Akira Kurosawa (黒澤明) was a Japanese film director, screenwriter and producer. Born on March 23, 1910 in Tôkyô, he is considered one of the greatest filmmakers in the history of Japanese cinema and a pioneer of modern cinema.
Kurosawa began his career in 1935 and made over 30 films during his career, several of which won numerous awards and received widespread critical acclaim. He is best known for his samurai films, such as “Rashomon” (1950), “The Seven Samurai” (1954) and “Yojimbo” (1961).
Kurosawa is considered a master director, having introduced many innovative techniques to Japanese cinema. His films are known for their realism, complexity and emotional intensity. He was also a strong advocate of collaboration between different aspects of film production, working closely with his actors, writers and cinematographers to create high quality films.
Kurosawa has had a huge influence on modern cinema, especially martial arts films and samurai films. His films were widely imitated and parodied, and he was admired by many important filmmakers, including Martin Scorsese and George Lucas.
Akira Kurosawa died in 1998, in Tokyo on September 6, 1998, at the age of 88, but his legacy lives on in the film world. His films remain essential classics of Japanese cinema and are always appreciated for their mastery of direction, their intense emotion and their realism.
With Rashōmon, he received the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 1951, a reward giving him international notoriety. In 1980, he won the Palme d’Or for Kagemusha, the shadow of the warrior. He received the honorary Oscar in 1990 “for his achievements which have inspired, delighted, enriched and entertained global audiences and influenced filmmakers around the world”.
some movies
1943: The Legend of Great Judo (姿三四郎, Sugata sanshiro) his first film
1948: The Drunken Angel (酔いどれ天使, Yoidore Tenshi) first collaboration with Toshirō Mifune, his favorite actor.
1950: Rashōmon (羅生門, Rashōmon)
1952: Live (生きる, Ikiru)
1954: The Seven Samurai (七人の侍, Shichinin no samurai)
1961: Yojimbo sometimes called The Bodyguard (用心棒, Yojimbo)
1980: Kagemusha, Warrior’s Shadow (影武者, Kagemusha)
1985: Ran (乱, Ran)
1993: Madadayo (まあだだよ, Madadayo), his last film
