Contents
Akira Kurosawa
Directing Seven Samurai and Rashomon.
Japanese cinema · Ran
- Born
- 23 March 1910
- Birthplace
- Tokyo, Japan
- Died
- 6 September 1998
More people
Akira Kurosawa
A Japanese director and screenwriter known for dynamic action, moral dilemmas and stories that influenced filmmakers internationally.
Early life
Drawing first
Initially pursued painting before entering cinema.
A film-loving family
His father encouraged filmgoing; his brother worked as a silent-film narrator.
Career
- 1936
Studio apprenticeship
Joined P.C.L. as an assistant director.
- 1943
Directorial debut
Directed Sanshiro Sugata.
- 1951
International recognition
Rashomon won the Golden Lion at Venice.
Selected work
Rashomon
Conflicting accounts challenge the idea of a single reliable witness.
Seven Samurai
Warriors defend a farming village.
Ran
An ageing ruler’s divided kingdom descends into war.
Beyond work
Family
Married actor Yōko Yaguchi in 1945; they had two children.
Visual planning
His painting background also informed drawings for his films.
Sources & photo credit
Biographical reference ↗BFI: Seven Samurai and its influence ↗Photo: 映画の友 (Eiga no tomo). Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
