The paintings of Akira Kurosawa

Akira Kurosawa with George Lucas and Steven Spielberg at the 62nd (1989) Academy Awards, where Kurosawa received an honorary Oscar.

“I am very deeply honored to receive such a wonderful prize, but I have to ask whether I really deserve it. I’m a little worried, because I don’t feel that I understand cinema yet. I really don’t feel that I have yet grasped the essence of cinema. Cinema is a marvelous thing, but to grasp its true essence is very, very difficult. But what I promise you is that from now on I will work as hard as I can at making movies and maybe by following this path I will achieve an understanding of the true essence of cinema and earn this award. Thank you.” -Akira Kurosawa

The videos can be seen on youtube: part 1 | part 2

Francis Ford Coppola shows Akira Kurosawa his new Polaroid.

“Most directors have one masterpiece by which they are known, or possibly two. Kurosawa has at least eight or nine.” - Francis Ford Coppola

(Source: algae, via currrzio)

criterioncorner:

Set Photo: Toshiro Mifune and Tatsuya Nakadai enjoying a smoke break during production on either YOJIMBO or SANJURO

so i guess it can be pretty stressful to live in a society that requires you to carry a sword at all times. or to work with Akira Kurosawa (a.k.a. “The Emperor”), for that matter.

i first remember seeing this amazing candid snap back in february on eric vespe’s always awesome “Behind the Scenes Pic” column on AICN, but thanks to the Tumblr forces for reminding me of its glory. 

Akira Kurosawa (left) with Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas during the filming of the 1980 film Kagemusha.

When Toho Studios couldn’t fulfill the budget demands of the film, American film directors George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola helped Akira Kurosawa by convincing 20th Century-Fox (still riding high after the success of Lucas’ Star Wars) to fund the remaining portion of the budget in exchange for Kagemusha’s international distribution rights.

oldhollywood:

Masaru Sato - High and Low (via The Complete Soundtracks of Akira Kurosawa)

fuckyeahdirectors:

Akira Kurosawa on the set of Ran (1985).

submission