Known for movies

Short Info

DiedSeptember 6, 1998, Seijo, Tokyo, Japan
SpouseYōko Yaguchi
MarkLikes to do Shakespearan plays in Feudal Japanese settings
FactAwarded the French Legion of Honor, 1984.


Akira Kurosawa was a Japanese film director and screenwriter who is widely considered one of the most important and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema. He directed 30 films in a career spanning 57 years. His films include Rashomon, Ikiru, Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, Kagemusha, and Ran. He is credited with helping to bring Japanese cinema to the attention of Western audiences and influencing filmmakers such as Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, and Quentin Tarantino.

Born in Tokyo in 1910, Kurosawa began his career as a painter before moving into film. He initially worked as an assistant director before making his directorial debut with Sanshiro Sugata in 1943. His first major success came with Drunken Angel in 1948, which established him as one of the leading lights of the Japanese film industry.

Over the next few years, Kurosawa directed a number of critically acclaimed films, including Rashomon, which won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, and Seven Samurai, which is widely considered one of the greatest films ever made. In the 1960s, Kurosawa began to experience financial difficulties due to a series of box office flops, but he bounced back with a string of successful films in the 1970s and 1980s, including Kagemusha and Ran.

Kurosawa’s final film, Madadayo, was released in 1993. He died of a stroke in 1998 at the age of 88.

During his lifetime, Kurosawa won numerous awards and accolades, including an honorary Oscar for Lifetime Achievement in 1990 and the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival for Ran in 1985. His films have been widely praised for their technical mastery, beauty, and humanity, and he is frequently cited as one of the greatest directors of all time.

General Info

Full NameAkira Kurosawa
DiedSeptember 6, 1998, Seijo, Tokyo, Japan
Height1.82 m
ProfessionFilm director, Screenwriter, Painter, Film producer, Film Editor
NationalityJapanese

Family

SpouseYōko Yaguchi
ChildrenHisao Kurosawa, Kazuko Kurosawa
ParentsIsamu Kurosawa, Shima Kurosawa
SiblingsHeigo Kurosawa

Accomplishments

AwardsAcademy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, Academy Honorary Award, Palme d'Or, Golden Lion, César Award for Best Foreign Film, BAFTA Award for Best Direction, Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Language Film, David di Donatello for Best Foreign Director, Japan Aca...
NominationsAcademy Award for Best Director, BAFTA Award for Best Film, Japan Academy Prize for Picture of the Year, Grand Jury Prize, Japan Academy Prize for Director of the Year, Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film, David di Donatello for Best Foreign Film, BAFTA Award ...
MoviesSeven Samurai, Rashomon, Yojimbo, Throne of Blood, To Live, The Hidden Fortress, Ran, Sanjuro, Kagemusha, High and Low, Red Beard, Stray Dog, Drunken Angel, Dersu Uzala, The Bad Sleep Well, Dreams, Dodes'ka-den, Sanshiro Sugata, The Idiot, Madadayo, I Live in Fear, The Lower Depths, No Regrets for O...
TV ShowsSamurai 7

Social profile links

Marks

#Marks / Signs
1The (often demented) elderly or deceased are frequently misrepresented or unfairly maligned by those remembering them.
2In his color films, use of bold, painterly visuals
3Reoccurring cynical distrust of memories and nostalgia.
4Revolutionary action sequences
5His signature look on set: dark clothes, floppy hat and sunglasses
6Driven characters who frequently end up failing in the goals but ultimately learn hard won life lessons
7Female characters that are usually either sweet but weak and submissive or are deceitful, evil and conniving
8Use of weather to heighten mood, most obviously rain
9Painterly compositions
10Often casts Toshirô Mifune , Takashi Shimura, & Tatsuya Nakadai
11Likes to do Shakespearan plays in Feudal Japanese settings
12Frequently uses the "wipe effect" to fade from one scene to another. This effect later became famous due to its usage in the Star Wars trilogy.

Quotes

#Quote
1The first film entitled Ikimono no kiroku (1955) and another film Hachi-gatsu no rapusodî (1991) were made about the atomic bomb. An episode of the film Dreams (1990) is devoted to this topic also. Concern about the atomic bomb is very important. For example, due to the shortage of energy, nuclear energy is used, but they don't know exactly how to dispose of the nuclear waste. So I see the hazards we face. If there is really a lack of energy, then we can try to conserve energy. In Tokyo, they use electricity like there is no tomorrow. This is not necessary. If only we could take the expertise of power plant employees and direct it towards creating energy using wind or natural sources. I believe that nuclear waste disposal is an extremely important issue.
2In Japan, the society progressed through a rapid growth, which was an unnatural process. Daily life lost its natural course. To live, it became necessary to work beyond one's abilities. That's why instability among people has increased.
3Regarding American cinema, I could say that much better films were made in the past. Today's American cinema provides the wrong service to the audience. Violence and car crashes are often seen. What pleasure is there in watching such scenes? Old American films expressed human problems quite well, but these days the American cinema has problems. There is no doubt that a film like Jurassic Park (1993) is interesting, but there used to be more impressive films in the past. In contrast, films, like those of Kiarostami, touch the heart and are very beautiful. These new sci-fi, action films, are good but they are not cinema.
4A film must be made with the heart, not the mind. I think today's young filmmakers have forgotten this and instead they make films through their calculations. That is why Japanese films no longer have an audience. In all honesty, films must be made to target the hearts. During the time of Ozu, my mentor, and also in my time, no filmmaker made films based on theory and calculation, and that was why Japan's cinema was capable of shaping its golden years. Young filmmakers use techniques to humiliate the audience. This is wrong. We must serve cinema and make a film that would stimulate the audience. Ultimately, the aim should be to make an artistic film. That's simple, isn't it?
5Civilization has poisoned humanity. The backbone of a good film is the filmmaker's humane character. If we are not honest to ourselves, we will never be able to make decent films. Actually, it doesn't mean that if a country is well off, it is necessarily capable of making good films. A person, who is able to make good films, knows how to find his or her way into the viewer's heart; such as John Ford, Jean Renoir, John Huston, Federico Fellini,[ Theodoros Angelopoulos], Sidney Lumet... I've met every one of them and have spoken to them. Just as they have exceptional works, they were also very distinguished in character. It was very easy to establish a cordial relationship with them, which is quite important. The people that are depicted on screen in their films are not predetermined characters. They express human problems in a natural way. That's why their films are fascinating. Sidney Lumet is a close friend of mine, and whenever we sit down to talk we never discuss cinema. We generally discuss trivial matters, social problems or our hobbies, and we quite enjoy it. Reporters always ask me what the content of my film is and I tell them that there is no such a thing. I say ordinary things. A film is not supposed to be a lecture.
6Never having seen a Satyajit Ray film is like never having seen the sun or the moon.
7[on watching Solaris with Andrei Tarkovsky] Tarkovsky was sitting in the corner of the screening room watching the film with me, but he got up as soon as the film was over and looked at me with a shy smile. I said to him, "It's very good. It's a frightening movie." He seemed embarrassed but smiled happily. Then the two of us went to a film union restaurant and toasted with vodka. Tarkovsky, who does not usually drink, got completely drunk and cut off the speakers at the restaurant, then began singing the theme of Seven Samurai at the top of his voice. I joined in, eager to keep up. At that moment, I was very happy to be on Earth.
8A film is never really good unless the camera is an eye in the head of a poet.
9Movie directors, or should I say people who create things, are very greedy and they can never be satisfied... That's why they can keep on working. I've been able to work for so long because I think next time, I'll make something good.
10A film director has to convince a great number of people to follow him and work with him. I often say, although I am certainly not a militarist, that if you compare the production unit to an army, the script is the battle flag and the director is the commander of the front line. From the moment production begins to the moment it ends, there is no telling what will happen. The director must be able to respond to any situation, and he must have the leadership ability to make the whole unit go along with his responses.
11Unless you know every aspect and phase of the film-production process, you can't be a movie director. A movie director is like a front-line commanding officer. He needs a thorough knowledge of every branch of the service, and if he doesn't command each division, he cannot command the whole.
12The role of a director encompasses the coaching of the actors, the cinematography, the sound recording, the art direction, the music, the editing and the dubbing and sound-mixing. Altough these can be thought of as separate occupations, I do not regard them as independent. I see them all melting together under the heading of direction
13I begin rehearsals in the actors' dressing room. First I have them repeat their lines, and gradually proceed to the movements. But this is done with costumes and makeup on from the beginning; then we repeat everything on the set. The thoroughness of the rehearsals makes the actual shooting every time very short. We don't rehearse just the actors, but every part of every scene - the camera movements, the lightning, everything.
14[on Kenji Mizoguchi] Of all Japanese directors I have the greatest respect for him. . . . With the death of Mizoguchi, Japanese film lost its truest creator.
15[on his discovery of Toshirô Mifune during casting of Drunken Angel (1948)] I am a person who is rarely impressed by actors, but in the case of Mifune, I was completely overwhelmed.
16[on Toshirô Mifune] Mifune had a kind of talent I had never encountered before in the Japanese film world. It was, above all, the speed with which he expressed himself that was astounding. The ordinary Japanese actor might need ten feet of film to get across an impression; Mifune needed only three. The speed of his movements was such that he said in a single action what took ordinary actors three separate movements to express. He put forth everything directly and boldly, and his sense of timing was the keenest I had ever seen in a Japanese actor. And yet with all his quickness, he also had surprisingly fine sensibilities.
17{on witnessing the aftermath of the 1923 Tokyo earthquake, and the ensuing riots] Amid the expanse of nauseating redness lay every kind of corpse imaginable. I saw corpses charred black, half-burned corpses, corpses in gutters, corpses floating in rivers, corpses piled up on bridges, corpses blocking off a whole street at an intersection, and every manner of death possible to human beings displayed by corpses. When I involuntarily looked away, my brother scolded me, "Akira, look carefully now". Looking back on that excursion now, I realize that it must have been horrifying for my brother, too. It had been an expedition to conquer fear.
18I believe that what pertains only to myself is not interesting enough to record and leave behind me. More important is my conviction that if I were to write anything at all, it would turn out to be nothing but talk about movies. In other words, take 'myself', subtract 'movies', and the result is zero.
19[on Mikio Naruse] Naruse's Method consists of staging one very brief shot after another; but when we look at them placed end-to-end in the finished film, they give the impression of one long single take. The fluidity is so perfect that the cuts are invisible . . . A flow of shots that looks calm and ordinary at first glance reveals itself to be like a deep river with a quiet surface disguising a fast-raging current.
20Being an artist means not having to avert one's eyes.
21To have not seen the films of Ray is to have lived in the world without ever having seen the moon and the sun.
22Human beings are unable to be honest with themselves about themselves. They cannot talk about themselves without embellishing.
23When I start on a film I always have a number of ideas about my project. Then one of them begins to germinate, to sprout, and it is this which I take and work with. My films come from my need to say a particular thing at a particular time. The beginning of any film for me is this need to express something. It is to make it nurture and grow that I write my script- it is directing it that makes my tree blossom and bear fruit.
24I like unformed characters. This may be because, no matter how old I get, I am still unformed myself.
25Good Westerns are liked by everyone. Since humans are weak, they want to see good people and great heroes. Westerns have been done over and over again, and in the process a kind of grammar has evolved. I have learned much from this grammar of the Western.
26It is quite enough if a human being has but one field where he is strong. If a human being were strong in every field it wouldn't be nice for other people, would it?
27So long as my pictures are hits I can afford to be unreasonable. Of course, if they start losing money then I've made some enemies.
28In all my films, there's three or maybe four minutes of real cinema.
29With a good script, a good director can produce a masterpiece. With the same script, a mediocre director can produce a passable film. But with a bad script even a good director can't possibly make a good film. For truly cinematic expression, the camera and the microphone must be able to cross both fire and water. The script must be something that has the power to do this.
30The characters in my films try to live honestly and make the most of the lives they've been given. I believe you must live honestly and develop your abilities to the full. People who do this are the real heros.
31Human beings share the same common problems. A film can only be understood if it depicts these properly.
32For me, film-making combines everything. That's the reason I've made cinema my life's work. In films painting and literature, theatre and music come together. But a film is still a film.

Facts

#Fact
1The Akira Kurosawa School of Film was launched in April 2015, offering an online Master of Fine Arts in Digital Filmmaking.
2His family, when traced back a few generations, were samurais from the Akita Prefecture. Kurosawa said later that his father, who was tall, with a commanding presence and worked as a fitness instructor, had a bearing he thought was samurai-like. Unlike his father, Kurosawa himself was never athletically inclined.
3Like his fellow World Cinema masters, Ingmar Bergman (who started in live theater) and Federico Fellini (who started in journalism) he came to cinema via circumvention after working as a painter.
4A theoretical interpretation of his work can be found in "Akira Kurosawa and Intertextual Cinema" by James Goodwin, published by Johns Hopkins in 1994.
5Interviewed in "World Directors in Dialogue" by Bert Cardullo (Scarecrow Press, 2011).
6Father of Kazuko Kurosawa.
7Father of Hisao Kurosawa.
8Awarded the Kyoto Prize, 1994.
9Awarded the French Legion of Honor, 1984.
10His mentor was 'Kajiro Yamamoto'.
11Is not related to Kiyoshi Kurosawa.
12He was made a Fellow of the British Film Institute in recognition of his outstanding contribution to film culture.
13Many of the characters in his period films were loosely based on historical figures.
14He believed his years as an assistant director were invaluable. In Japanese cinema at that time, assistant directors dabbled in virtually every aspect of film production and Kurosawa, among other things, learned all about editing, set-decorating, costume-design and working with actors. Almost all of the assistant directors in Kurosawa's day were aspiring to become full-fledged directors. He felt that it was a shame that, in more modern Japanese cinema and in America, the assistant director doesn't accrue as much experience and usually permanently stays as an assistant director throughout his career and that there would be a great number of excellent directors had they had his training.
15He was a fan of the work of Sergei M. Eisenstein, who, like Kurosawa, edited his own films.
16He named the film that made him want to work in cinema as Abel Gance's film La roue (1923), particularly certain kinetic shots of trains.
17His favorite Japanese director was Kenji Mizoguchi.
18Although his "samurai" films are considered the archetypal samurai films over the rest of the world, they were actually considered atypical in Japan. Most Japanese samurai films had been set in the 18th & 19th centuries, when a peaceful Japan was at the peak of its nationalism, with the largest number of bushido code-adhering samurai. Kurosawa's films typically feature individualistic "ronin" (masterless samurai) rather than true "samurai" and a majority are set in the far more chaotic feudal periods (16th-17th centuries) when the Japanese were engaged in civil war.
19He was infamous for his perfectionism. Among the related tales are his insisting a stream be made to run in the opposite direction in order to get a better visual effect, and having the roof of a house removed, later to be replaced, because he felt the roof's presence to be unattractive in a short sequence filmed from a train. He also required that all the actors in his period films had to wear their costumes for several weeks, daily, before filming so that they would look lived in.
20One his closest friends was Ishirô Honda, the writer-director behind Gojira (1954).
21Several of his films have been remade in America as westerns. Seven Samurai (1954) ("The Seven Samurai") was remade as The Magnificent Seven (1960), and Yojimbo (1961) ("The Bodyguard") was remade as A Fistful of Dollars (1964). In addition, The Hidden Fortress (1958) ("The Hidden Fortress") was a major inspiration for the "Star Wars" saga, which takes many inspirations from westerns and is often referred to as a space western. Common story elements include Gen. Makabe, who became Obi-Wan Kenobi; Princess Yuki, who became Princess Leia and whose trick of disguising herself as a handmaiden would later be used by Queen Amidala; and the farmers from whose viewpoint the film is told, Matashichi and Tahei, whose constant bickering inspired C-3PO and R2-D2.
22He was a fan of the films of Satyajit Ray.
23He was born the youngest of four children for Isamu and Shima Kurosawa. As a child, he revered his elder brother Heigo. While young Akira was mainly into painting, Heigo was a film-lover and worked as a "benshi", a narrator/ commentator for foreign silent films. Akira's love for film was handed down from his brother. Unfortunately, Heigo suffered from depression and committed suicide. Short thereafter, both Akira's eldest brother and only sister died from illnesses, leaving Akira the only remaining child. His siblings' deaths (particularly that of Heigo) was a traumatic experience for Akira and is thought to have considerably darkened his world view.
24He worked with most of his cast and crew members repeatedly, similarly to the way his idol John Ford used the same people again and again. When Kurosawa was at his working peak, it was widely thought that if he didn't work with an actor or crew member again, the implication was that he did not like them.
25His two favorite actors to work with were apparently Takashi Shimura and, more famously, Toshirô Mifune. Kurosawa made 16 films with Mifune (almost always in a leading role) and 21 films with Shimura (in either a leading or supporting role).
26In the 1990s he referred to Kagemusha (1980), which some have considered a great film on its own, as a mere "dress rehearsal" for Ran (1985) (both are epics about failing emperors set roughly in the same historical era), with the latter film having been his passion for roughly a decade before he made it.
27Ranked #6 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Greatest directors ever!" [2005]
28His Dodes'ka-den (1970), Dersu Uzala (1975) and Kagemusha (1980) were Oscar-nominated for "Best Foreign Language Film". "Dersu Uzala" won. Rashômon (1950) won an Honorary Award as the most outstanding foreign language film released in the United States during 1951.
29He had a son Hisao (b. 20-Dec-1945), and a daughter, award-winning film costume designer Kazuko (b. 29-Apr-1954).
30According to his family, he rarely thought about anything other than films. Even when at home, he would sit around silently, apparently composing shots in his head.
31Unbeknownst to many people, Kurosawa had always wanted to make a Godzilla film of his own, but the executives at Toho Co., Ltd. (the Japanese studio that produces all the Godzilla films) wouldn't let him because they feared it would cost too much.
32Kurosawa worshiped legendary American director John Ford, his primary influence as a filmmaker. When the two met, Ford was uncommonly pleasant to the younger Japanese filmmaker and afterwards Kurosawa dressed in a similar fashion to Ford when on film sets.
33Biography in: John Wakeman, editor. "World Film Directors, Volume One, 1890- 1945". Pages 583-605. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1987.
34He was voted the 6th greatest director of all time by Entertainment Weekly, making him one among only two Asians along with Satyajit Ray (who is ranked in 25th position) on a list of 50 directors and the highest ranking non-American.
35Although the Japanese press tried to paint him as a tyrant, almost all of his casts and crews agreed he was a much more cool and detached presence on sets. Many also described him as "intense".
36At over 6' feet tall, he was extremely large by Japanese standards, having stood a head taller than any of his colleagues.
37Because he could not get film financing for a period of time in his career, he directed and even appeared in Japanese television commercials.
38In December 1971, after a period of suffering from mental fatigue and frustrated with a run of unsatisfying and sub par directing work, Kurosawa attempted suicide by slashing his wrist thirty times with a razor. Fortunately, the wounds were not fatal and he made a full recovery.
39His films are frequently copied and remade by American and European filmmakers.

Pictures

Movies

Writer

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Nioh2017Video Game based on original material by
The Magnificent Seven2016based on the screenplay by
Norainu2013TV Movie based on a script by
U mong pa meung2011based on screenplay by
Kakushi toride no san akunin2008original screenplay
Tsubaki Sanjûrô2007screenplay
Samurai 72004TV Series film "Shichinin no samurai" - 26 episodes
The Sea Is Watching2002original screenplay
Dora-heita2000screenplay
Ame agaru1999screenplay
Last Man Standing1996story
Maadadayo1993writer
Hachi-gatsu no rapusodî1991
Dreams1990written by
Fame1986TV Series based on the Japanese Daiei film "Rashomon" by - 1 episode
Runaway Train1985based on a screenplay by
Ran1985screenplay
Kagemusha1980
Dersu Uzala1975screenplay - as Akira Kurosava
Nora inu19731949 screenplay
Dodes'ka-den1970screenplay
Tora! Tora! Tora!1970Japanese sequences - uncredited
Xue cheng1968screenplay
Sanshiro Sugata19651943 screenplay "Sugata Sanshiro" and 1945 screenplay "Zoku Sugata Sanshiro"
Red Beard1965screenplay
The Outrage1964screenplay "Rashomon"
Jakoman to Tetsu1964and earlier screenplay
High and Low1963screenplay
Tateshi Danpei19621950 screenplay Tateshi danpei
Sanjuro1962screenplay
Yojimbo1961screenplay / story
Play of the Week1960TV Series teleplay - 1 episode
The Magnificent Seven1960screenplay "Shichinin no samurai" - uncredited
The Bad Sleep Well1960written by
Sengoku gunto-den1959writer
The Hidden Fortress1958written by
Nichiro sensô shôri no hishi: Tekichû ôdan sanbyaku-ri1957earlier screenplay "Techiku odan sanbyaku ri" / screenplay
The Lower Depths1957
Throne of Blood1957screenplay
Sanshiro Sugata1955
Ikimono no kiroku1955story
Asunaro monogatari1955screenplay
Kieta chutai1955
Seven Samurai1954screenplay
My Wonderful Yellow Car1953writer
Ikiru1952written by
Sword for Hire1952
Araki Mataemon: Kettô kagiya no tsuji1952
Kedamono no yado1951
The Idiot1951
Beyond Love and Hate1951
Rashômon1950screenplay
Tateshi Danpei1950
Jiruba Tetsu1950
Scandal1950
Desertion at Dawn1950
Stray Dog1949writer
Jakoman and Tetsu1949writer
Jigoku no kifujin1949writer
The Quiet Duel1949writer
Shozo1948writer
Drunken Angel1948written by
Snow Trail1947
Subarashiki nichiyôbi1947
Yottsu no koi no monogatari1947segment "Hatsukoi"
Waga seishun ni kuinashi1946screenplay - uncredited
The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail1945
Zoku Sugata Sanshirô1945
Appare Isshin Tasuke1945screenplay
Ichiban utsukushiku1944
Dohyosai1944
Sanshiro Sugata1943writer
Tsubasa no gaika1942
Seishun no kiryû1942
Uma1941uncredited

Director

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Maadadayo1993
Hachi-gatsu no rapusodî1991
Dreams1990
Ran1985
Kagemusha1980
Dersu Uzala1975as Akira Kurosava
Dodes'ka-den1970
Uma no uta1970TV Movie documentary
Red Beard1965
High and Low1963
Sanjuro1962
Yojimbo1961
The Bad Sleep Well1960
The Hidden Fortress1958
The Lower Depths1957
Throne of Blood1957
Ikimono no kiroku1955
Seven Samurai1954
Ikiru1952
The Idiot1951
Rashômon1950
Scandal1950
Stray Dog1949
The Quiet Duel1949
Drunken Angel1948
Subarashiki nichiyôbi1947
Waga seishun ni kuinashi1946
Asu o tsukuru hitobito1946
The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail1945
Zoku Sugata Sanshirô1945
Ichiban utsukushiku1944
Sanshiro Sugata1943
Uma1941some scenes, uncredited

Assistant Director

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Uma1941assistant director / second unit director
Enoken no songokû: songokû zenko-hen1940chief assistant director
Enoken no zangiri Kinta1940chief assistant director
Roppa no shinkon ryoko1940chief assistant director
Nonki Yokocho1939chief assistant director
Chushingura (Go)1939chief assistant director
Enoken no gatchiri jidai1939chief assistant director
Enoken no bikkuri jinsei1938chief assistant director
Tsuzurikata kyoshitsu1938chief assistant director
Tôjûrô no koi1938chief assistant director
Chinetsu1938chief assistant director
Utsukushiki taka1937chief assistant director
Enoken no chakkiri Kinta 'Go', kaeri wa kowai, mateba hiyori1937third assistant director
Enoken no chakkiri Kinta 'Zen' - Mamayo sandogasa - Ikiwa yoiyoi1937third assistant director
Nadare1937third assistant director
Nihon josei dokuhon1937third assistant director
A Husband's Chastity: Fall Once Again1937third assistant director
Otto no teiso - haru kitareba1937third assistant director
Sengoku guntô-den - Dai nibu: Akatsuki no zenshin1937third assistant director
Sengoku guntô-den - Dai ichibu: Toraôkami1937third assistant director
Tokyo rapusodei1936third assistant director
Enoken's Ten Millions 21936third assistant director
Enoken no senman chôja1936third assistant director
Shojo Hanazono1936third assistant director

Editor

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Maadadayo1993
Hachi-gatsu no rapusodî1991
Ran1985
500,0001963uncredited
Yojimbo1961
The Bad Sleep Well1960
The Hidden Fortress1958
The Lower Depths1957
Asunaro monogatari1955
Seven Samurai1954
The Idiot1951
Rashômon1950
Snow Trail1947uncredited
Waga seishun ni kuinashi1946
Zoku Sugata Sanshirô1945uncredited
Sanshiro Sugata1943
Uma1941

Producer

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Kagemusha1980executive producer / producer
Dodes'ka-den1970planner / producer
Sanshiro Sugata1965producer
High and Low1963associate producer
Yojimbo1961producer
The Bad Sleep Well1960producer
The Hidden Fortress1958producer
The Lower Depths1957producer
Throne of Blood1957producer
Stray Dog1949associate producer
Haru no tawamure1949associate producer

Soundtrack

TitleYearStatusCharacter
The 62nd Annual Academy Awards1990TV Special performer: "Happy Birthday to You"
Drunken Angel1948lyrics: "Janguru bugi"

Sound Department

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Tôjûrô no koi1938dubbing supervisor

Miscellaneous

TitleYearStatusCharacter
China Gate1998in tribute to

Thanks

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Nosferatu vs. Father Pipecock & Sister Funk2014special thanks
A Little Bit Zombie2012acknowledgment to the works of
Elefantes sobre una telaraña2011Short thanks - as Kurosawa
U mong pa meung2011film dedicated to
Star Wars: The Clone Wars2010TV Series in memory of - 1 episode
7772007Short dedicatee
Black Santa's Revenge2007Short special thanks
Yau doh lung fu bong2004dedicatee
Ame agaru1999in memory of
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai1999personal thanks
Visions of Light1992Documentary special thanks: AFI

Self

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Fûshi kaden2007Documentary shortHimself
Kurosawa Akira: Tsukuru to iu koto wa subarashii2002TV Series documentary shortHimself
Eiga ni koishite aishite ikite Akira Kurosawa & Hayao Miyazaki1993TV MovieHimself
Takeshi no big talk1993TV MovieHimself
Waga eiga jinsei1993TV MovieHimself
Akira Kurosawa Making 'Rhapsody in August'1991Video documentaryHimself
MAKING OF DREAMS: Kurosawa Akira and Ôbayashi Nobuhiko- Eiga no Taiwa1990Video documentaryHimself
The 62nd Annual Academy Awards1990TV SpecialHimself - Honorary Award Recipient
The 58th Annual Academy Awards1986TV SpecialHimself - Nominee: Best Director & Co-Presenter: Best Picture
A.K.1985DocumentaryHimself
Étoiles et toiles1985TV Series documentaryHimself
The South Bank Show1980TV Series documentaryHimself
Billy Baxter Presents Diary of the Cannes Film Festival with Rex Reed1980TV Movie documentaryHimself
75 Years of Cinema Museum1972DocumentaryHimself
The 42nd Annual Academy Awards1970TV SpecialHimself - Commenting on New Freedom and Trends in Film: Pre-Recorded

Archive Footage

TitleYearStatusCharacter
49º premis Sant Jordi de cinematografía2005TV SpecialHimself
Tsukuru to iu koto wa subarashii! Kurosawa Akira: Korega Kuroswa sasupensu da2003Video documentary shortHimself
Tsukuru to iu koto wa subarashii! Kurosawa Akira: Shikisai wo te ni ireta Kurosawa Akira2003Video documentary shortHimself
Great Performances2000TV SeriesHimself
Kurosawa Akira kara no messêji: Utsukushii eiga o2000Video documentaryHimself
The 71st Annual Academy Awards1999TV SpecialHimself - Memorial Tribute
Arena2016TV Series documentaryHimself
And the Oscar Goes To...2014TV Movie documentaryHimself
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Awards

Won Awards

YearAwardCeremonyNominationMovie
2001Award of the Japanese AcademyAwards of the Japanese AcademyBest ScreenplayAme agaru (1999)
1999Lifetime Achievement AwardAwards of the Japanese Academy
1999Special AwardBlue Ribbon AwardsFor his work.
1999Special AwardMainichi Film ConcoursFor his work.
1998Special AwardNikkan Sports Film AwardsFor his work.
1992Lifetime Achievement AwardDirectors Guild of America, USA
1990Honorary AwardAcademy Awards, USA

For cinematic accomplishments that have inspired, delighted, enriched and entertained worldwide ... More

1987BAFTA Film AwardBAFTA AwardsBest Foreign Language FilmRan (1985)
1987ALFS AwardLondon Critics Circle Film AwardsDirector of the YearRan (1985)
1986AmandaAmanda Awards, NorwayBest Foreign Feature Film (Årets utenlandske spillefilm)Ran (1985)
1986Blue Ribbon AwardBlue Ribbon AwardsBest FilmRan (1985)
1986BodilBodil AwardsBest European Film (Bedste europæiske film)Ran (1985)
1986BFI FellowshipBritish Film Institute Awards
1986DavidDavid di Donatello AwardsBest Foreign Director (Migliore Regista Straniero)Ran (1985)
1986Golden Jubilee Special AwardDirectors Guild of America, USA
1986Mainichi Film ConcoursMainichi Film ConcoursBest FilmRan (1985)
1986Mainichi Film ConcoursMainichi Film ConcoursBest DirectorRan (1985)
1986Akira Kurosawa AwardSan Francisco International Film Festival
1985LAFCA AwardLos Angeles Film Critics Association AwardsBest Foreign FilmRan (1985)
1985Career Achievement AwardLos Angeles Film Critics Association Awards
1985NBR AwardNational Board of Review, USABest DirectorRan (1985)
1985OCIC AwardSan Sebastián International Film FestivalRan (1985)
1982Career Golden LionVenice Film Festival
1981BAFTA Film AwardBAFTA AwardsBest DirectionKagemusha (1980)
1981Blue Ribbon AwardBlue Ribbon AwardsBest FilmKagemusha (1980)
1981CésarCésar Awards, FranceBest Foreign Film (Meilleur film étranger)Kagemusha (1980)
1981DavidDavid di Donatello AwardsBest Foreign Director (Migliore Regista Straniero)Kagemusha (1980)
1981Silver RibbonItalian National Syndicate of Film JournalistsBest Foreign Director (Regista del Miglior Film Straniero)Kagemusha (1980)
1981Mainichi Film ConcoursMainichi Film ConcoursBest FilmKagemusha (1980)
1981Mainichi Film ConcoursMainichi Film ConcoursBest DirectorKagemusha (1980)
1981Readers' Choice AwardMainichi Film ConcoursKagemusha (1980)
1980Palme d'OrCannes Film FestivalKagemusha (1980)
1980Hochi Film AwardHochi Film AwardsBest FilmKagemusha (1980)
1979Honorary PrizeMoscow International Film FestivalFor the contribution to the cinema.
1978Critics AwardFrench Syndicate of Cinema CriticsBest Foreign FilmDersu Uzala (1975)
1977DavidDavid di Donatello AwardsBest Foreign Director (Migliore Regista Straniero)Dersu Uzala (1975)
1977Silver RibbonItalian National Syndicate of Film JournalistsBest Foreign Director (Regista del Miglior Film Straniero)Dersu Uzala (1975)
1975Golden PrizeMoscow International Film FestivalDersu Uzala (1975)
1975FIPRESCI PrizeMoscow International Film FestivalDersu Uzala (1975)
1971OCIC AwardVenice Film FestivalDodesukaden (1970)
1966Blue Ribbon AwardBlue Ribbon AwardsBest FilmAkahige (1965)
1966Kinema Junpo AwardKinema Junpo AwardsBest FilmAkahige (1965)
1966Kinema Junpo AwardKinema Junpo AwardsBest DirectorAkahige (1965)
1966Mainichi Film ConcoursMainichi Film ConcoursBest FilmAkahige (1965)
1965OCIC AwardVenice Film FestivalAkahige (1965)
1965San Giorgio PrizeVenice Film FestivalAkahige (1965)
1964Mainichi Film ConcoursMainichi Film ConcoursBest FilmTengoku to jigoku (1963)
1964Mainichi Film ConcoursMainichi Film ConcoursBest ScreenplayTengoku to jigoku (1963)
1959Silver Berlin BearBerlin International Film FestivalBest DirectorKakushi-toride no san-akunin (1958)
1959FIPRESCI PrizeBerlin International Film FestivalKakushi-toride no san-akunin (1958)
1959Blue Ribbon AwardBlue Ribbon AwardsBest FilmKakushi-toride no san-akunin (1958)
1959Diploma of MeritJussi AwardsForeign DirectorShichinin no samurai (1954)
1954Special Prize of the Senate of BerlinBerlin International Film FestivalIkiru (1952)
1954Silver LionVenice Film FestivalShichinin no samurai (1954)
1953Kinema Junpo AwardKinema Junpo AwardsBest FilmIkiru (1952)
1953Mainichi Film ConcoursMainichi Film ConcoursBest FilmIkiru (1952)
1953Mainichi Film ConcoursMainichi Film ConcoursBest ScreenplayIkiru (1952)
1951Blue Ribbon AwardBlue Ribbon AwardsBest ScreenplayRashômon (1950)
1951NBR AwardNational Board of Review, USABest DirectorRashômon (1950)
1951Golden LionVenice Film FestivalRashômon (1950)
1951Italian Film Critics AwardVenice Film FestivalRashômon (1950)
1949Kinema Junpo AwardKinema Junpo AwardsBest FilmYoidore tenshi (1948)
1949Mainichi Film ConcoursMainichi Film ConcoursBest FilmYoidore tenshi (1948)
1948Mainichi Film ConcoursMainichi Film ConcoursBest DirectorSubarashiki nichiyôbi (1947)

Nominated Awards

YearAwardCeremonyNominationMovie
1999CFCA AwardChicago Film Critics Association AwardsBest Foreign Language FilmMadadayo (1993)
1992Award of the Japanese AcademyAwards of the Japanese AcademyBest DirectorHachi-gatsu no kyôshikyoku (1991)
1992Award of the Japanese AcademyAwards of the Japanese AcademyBest ScreenplayHachi-gatsu no kyôshikyoku (1991)
1991Award of the Japanese AcademyAwards of the Japanese AcademyBest DirectorDreams (1990)
1987BAFTA Film AwardBAFTA AwardsBest Screenplay - AdaptedRan (1985)
1986OscarAcademy Awards, USABest DirectorRan (1985)
1986CésarCésar Awards, FranceBest Foreign Film (Meilleur film étranger)Ran (1985)
1986DavidDavid di Donatello AwardsBest Foreign Film (Miglior Film Straniero)Ran (1985)
1981BAFTA Film AwardBAFTA AwardsBest FilmKagemusha (1980)
1965Golden LionVenice Film FestivalAkahige (1965)
1964EdgarEdgar Allan Poe AwardsBest Foreign FilmTengoku to jigoku (1963)
1963Golden LionVenice Film FestivalTengoku to jigoku (1963)
1961Golden Berlin BearBerlin International Film FestivalWarui yatsu hodo yoku nemuru (1960)
1961Golden LionVenice Film FestivalYôjinbô (1961)
1959Golden Berlin BearBerlin International Film FestivalKakushi-toride no san-akunin (1958)
1957Golden LionVenice Film FestivalKumonosu-jô (1957)
1956Palme d'OrCannes Film FestivalIkimono no kiroku (1955)
1954Golden LionVenice Film FestivalShichinin no samurai (1954)
1953DGA AwardDirectors Guild of America, USAOutstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion PicturesRashômon (1950)

2nd Place Awards

YearAwardCeremonyNominationMovie
1986NSFC AwardNational Society of Film Critics Awards, USABest DirectorRan (1985)
1985LAFCA AwardLos Angeles Film Critics Association AwardsBest DirectorRan (1985)
1985NYFCC AwardNew York Film Critics Circle AwardsBest DirectorRan (1985)
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