Akira Kurosawa's Dreams (Yume)

Could there be a more perfect film? Yume is perhaps Kurosawa's most beautiful film... fantastic locations, interesting costuming and gorgeous cinematography. It takes place in eight brief segments, each of which contemplates Man's place in nature... Man versus nature... the nature of Man... etc. There's a heavy measure of Japanese history and culture... often centering around some transgression and the price to be paid. With the final segment, Kurosawa makes his point clear (and perhaps TOO clear): Man must return to the right way of living... the natural way of living... because the only way for him to live with himself is to live with nature, of which he is a part. In many of the segments, the meaning comes from the appreciation of "yûgen" (profound grace and subtlety)... by letting the moment become meditative. Rather than trying to understand, you might let the film mean something to you, itself. The colors. The shapes. The sounds. In the Peach Orchard, the shower of beau... Read more

Kurosawa's last film. Yes, by American artsy standards, the film is a bit dogmatic - with heavy handed luddite and anti-war moralism distracting from the "other world" ambience provided by incredible visuals and a lining of creepiness that suggests Fellini meets Serling. However, the dogmatism of the film is really part of the art itself if you judge a film by its overall impact. The politics are pretty basic, but they're simply the backdrop for the creativity. The film left me with an odd state of mind, and thinking like I was back in college trying to figure things out. Not intelectually engaging, but that's not the point. We're talking about dreams. A side point, I wonder if the rainbow scene at the end of the foxes piece inspired the visuals of What Dreams May Come.

masterful vignettes that demonstrate kurosawa's love of japanese folklore, the threats of nuclear mutation, and most of all his amazing ability to portray intimate and complex aspects of human emotions. visually beautiful aswell, he does well in color.

This is a collection of Akira Kurasawa stories put together in one film. For the most part they are entertaining, but a couple of them leave you wondering just what he was getting at.

My lord, Akira Kurosawa's Dreams is an eye stunning beauty. The late Kurosawa is a lord of the film world. This movie is stunning in every way. SEE IT.

Please watch this movie. Visually stunning, Kurosawa's movies have inspired some our most popular directors. PLUS Martin Scorsese has a cameo as Vincent Van Gogh!