The Great Movie Tournament: Overall Event Overview

[divemaster]

I happened to catch The Magnificent Seven on TV the other day. I watched it and it was ok. Then I thought to check here to see if it was one of the films in the tournament. Turns out it wasn't even nominated.

only because I was away.

The greatest director of all time is Akira Kurosawa.

Totally. One of the three greatest. As far as bears are concerned.

Easily one of the greatest. Among my favorites are (in no particular order): The Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, The Hidden Fortress, Kagemusha, Rashamon, and Kagemusha. Toshiro Mifune is certainly a large contributor to Kurosawa's success and vice versa, much like Dinero, and now DiCaprio, are to Scorsese.

"You said Kagemusha twice."

"I like Kagemusha."

But seriously, what's amazing (and possibly even interesting), is that my favorite Kurosawa films have minimal overlap with your list. Ikiru is my top choice, hands down. Next would be Red Beard, Drunken Angel, Throne of Blood, High and Low (aka Heaven and Hell), Rashomon (same as you), Stray Dog, and The Bad Sleep Well.

I just realized there's not much point in listing my "other top Kurosawa films" as the lowest rated of all of them I still give 3.5 stars to, which is a very good rating in my book. For those who might only associate Kurosawa with samurai type films, note that Yojimbo, Sanjuro, and The Seven Samurai don't even make my top 10. In ways that are difficult to explain to those who haven't seen his films, Kurosawa gets right to the human condition. I defy anyone, anyone, to watch Ikiru, followed by the Criterion commentary on the film to put some things in cultural context, and not be moved by Kurosawa's statement of human nature and a man's role in his family and society. This might be the finest film ever made. Not "the best," perhaps; or "the most entertaining" (that would be Raiders of the Lost Ark), but just ... the finest.