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Akira Kurosawa's Dreams Actors: Akira Terao, Mitsuko Baisho Directors: Ishirô Honda, Akira Kurosawa Number of Items: 1 Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen Format: Color, Widescreen Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) Running Time: 120 minutes Studio: Warner Home Video Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Region Code: 1 Product Group: DVD Release Date: 2003-03-18 Buy from Amazon |
 "a stunning work, what cinema and film should be"If you don't know Kurosawa's work, this film is an excellent start. If you like western movies, check out Kurosawa's samurai films. Who do you think brought the American western movies back to life? Ever seen the Magnificent Seven? You can thank Kurosawa for that. Not the film itself, just the story line and brilliant message. Dreams is an enchanting visual experience besides a commentary on war and humanity. Do yourself a favor and find out why western film makers have been stealing Kurosawa's chops for decades. Go to the original master source. "Now THIS is a movie!"I remember seeing this movie some 6 years ago on PBS (a cultural/educational channel stationed here in New York).Not knowing what I was really watching,and also catching the film in the middle,I thought it was kind of wierd,yet very intriuging. I wanted to find out more about this movie and the director behind it. At the time I didn't have a computer,so research was kind of limited or took lots of work(you know what I mean). So I left the issue alone and concentrated on other things. Then one year later,"DREAMS" came on PBS again, and I happily watched it from start to finish. I have to say, this one of the best films I have seen ever.(and I have seen a lot!) For one thing, This film "DREAMS" has opened my heart to foriegn-Japanese films and Japanese/Asian art as well. In this film, Akira Kurosawa showed stunning visual perception and artistic quality you don't see very often in U.S. films. It was one of those art films that allows you take a mental and emotional journey into the mind and life of Kurosawa. These are 8 beautifully,carefully shot and written stories that will move you in ways you never thought possible (only if you allow it to.) If you are ONLY into high-budget commercial American films that are only there to dull your brain and steal your money, then you might want to stay away from this powerful gem. But, I sincerely recommend anyone to give it a chance. You're getting deep stories with abundant amount of heart and soul. If you're an open-minded individual, you won't regret checking it out. P.S.(If you love this movie then check out "RAISE THE RED LANTERN". It's not directed by Kurosawa, but it's also a powerful and thought-provoking Asian art film.)  "Pretty but Boring"This DVD is a series of vignettes. Most often, the vignettes have the protaganist coming into contact with some natural or supernatural force or person. There are a number of visually striking scenes, but often they are sandwiched between bombastic lectures on the dangers of technology and nuclear power. The scene of the 6 nuclear power plants all exploding at once was particularly funny. Frightened people running around in front of a flaming Mount Fuji backdrop that is so two dimensional and fake that it looked like something from a High-School film project. I expected to see a guy in a Mothra or Godzilla suit jump out of the flaming crater. The "blizzard" sequence was similarly distracting in that the snow and terrain are so fake looking that it was hard to feel very worried about the poor mountaineers. Many of the sets and effects were very reminiscent of the old Star Treck sets. The dialogue and story lines have no subtlety at all. You simply get the impression that the director is taking advantage of the captive audience to introduce you to his world view. I'm all for movies with a deep message (and I share most of the views espoused in this movie), but there is no subtlety at all in this movie's presentation of it's agenda. If you want to see a truly beautiful and engaging Japanese movie with a similar theme, watch Princess Mononoke. Dreams is simply a waste of time. It's a lecture on Kurosawa's pet philosophies, masquerading as a movie. "Actually its more like 8 stars..."if you have an imagination you will like this movie. there are some beautiful fantastic settings here that really would fuel a dream. As you've probably read its a set of short stories, each one has a flare of fantasy and mystery, yes a dreamlike quality. GORGEOUS visuals and of course, beautiful stories. I cant recommend this enough. "A Movie That Future Generations With Discuss"Clearly his most personal film, this is a film that will be name checked, discussed, studied, and ultimatley be copied in the future. The dream sequence is pretty much in every single film made at this point, but no one dared to make an entire movie out of a dream sequence, or sequences as Kurosawa did. Cinema has always had its boundaries pushed forward, but more people need to think outside the box. If there are no rules of reality in making a film, then make the film acording to a reality that doesn't exist. That is what Kurosawa finally was able to do at 80 years of age, and more people will start using this movie as a reference tool to further go into their souls. As for the DVD itself, it is pretty bare-boned, but the low list-price makes it a very clear decision on what will become a classic masterpiece. Best shot/sequence: |
