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Critical Perspectives on Akira Kurosawa

Critical Perspectives on Akira Kurosawa cover

Critical Perspectives on Akira Kurosawa

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Pre-order. Available 04 Feb 2027
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Description

This volume offers a nuanced approach to Akira Kurosawa's evolving view of history through both his most famous and less-known films.

The volume is comprised of four roughly chronological sections, spanning from early career works to the first half of his career golden age, through the second half of his golden age until his twilight years. Readers will follow every stage of his career to see how he was deeply involved with a highly personal exploration and interpretation of Japanese history as well as Japanese culture and philosophy, and, as such, refocusing our attention on history (and culture) and its value to Kurosawa is vitally important. Touching on all thirty of the films he made over the course of his career, this volume is a holistic exploration.

Examining in detail the traces of Kurosawa's stylistic influence on-and from-the earliest film projects on which he worked, the contributors to this collection offer valuable insights into a filmmaker's storytelling techniques and his changing view of history.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements
A Note on Japanese Names

Introduction: Why Kurosawa, and Why Now?

SECTION I: THE JOURNEYMAN: IN THE SHADOW OF THE WAR AND THE US OCCUPATION (1936-49)
1. The Debutant
2. The Transwar Activist
3. The Occupied
4. The Wanderer

SECTION II: THE MASTER (1950-56): HISTORY AS SERIOUS BUSINESS
5. The Trend-Setter
6. “Living” in the Wake of Fame
7. The Samurai
8. Unbound

SECTION III: THE AUTEUR (1957-65)
9. Wordless Power, Powerless Words
10. Escapism Versus Exposition
11. The Box Office King
12. The End of the Beginning (and the Beginning of the End)

SECTION IV: THE SAGE (1970 ONWARDS)
13. Form Without Beauty, Beauty Without Form
14. A Shadow of Greatness
15. Both Sinned Against and Sinner
16. Apathy and Autobiography

Coda: The Goldilocks Zone
Index

Product details

Bloomsbury Academic Test
Published 04 Feb 2027
Format Hardback
Edition 1st
Pages 320
ISBN 9781666979404
Imprint Bloomsbury Academic
Illustrations 4 bw illus
Dimensions 229 x 152 mm
Series Critical Perspectives on Contemporary Directors
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

Sean D. O’Reilly

Sean D. O’Reilly is Assistant Professor at Akita I…

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