Eulogy: Akira Kurosawa

Akira Kurosawa, who died on Sept. 6, was one of the towering figures of world cinema. His work--31 movies made over 50 years--is one of the great treasures of film history. Kurosawa introduced Japanese cinema to the West in 1950 with Rashomon, a work of tremendous moral and cinematic force whose influence on Western filmmakers is immeasurable. This was the first in a series of masterpieces from Kurosawa in the '50s and '60s, one more startling than the other: Ikiru, The Seven Samurai, Throne of Blood, The Hidden Fortress, Yojimbo, High and Low; in his work, the CinemaScope frame always threatens...

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