Japan is home of one of the world’s oldest and most respected film industries. Many of its contemporary themes originated with the post-war work of Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998), one of the 20th century’s greatest directors. In this course, students will watch, in advance, six of Kurosawa’s most important and entertaining movies of the 1950s and 1960s. Illustrating the extraordinary breadth of his filmography, three selections will be historical dramas featuring violent samurai action. The others are powerful contemporary stories, two of which are films noir. "Running through all Kurosawa’s work is a tough, humane, and profoundly ethical concern for the painful, beautiful, frequently ridiculous ambiguities of human life." This will be primarily a discussion class. The study leader will provide background information about Kurosawa’s life and the making of the films. Students will be encouraged to give their reactions to the major themes and distinctive characteristics of each movie.
((Lloyd Stires - Wednesday - Zoom))
