Dreams
Dreams seems like a true passion project after a triumphant directorial career. It is the most surreal movie I’ve seen of Kurosawa’s, almost Lynchian at times. I feel that surrealism works best at its most subtle in message, leaving the audience to do the thinking themselves. The 8 dreams presented in this movie varied greatly in their subtlety, which was a major factor in my enjoyment of each.
Obviously I’m going to rank them.
8. The Blizzard. Definitely the most forgettable film, and as it takes place entirely inside the titular blizzard, it is also one of the least visually interesting. Still, it is an interesting commentary on human endurance, and the men’s beleaguered breathing was quite harrowing to listen to. 2.5/5.
7. Mount Fuji in Red. The opening scene was pretty insane to look at, and I liked the contrast between Mt Fuji being illuminated by nuclear reactors on earth as opposed to the giant nuclear reactor in the sky. The ideas the short presented were pretty clear cut though, which limited my interest. 3/5.
6. The Tunnel. There were some beautiful shots at the beginning of this short, and the central idea was executed very nicely. Unfortunately ‘man is tortured by the ghosts of the soldiers who died in the war with him’ is a trope as old as cinema itself, and while there was some novelty to this short, it ultimately wasn’t hugely transformative on content I’d already seen. 3.5/5.
5. The Village of the Water Mills. A joyful picture of a quaint village that provides a nice finale to the film to offset the apocalyptic themes of the previous two shorts. I feel like Tolkien would have liked this one - it portrays the most admirable side of conservative and traditionalist philosophies and politics. The focus on the environment ties together the theme which runs strongly through all 8 shorts, and the presentation of funerals as celebrations of one’s accomplishments in life was poignant. 3.5/5.
4. The Weeping Demon. I like to think that the man we follow through the film is an angel descended to Earth to see what has become of it. It’s very heavy handed but the depiction of a post-nuclear apocalypse hellscape filled with former politicians and billionaires who have turned into demons is nonetheless very effective imagery. An interesting insight I would read into it is a warning of the paradox that comes with punishing these people - by destroying the world in individual interest they are manufacturing their perfect hell/punishment. To stop this fate for everyone, one must also take pity on the demons, saving them from themselves. 3.5/5.
3. Crows. It’s a bit insane that Crows was written and directed by Akira Kurosawa - it is so unlike anything else by him, though mostly in superficial ways. It utilises a green screen, is entirely in Italian and English, and Martin Scorsese acts in it 😭😭😭. I like that Kurosawa (a man who inspired so many) is essentially paying homage to one of his own inspirations in Van Gogh. The influence of paintings as an art form on the way Kurosawa directs is undeniable. Also, the commentary on what it means to be an artist and make art is very interesting. 4/5.
2. Sunshine Through the Rain. The first and second shorts are my favourite two, which did kinda overhype me for the rest of the movie. The last shot in this short alone is a strong contender for my favourite shot in anything ever. The whimsical yet dangerous fantasy nature in this is perfect - it’s essentially all the best parts about Spirited Away condensed into one 10 minute piece. Beautiful, eerie, and a magical encapsulation of the strange world we all inhabit as children. 4.5/5.
1. The Peach Orchard. Another short dedicated to childhood, this time capturing the first moment where loss and change sink in as a kid. The peach blossoms floating in were divine, even if some of the shots were a tiny bit cooked by my bitrate. The secret joy on display here for a world that exists maddeningly beyond the bounds of one’s own, just out of reach but occasionally fully visible for mere moments is really personal and special to me, so this short really worked in that regard. 5/5.
Overall well worth the watch - Kurosawa with colour could direct paint drying and I’d probably be blown away. If you’re only vaguely interested or only have half an hour of spare time then I’d highly recommend watching the first two - the rest are more hit or miss.