Akira Kurosawa

Around the World

As Robin Williams so poignantly put it in Dead Poets’ Society: “We read and write poetry, because we are members of the human race and the human race is filled with passion; and medicine, law, business, engineering – these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love: these are what we stay alive for”.

Sports can be said to be another of those things; notably at this moment in time: soccer. The World Cup has testified that these things exist to keep us together as a human race. On Christmas Day during World War 1, opposing sides laid down their weapons and played soccer together. As the flags come down, the streets grow quiet and the trumpet of the vuvuzela becomes a mere echo in our minds, I sit back and think of the passion and unity that the World Cup has inspired throughout the world and particularly in our country; a country that has come very far in the past 16 years.

In honour of this moment I’ve selected movies from across the globe and from participating countries to remind us that movies are something we share as well: to make us laugh, to make us cry and to make us think.

CRONOS (1993) MEXICO

Director: Guillermo del Toro
Cast: Federico Luppi, Ron Perlman, Claudio Brook and Tamara Shanath

Guillermo del Toro is an accomplished director who hails from Mexico and has infiltrated Hollywood with Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy and the one we’re all waiting for with a high sense of anticipation: The Hobbit. He came onto the scene with a plethora of dark and stunning films, which includes his debut Cronos. This film displays his exciting imagination, as well as his love of horror and Gothic myth. Cronos is the story of a young girl and her grandfather, who inadvertently comes across a device which imbues him with eternal life and is a slightly different twist on the vampire legend. The portrayal of life and death; young and old; health and illness perpetuates the focus on immortality. These themes are emphasised by the notion of time, highlighted by del Toro’s use of clocks and antiques. The eerie music, shadowed lighting and simple yet effectively horrific make-up establish the feeling of an old Gothic horror well. This is a man who knows how to thrill, while touching eloquently on human emotion.

SEVEN SAMURAI (1954) JAPAN

Director: Akira Kurosawa
Cast:  Toshirô Mifune, Takashi Shimura and Keiko Tsushima

For Akira Kurosawa it was go big or go home and he was certainly not afraid to tell a story. If you don’t believe me, then watch all three hours and 20 minutes of this film. Despite its length; however, this sweeping epic has surely been an inspiration to many filmmakers creating epics today and without it be we would probably not have 300’s triumphant battle cry. It is long, it is old, the acting is impassioned and melodramatic and yet not a moment drags or seems irrelevant. The characters are flawed and real and each has a purpose and a history – there is no glamorised hero here. Through the focus on various characters and their roles in the group, a key notion of the collective being more important than the individual is established. Of course, like all epics, it is peppered with romance and humour while remaining dramatic at its core. The locations provide Kurosawa the perfect inspiration for his flawless cinematography with beautiful shots that are striking, yet never sentimental or cloying. This is truly an important movie that paved the way for many great stories and assured many directors that audiences would sit through very long movies as long as the story and its characters kept them involved.

RUN LOLA RUN (1998) GERMANY

Director:  Tom Tykwer
Cast: Franke Potente, Moritz Bleibtreu. Herbert Knaup and Nina Petri

Run Lola Run is a post-modern smorgasbord of mixed genres and irregular narrative. The frenetic music and frenzied editing moves this film along at a breath-taking pace. It is a film with essentially one main character and yet, in a short space of time, delves deeply into every character you meet, even the random bystanders who are integral to the outcome of the story. The film could easily have been titled “Déjà vu”, as this feeling is strongly evoked with its “what if” scenarios and its continuous use of repetition. One of the film’s great qualities is that “less is more”, as the simplest techniques are used to portray character such as Lola’s shocking red hair and her father’s stiff suit. Time is of the essence in this story, signified by the characters’ time constraint, the ticking clock and by Lola constantly being on the move; but in order to allow you to catch your breath and to bind together the different versions of the story, there are the quiet, contemplative scenes of Lola and Manni in bed asking each other questions that purport the film’s existential feel. This unique film is well worth your while and its end will make you smirk with satisfaction.

IZULU LAMI/MY SECRET SKY (2008) SOUTH AFRICA

Director: Madoda Ncayiyana
Cast: Sobahle Mkhabase, Sibonelo Maling and Tshepang Mohlomi

This is a sweet film which contrasts the rural and urban cultures of South Africa, highlighting its differences. Its main story is simple enough, composed of the tried and tested formula of the journey – literally and metaphorically for its characters. The young leads are incredible; especially considering that this is the first time in front of the camera for many of them. On that note, however, there are some shockingly awful extras. The story takes place primarily in Durban and it is nice to see a South African film taken out of the rural setting and also not set in Jo’burg for the millionth time. The subject matter is quite gritty, but it is handled delicately which emphasises the children’s soft nature. There are some lovely moments in the film, such as the first time the children see the ocean or when Thembi receives a new dress. For the most part it veers away from stereotypes and is a fairly true reflection of street-life if somewhat assuaged in order to provide a more motivating and hopeful story, with the true goal being a reminder to remember our roots and never forget that there is no place like home.

Photo credit: 4HD Wallpapers

Originally published in A Look Away.

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