us this Spring and Summer, as we present a selection of classics from the master Japanese filmmaker, Akira Kurosawa. This strand will feature his heaviest of hitters like SEVEN SAMURAI, IKIRU and DRUNKEN ANGEL, as well as some of his lesser-screened classics such as HIGH AND LOW, STRAY DOG, THE BAD SLEEP WELL, I LIVE IN FEAR, and THE MEN WHO TREAD ON THE TIGER’S TAIL.
In Japan, he is referred to as "Kurosawa Tennō", which translates to “The Emperor”. Across the world, Akira Kurosawa is widely regarded as a master of cinema. The filmmaker has a staggering 8 entries in the Letterboxd Top 250. Perhaps most celebrated for his grand jidaigeki films—period films with vast vistas, wandering samurai, and great battles—Kurosawa has blessed us with several of these masterpieces, including his pièce de résistance SEVEN SAMURAI (#4 in Letterbox Top 250). You can see this classic on our biggest screen in 4K on 13th April and 22nd May.
However, this Spring and Summer, we’re excited to be bringing back some of the lesser-screened classics from Kurosawa’s vast filmography. These include a selection of his noir films, his post-war atomic scare fare, and a few other early features, including Kurosawa’s first collaboration with the iconic Toshirō Mifune, DRUNKEN ANGEL. This early noir see Mifune burst onto the screen as a volatile, tubercular criminal who strikes up an unlikely relationship with Takashi Shimura's (another Kurosawa favourite) jaded physician. Set in postwar Tokyo's swamps and alleys, Drunken Angel is an evocative and moody film with a memorable violent climax.
Also in the strand, you can find the #5 film on the Letterbox Top 250, Kurosawa’s 1963 procedural drama, HIGH AND LOW. Mifune stars as King Gondo, a wealthy industrialist whose family becomes the target of a cold-blooded kidnapper.
This feature sees Kurosawa adapt Ed McBain's King's Ransom into a thrilling race-against-time and sharp social commentary on contemporary Japanese society.
Plus, find noir classics like STRAY DOG, seeing Mifune as a rookie cop tracking down his stolen pistol and Takashi Shimura as a seasoned detective trying to keep him in line. One of the earliest detective movies, the film is a precursor to the modern police procedural and buddy cop film genres. The season also sees the return of IKIRU (#16 on Letterboxd Top 250), one of Kurosawa’s greatest films. Takashi Shimura stars in this comionate film about an ageing bureaucrat with stomach cancer searching for meaning in his final days.
We’ll also see one of Kurosawa’s earliest works, the once banned THE MEN WHO TREAD ON THE TIGER’S TAIL. A feudal period piece, the film was banned in 1945 by the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers and not officially released until 1952 following the g of the Treaty of San Francisco. We’ll close out the strand with the post-war atomic fear classic I LIVE IN FEAR, and the 1960 film noir classic that features a bit of Hamlet, THE BAD SLEEP WELL.
Spend your Spring and Summer exploring some of these classics from the legendary Akira Kurosawa. With performances ranging from 35mm and Digital, you don’t want to miss these gems on the big screen, the way they were meant to be seen. GET YOUR TICKETS HERE!
