Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – Review

At this point in 2021, it is not necessary to be a fan of comic books or even movies in general to have a surface level familiarity with the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). With a total of 24 films across 13 years grossing nearly $23 billion at the worldwide box office, this franchise has become […]

Akira Kurosawa Series – High and Low (1963)

Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low (1963) sees a return to a contemporaneous urban Japan, a transition from the feudal period examined in many of his films in the previous decade, such as Seven Samurai (1954), Throne of Blood (1957), The Hidden Fortress (1958), and the one-two punch of Yojimbo (1961) and Sanjuro (1962). Yet, many […]

Akira Kurosawa Series – Yojimbo (1961) and Sanjuro (1962)

The Akira Kurosawa double-feature of Yojimbo (1961) and Sanjuro (1962) sees Kurosawa scaling back the scope of his previous samurai features like Seven Samurai (1954) and The Hidden Fortress (1958) for a more concentrated focus on one warrior’s interactions with small towns, rival gangs, juvenile samurai pupils, and political warfare. In Yojimbo and Sanjuro, Toshirô […]

Akira Kurosawa Series – Throne of Blood (1957)

“Behold, within this place Now desolated, stood Once a mighty fortress Lived a proud warrior Murdered my ambition His spirit walking still Vain pride, then as now, will Lead ambition to the kill” Akira Kurosawa’s 1957 film Throne of Blood – his interpretation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, set in feudal Japan – opens and closes with […]

Akira Kurosawa Series – The Hidden Fortress (1958)

As someone who has been a massive fan of Star Wars for longer than I have been a major cinephile and film enthusiast, whispers of Akira Kurosawa’s 1958 film The Hidden Fortress have entered the conversation many times surrounding George Lucas’ space opera. I had always heard that Kurosawa was perhaps Lucas’ biggest inspiration […]

Akira Kurosawa Series -Seven Samurai (1954)

“In life, one finds friends in the strangest of places.” This is a quote spoken by a samurai warrior in 16th-century Japan, but it rings true centuries later all over the word. An array of variables and possibilities in everyday life produce endless permutations for the different relationships you build with people. Your best friends […]

Akira Kurosawa Series – Ikiru (1952)

“What would you do if you only had six months to live?” This is a direct quote from Akira Kurosawa’s 1952 drama, Ikiru, but it also serves as the essence of the story question. Takashi Shimura acts in the lead role of Kanji Watanabe, a bureaucrat who has spent the past 30 years of his […]

Akira Kurosawa Series – Scandal (1951)

In the opening of Akira Kurosawa’s 1950 film Scandal, the artist Ichirô Aoye (Toshirô Mifune) has his canvas set up with a gorgeous view of the looming mountainside. A small crowd of passersby stop by to offer unsolicited critiques of Aoye’s artistic process. Those familiar with Kurosawa’s background as a painter prior to his filmmaking […]

Akira Kurosawa Series – Rashomon (1950)

“In the end, you cannot understand the things men do.” This quote from the character known as “The Commoner” (Kichijirô Ueda) in Akira Kurosawa’s 1950 film Rashomon can be interpreted as the thesis for the entire story. A masterful critique on the very essence of truth and its relationship with humanity, Kurosawa’s adaptation of Ryûnosuke […]

Akira Kurosawa Series – Stray Dog (1949)

By the end of Akira Kurosawa’s 1949 detective drama, Stray Dog, there is not a character that escapes the fray without rolling around in the mud, figuratively and literally. Every decision has consequences, and every action has a reaction. Some, more than others. For the young character of Detective Murikami (Toshirô Mifune), the mistake of […]