Who was Akira Kurosawa? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Died At Age: 88

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Yōko Yaguchi

father: Isamu Kurosawa

mother: Shima Kurosawa

siblings: Heigo Kurosawa

children: Hisao Kurosawa, Kazuko Kurosawa

Born Country: Japan

Directors Japanese Men

Height: 6'0" (183 cm), 6'0" Males

Died on: September 6, 1998

place of death: Tokyo, Japan

Cause of Death: Stroke

City: Tokyo, Japan

Founder/Co-Founder: Kurosawa Film Studio

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What are some of Akira Kurosawa's most famous films?

Akira Kurosawa is known for directing iconic films such as "Seven Samurai," "Rashomon," "Yojimbo," "Throne of Blood," and "Ikiru."
2

What impact did Akira Kurosawa have on cinema?

Akira Kurosawa is often credited with influencing modern filmmaking techniques and storytelling methods, particularly in the realm of samurai and period films.
3

Did Akira Kurosawa collaborate with any famous actors or filmmakers?

Yes, Akira Kurosawa frequently collaborated with actor Toshiro Mifune and composer Masaru Sato on many of his films.
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What was Akira Kurosawa's approach to directing actors?

Akira Kurosawa was known for his meticulous attention to detail and his ability to bring out powerful performances from his actors through extensive rehearsals and precise direction.
5

How did Akira Kurosawa's cultural background influence his filmmaking?

Akira Kurosawa's deep understanding of Japanese history and culture is reflected in his films, which often explore themes of honor, duty, and the human condition within a historical or cultural context.

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Childhood & Early Life

Akira Kurosawa was born on March 23, 1910, in Tokyo, Japan. He was the youngest of eight children born to Isamu and Shima. His father was a member of a former samurai family who later became a teacher at the Army's Physical Education Institute. His father was a progressive thinker who considered films and theatre to have educational merit.

In school, Akira was inspired by his elementary school teacher, Mr. Tachikawa, who helped him discover the joys of drawing. He also learnt calligraphy and Kendo swordsmanship.

Among the seven siblings, the one who influenced Kurosawa the most was Heigo, his senior by four years. He encouraged young Akira to face his fears and confront unpleasant truths which would later become the basis for many of his films.

During the 1920s, Heigo became a narrator for silent films and thus, Kurosawa was exposed to films, theatre, and circus performances. He gave up his ambition to become a painter when he realized his art was not enough to provide a living.

When Akira was 23, Heigo committed suicide. This was as a major tragedy in his life that would affect him deeply and left a lasting sense of loss.

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Career

Akira Kurosawa began his career in 1936 as an assistant director at Photo Chemical Laboratories (known as P.C.L) cinema studio. He mostly worked under Kajiro Yamamoto who had taken a liking to him. He was given more responsibilities as a result and he dabbled in errands from stage construction to film development.

He made his debut as a director in 1943, with the film ‘Sanshiro Sugata’. The film was caught in a censorship battle because it was deemed too “British-American”. The intervention of director Yasujirō Ozu made the movie see the light of day. It was a story of Japanese judo masters of the 1880s and became a critical and commercial success.

He then directed ‘Ichiban Utsukushiku’ (The Most Beautiful) in 1944; the movie was about wartime female factory workers. It was on this movie’s sets that he met his future wife, Yōko Yaguchi.

His first major work, ‘Yoidore Tenshi’ (Drunken Angel) was released in 1948. It won rave reviews and was chosen as the “Best Film of the Year” by the Kinema Junpo critics’ poll. He cast Toshiro Mifune, then an unknown actor, as the lead and thus began their long collaboration.

With producer Sōjirō Motoki and directors Kajiro Yamamoto, Mikio Naruse, and Senkichi Taniguchi, he formed an independent production unit called Eiga Geijutsu Kyōkai (Film Art Association). The first film under this banner was the modest hit, ‘The Quiet Duel’.

1950 was a turning point in his career. It was the year he directed ‘Rashomon’. Based on an experimental short story, it was marked by its unique theme and treatment. Critics were unimpressed and gave it a lukewarm response. What the Japanese film world was unprepared for was the response from the West. ‘Rashomon’ was received with huge acclaim at the Venice Film Festival and laid the foundation for his entry into the Western film world.

His greatest commercial success was ‘Shichinin No Samurai’ (Seven Samurai) in 1954. His attention-to-detail and numerous rehearsals made this epic almost 3 ½ hours long. In 1979, it was voted the best Japanese film ever made in a poll by Japan’s leading critics.

He set up Kurosawa Productions in 1960 and made a number of entertainment films such as ‘Yojimbo’ (The Bodyguard) in 1961 and ‘Akahige’ (Red Beard) in 1965.

His first Hollywood project ‘Tora! Tora! Tora!’ was produced by 20th Century Fox and Kurosawa Productions, in 1970. It dramatized the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor from both the American and the Japanese points-of-view. It was not well-received by critics and the public and thus began a period of struggle for him.

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Success eluded him for some time until 1975, when his film ‘Dersu Uzala’, a story about a Siberian hermit won him many accolades and put him back on the map.

His success continued with ‘Kagemusha’ in 1980 and ‘Ran’ in 1985. Both these films depicted powerful scenes, grand imagery, and intense dramatic performances and went on to become his most notable works.

Madadayo’ (1993) would become the last film he would direct before ill health slowed him down and confined him to a wheelchair. It was not well-received.

Major Works

‘Rashomon’ (1950), a period film became his first notable work winning him numerous accolades and acclaim. The film’s minimalist sets, simple sound and light systems, and technical expertise were influenced by his love of silent cinema and modern art.

Awards & Achievements

His period drama, ‘Rashomon’ (1950) was the surprise winner at the Venice Film Festival and won the “Golden Lion”. This helped put Japanese film onto the world stage and projected his directorial prowess.

‘Dersu Uzala’, his Soviet-Japanese film won the “Golden Prize” and the “Prix FIPRESCI” at the 9th Moscow International Film Festival and the 1976 Oscar for “Best Foreign Language Film”. It was based on the memoir of Russian explorer Vladimir Arsenyev accounting his expeditions and was Kurosawa’s first non-Japanese film.

1980 brought him a “Palme d’Or” at the Cannes Film Festival, a BAFTA Film Award, and a César Award for his film ‘Kagemusha’.

In 1990, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded him the Academy Honorary Award “for cinematic accomplishments that have inspired, delighted, enriched and entertained worldwide audiences and influenced filmmakers throughout the world”. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg presented him with the award.

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AsianWeek magazine named him “Asian of the Century” in the category of “Arts, Literature, and Culture”. CNN called him “one of the [five] people who contributed most to the betterment of Asia in the past 100 years”. Both these honors were bestowed on him posthumously.

Personal Life & Legacy

During the production of ‘The Most Beautiful’, Kurosawa met Yōko Yaguchi, an actress. He and Yaguchi fell in love, despite their professional differences and constant fighting, and married on May 21, 1945. Yaguchi abandoned her acting career and dedicated herself to her family. They lived together till Yaguchi’s death in 1985.

The couple had two chilren; a son, Hisao, and a daughter, Kazuko. Hisao went on to produce a few of Kurosawa’s films while Kazuko became a noted costume designer.

While wrapping up the post-production of ‘The Sea is Watching’ (1995), he broke the base of his spine after a nasty slip. His directing career ended and he was confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

The fall weakened his health. He was confined to bed for the last year and a half of his life and he spent this time listening to music and watching television. He died of a stroke on September 6, 1998, at the age of 88.

Facts About Akira Kurosawa

Akira Kurosawa was known for his unique method of storytelling, often incorporating elements of Japanese Noh theater and Western cinematic techniques in his films.

Kurosawa was a perfectionist when it came to filmmaking, often insisting on multiple takes to ensure that every aspect of a scene was just right.

Despite being a highly respected filmmaker, Kurosawa had a playful side and was known to enjoy practical jokes on set to lighten the mood.

Kurosawa had a deep appreciation for nature and often used natural elements such as wind, rain, and snow to add depth and symbolism to his films.

Kurosawa was also a prolific painter and calligrapher, and his artistic talents often influenced the visual style of his films.

1987	Best Foreign Language Film	Ran (1985)
1981	Best Direction	Kagemusha (1980)

Akira Kurosawa Biography

You wanted to know

What are some of Akira Kurosawa's most famous films?

What impact did Akira Kurosawa have on cinema?

Did Akira Kurosawa collaborate with any famous actors or filmmakers?

What was Akira Kurosawa's approach to directing actors?

How did Akira Kurosawa's cultural background influence his filmmaking?