Sunday, March 02, 2008
Unfinished Akira Kurosawa Film Coming to A Screen Near You in 2010
As it's the weekend this probably won't go up on Screen until Monday (update -- I shouldn't underestimate my editors in London -- it's up), but it's pretty important news that warrants wider publicity, so here 'tis with some embedded links.
And here is an old clip from 1990 of Spielberg and Lucas presenting Kurosawa with a lifetime achievement award. I remember watching it at the time and thinking how brilliant it was that Kurosawa said he still felt he didn't understand cinema.
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Unfinished Kurosawa film to be completed
Jason Gray in Tokyo 1 March 2008
An unfinished 1983 documentary by famed Japanese director Akira Kurosawa will be completed and released in time for the 100th anniversary of the filmmaker’s birth in 2010, it was announced at a press conference held in Tokyo on Friday.
Kurosawa began work on documentary Gendai No Noh (Modern Noh) during a suspension of filming of prize-winning period epic Ran (1985) due to financing and other problems. The footage, shot in Iwate Prefecture, captures approximately 50 minutes of performance of the play "Yashima,” by Zeami Motokiyo, 14th century originator of the modern form of mask-wearing, musical drama Noh. Kurosawa was influenced by Noh’s bold style, most noticeably in Throne Of Blood and Ran.
The production was halted once Ran resumed shooting. After Kurosawa’s death the footage was gifted to the National Archive. Approximately one hour of new footage will be shot following the original screenplay and production plan to complete the feature for release in 2010.
Additionally, archivists have discovered approximately 8-12 minutes of footage of Kurosawa’s work before he left the filming of 1970 US-Japan co-production Tora! Tora! Tora! due to conflicts with Twentieth Century Fox. The unseen footage will also be released as part of memorial events.
Under the banner of “AK100 Project,” the films will be part of various memorial activities beginning later this year, including exhibitions of Kurosawa’s work, newly published books and stamps, merchandise and tie-ups with TV broadcasters and video game companies.
Kurosawa’s son and president of Kurosawa Productions Hisao Kurosawa spoke at the press conference. “My hope is that people, especially younger audiences, see the work of Akira Kurosawa. This memorial will be my final act of devotion.”
2 comments:
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Arguably my favorite filmmaker ever, I greet this news with mixed emotions. The cynic in me feels that this is no different than all of the posthumous Tupac (and Biggie) CDs that came out after he was killed.
Is this in celebration? Is this a cash in?
Sure I want to see the documentary footage that Kurosawa shot (and I'm almost more interested in what he did for Tora, Tora, Tora) but as any documentary filmmaker knows, it takes tens to hundreds of hours of footage to make a doc. Showing 50 minutes uncut? (Is it uncut??) Hmmm...
Anyway, I guess we won't really know what this is about until it's unveiled.
Hi Nick,
Mmm, I'm not quite as cynical but I can see where you're coming from. Kurosawa stamps and video games seem a bit much, but if there's footage nobody has seen as of yet, that's something special.
When they said 50m it wasn't clear if that meant 50 minutes of shot and edited footage, or 50 minutes of multi-camera footage or just rushes...I assume it's simply footage of the stage performance, not unlike what Yamada Yôji is doing with Shochiku kabuki. It was shown at the press conference but no detailed descriptions -- Kagawa Kyôko was even there.
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