I'm a big Kurosawa fan, but really didn't care for Sanjuro. I'd say it's the worst of Kurosawa's films (I'm also not big on Yojimbo or The Hidden Fortress). It always bothers me when these three films are lauded above High and Low and Red Beard, two great films in my opinion.
So, is this just a matter of taste, or am I missing something?
Rhanna, I've enjoyed all four films that you have mentioned. Sanjuro, IMO, plays more like a light-weight comedy, as do elements of Hidden Fortress. High and Low and Red Beard are much more static films, as Kurosawa seems limited by the interior sets. High and Low is an interesting police procedural and both films are excellent character studies, but, lack the sweeping scope of visuals available to Kurosawa in his other "historical era" films. Yojimbo, is a master work of camera angles to aid the story telling. I've discussed this in greater detail in another thread.
Individual tastes are, of course, involved. His films Sanjuro and Hidden Fortress, in particular, are refered to as "Kurosawa Lite" by other reviewers (like the guys at Ruthless Reviews).
But even at his lightest, such as the comic element of the bumbling Tahei and Matakishi from Hidden Fortress, Kurosawa has inspired other directors (Tahei and Matakishi, of course, being re-written into C3PO and R2D2!).
I don't know what it is about these Kurosawa movies that a huge chunk of people seem to love, add Sanjuro to the list as well because I couldn't finish watching it past 45 minutes. The part that really bores me in these movies is that the stories are so convoluted and all the plans the characters make rely so heavily on everything going exactly as planned as if the future is so easily seen.
Roshomon I understand the hype, Yojimbo somewhat, but most of the others pretty much mesh into the same type experience - you've seen one Kurosawa, you've seen them all. Ran is one I've yet to see, I hope it's not the same damn thing.
RetardoArona-gone but not forgotten. Nvr4get. Send me your thoughts on this unjust tragedy.
[deleted]
"Ran" is a masterpiece and is totally different than Yojimbo or Sanjuro. It is closer to Kurosawa's Shakespear's adaptations.
shareThe part that really bores me in these movies is that the stories are so convoluted and all the plans the characters make rely so heavily on everything going exactly as planned as if the future is so easily seen.
But one of the recurring themes in Sanjuro is that the plans DON'T work as intended. Re-planning & improvisation are what work in the end.
Also, every shot is so perfectly arranged, it took my breath away frequently.
Whoever said High and Low was limited visually needs to watch it again. It's a totally different canvas, yes, but the way Kurosawa arranges large groups and directs them to move within a frame is unparalleled. Nearly every shot contains multiple frames that work as brilliant photographs. He is consistently the best visual artist in film, period.
I certainly wasn't questioning Kurosawa's talent, however, the interiors of High and Low did not allow the freedom of composition and camera movement that, Rashamon, for example, afforded, with long, cutting to medium, cutting to tight, or the 360 degree camera movement as the woodcutter was walking, or the tangled action shots from low angles, like in the prisoner riot scene in Hidden Fortress, or the climactic battle in Seven Samurai.
shareYou're right that he doesn't have the same freedom, but that doesn't seem to matter to him. What he does inside the confined space of that apartment floored me. He's an unparalleled visual artist regardless of the setting, you just have to look at what he's doing rather with the material at hand rather than wishing it was different.
shareby rhanna-1 (Sun Jun 7 2009 22:38:18)
Ignore this User | Report Abuse
I'm a big Kurosawa fan, but really didn't care for Sanjuro. I'd say it's the worst of Kurosawa's films (I'm also not big on Yojimbo or The Hidden Fortress). It always bothers me when these three films are lauded above High and Low and Red Beard, two great films in my opinion.
So, is this just a matter of taste, or am I missing something?
There's always one idiot. Why can't you just reply without trying to belittle the original poster?
shareIt's a matter of taste. I also prefer a lot of Kurosawa's non-Samurai movies over the Samurai ones. Oddly enough though, Seven Samurai is my favorite film of his.
share[deleted]
I just finished watching this and it was really hard to get through. Didn't care for the story at all and it's certainly not an action movie like several sites claim it is.
share