Akira Kurosawa may be the greatest director of all-time but everyone has to start somewhere. For Kurosawa that was Judo Saga. Unfortunately, Netflix doesn't have that so I had to start with his second directorial outing, The Most Beautiful. It's not very good.
The film is a piece of Japanese wartime propaganda from 1944 (not an especially good year for Imperial Japan). It's about the Japanese equivalents to Rosie the Riveter and it involves a lot of noble suffering while doing one's duty to one's country and concerns about efficiency.
Other than the historical glimpse that the movie offers, the most interesting thing about this was the dreadfully bad subtitles. Clearly, this DVD wasn't made with Western audiences i mind. One special feature offered a Kurosawa bio which noted that the legendary director's "other masterpieces . . . were also frequently awarded in many Film Awards". It also noted the sad story that "at the age of sixty-one, the depressed Kurosawa committed suicide and fortunately was saved". Fortunately indeed, less-than-proficient translator. Fortunately indeed.
This woman's admirable patriotism inspired her to toil long into the night, building something which might have been used to kill your grandfather.
No comments:
Post a Comment