybe I was an impressionable teen at the time, but it's one of my favorites. If I remember correctly it won the Grand Prix prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 1980.
Seven Samurai is definitely a must. Ran is another of my favorites.

Just to update what I've seen since I started this thread:

• Yojimbo
• Sanjuro
• The Hidden Fortress
• Madadayo
• Seven Samurai
• Ran
• Stray Dog
• Rashômon
• The Idiot
• Ikiru
• Throne of Blood
• Kagemusha
• Dreams
• High and Low
• Red Beard

Next on my list is Dreams. I have to admit, I'm in love with Kurosawa's work and will make it a point to see everything he did.

EDIT: Added two more to my list.

Dreams is visually amazing!

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NEW (as of 1/24/05): Quick Reviews #10

Add these to my list:

• Dreams
• High and Low

Consider them added.

My list is much shorter, but I'm working on it:

The Seven Samurai
Yojimbo
Ran
Dreams
The Hidden Fortress

I should have Sanjuro viewed by next week.

I've seen nineteen of Kurosawa's films and liked them all except Rhapsody in August.

I absolutely hated that film!

You number them but don't tell us. Which have you seen that I have not? I'd like more referrals.

The Men Who Tread On the Tiger's Tail

Drunken Angel

The Bad Sleep Well

Red Beard

Dersu Uzala

Rhapsody in August

I liked all of these except for the last.

The film I was most impressed with of these is Dersu Uzala.

Filmed in the then Soviet Union, it seemed that Kurosawa used a style similar to the great Russian directors.

I haven't seen The Idiot.

Just finished Red Beard today. Pretty damn terrific.

Watched Sanjuro earlier in the week. Kurosawa can't go wrong. So far, so good. Not a dud in the bunch. I had to re-watch the end about 10 times with all the blood coming out of that guy!

Hope you don't mind me bringing this back to Madadayo, but I saw this last week...and eventhough I basically liked it...I consider this a man's type of movie. I have to confess I had to stop it half way through (because I watched it late at night and it didn't capture my attention or emotion enough to see it through), and finished watching it the next day.

My biggest complaint is the small role the beloved professor's wife played in this movie...she was always played his servant....and rarely spoke. I really wanted to see more of his relationship with his wife, but it was definately a movie about his grown students admiration for him. It thought was sweet...but left me wanting to know more about this man's life than was presented. Madadayo was well done, and as I said, I liked it for the most part...I especially liked the ending...but I really doubt I'll see this again.

Of course...I'm just a woman.

Since this post in May, I've watched the following Kurosawa films:

Sanjuro
They Who Step on the Tiger's Tail
High and Low
Stray Dog
Sugata Sanshiro
The Bad Sleep Well

I have been on the fence about buying dreams, but now I think I have decided...I think my next purchases will be Dreams and Ran....

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