Akira Kurosawa's Dreams 1990

I didn’t select randomly "Dreams" by Akira Kurosawa. I could choose between "Drunken Angel", "Rashomon", "The Hidden Fortress", "Seven Samuari", "Dodesukaden" or "Kagemusha" to talk about the genius of this master appreciated worldwide. Of course I also appreciate all of these films with no exception. There are a variety of scenes that I can’t erase of my mind. But however ... I selected "Dreams" (Yume), though it has received no international price. And anyone with reason may say that it does not fully represent Kurosawa's style of filmmaking.

Why "Dreams", when there are all those titles mentioned above?

Because  "Dreams" has left a long lasting smile on my lips. And sometimes one needs to overlive this. This film has not that epic pomposity that characterizes most creations of the Japanese genius. It's almost childish. I have also seen a dream similar to the first one " Sunshine Through The Rain" long time ago.

“Dreams" seems to be so perceptible and tender. What has amazed me when I noticed the year when the film was realized was that Akira remained unchanged until the end. Maybe in ‘90 years people expected something more high-tech. But no, Akira remains Akira. Even when Warner Bros. has the distribution rights for the film , still Akira remains Akira. My first impression was that the film should been realized during the late '70s. But the genius pays attention to image details, even when this is not a trend. Even when to the world are served only meanless beautiful stories, but so poorly composed (of these films we see today, at their very best you remember any mot, but no image).

Sunshine Through The Rain

The Peach Orchard

The film consists of eight dreams:1.Sunshine Through The Rain,2.The Peach Orchard,3.The Blizzard,4.The Tunnel,5.Crows,6.Mount Fuji in Red.7.The Weeping Demon,8.Village of the Watermills.

The Blizzard

In the first two dreams " Sunshine Through The Rain " and " The Peach Orchard ", the dream owner  is a kid. And it seems that magic realism that runs throughout the film, here becomes even more magical. All those dreams, except the fifth and the last, are accompanied by a kind of fear and anxiety. Same to  that bad sensation that we all have experienced at least once while dreaming. But the fifth dream " Crows " and the last one " Village of the Watermills " both create a state of peace and harmony that looks like will never end. It's a similar sensation to that tranquility that one can only experience in a dream, completely detached from th

e real world. In the first two dreams (kid) anxiety naturally interlock with inner harmony. Because only a child can experience these two extreme states at the same time.

Crows

Mount Fuji in Red

Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese had a strong hand in facilitating this film. Spielberg was one of the producers and Scorsese was Van Gogh in " Crows ". I’ve always thought that Spielberg is an overrated director. But I don’t lie if I say that I just tripled my respect immediately when I found out his role in making Akira Kurosawa well-known in the United States of America.

The whole film is nothing but the vital human journey , but in another dimension. As a step beyond what we see every day. And this dimension is reflected very well to our dreams.It’s a real life parallelism...vestured by a magic veil.

The Weeping Demon

I think the last two dreams are related to the hereafter. In both versions. Heaven and Hell. In      " The Weeping Demon " is shown a version of hell on earth. On a raped, broken and destroyed land. With no greenery, just a couple of carnivorous plants here and there. This part is Akira’s appeal to stop the destruction of Earth. Demon shows that at the beginning he was a human being. Later he turned into such a creature, as a result of pollution.

Village of the Watermills

Quite the contrary to " Village of the Watermills ". A small terrestrial paradise. No technology. Full of greenery and flowers. Simple and friendly people who live in harmony with each other. And I don’t know why I do believe that lack of 'high-tech' in this film is not a random choice."

The Tunnel

The Tunnel " is a similar fragment to the rest of Kurosawas creativity. An officer in the hereafter gates facing with his dead soldiers. All pale, dead, marching proud. The officer asks them to go back in the dead land, because only thus will find peace. But only when they hear the command like once in the army, they respond to the officer. They don’t obey when he speaks with a normal tone. Maybe they can’t hear. But for sure they may hear and respect their officer voice when he talks like a commandant.  Because Akira never forgets to tell us the Samurai noblesse of his people.

Akira Kurosawa

All this strong symbolism, but treated so naturally maked me choose "Dreams" and not any other film by Akira Kurosawa.                                                I keep being in love, but so badly with this Akira Kurosawa ;) ... by Led Kasapi