Akira Kurosawa: Japan's John Ford

Japan's Greatest Director was a Student of One of America's Greatest

Nov 26, 2008

Modern cinema wouldn't exist without him. But as much of an influence as Kurosawa has, the director himself was a disciple of American film, especially westerns.

Everybody knows the characters: Darth Vader, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and of course, Chewbacca. Perhaps no film creation is as universally recognizable or popular as George Lucas' Star Wars franchise.

But what might not be such a well-known fact is the inspiration behind the planet's most successful space epic ever: Kurosawa's 1958 film The Hidden Fortress was the foundation for Star Wars, which Lucas envisioned as a loose remake of Kurosawa's movie.

Kurosawa Goes Back to the Future

Another Kurosawa film, 1961's Yojimbo, was a direct influence on filmmaker Sergio Leone's production of A Fistful of Dollars three years later. Leone's movie then became a major reference point in another hugely popular sci-fi staple: Robert Zemeckis' Back to the Future series.

Still, Kurosawa's best-known film is probably 1954's The Seven Samurai, widely considered by many critics to be one of the best films ever made. Yet many of the movie's most memorable shots and scenes were directly influenced by John Ford and the style of other classical Hollywood Westerns.

In fact, Kurosawa was such a fan of John Ford that he was seen wearing dark sunglasses -- a fashion trait that Ford himself was known for. But it wasn't just American directors who had an impact on Akira Kurosawa's films.

Another Kurosawa classic, the police thriller High and Low (1963), was born out of his fondness for American author Evan Hunter.

In an Aug. 19, 2001Chicago Sun-Times review of The Seven Samurai , film critic Roger Ebert cited the importance of Kurosawa's contributions to modern film making.

"Since Kurosawa's samurai adventure "Yojimbo" was remade as "A Fistful of Dollars" and essentially created the spaghetti Western, and since this movie and Kurosawa's "The Hidden Fortress" inspired George Lucas' "Star Wars" series, it could be argued that this greatest of filmmakers gave employment to action heroes for the next 50 years," he wrote.

John Woo Wants to Remake Yojimbo

Today, Kurosawa's presence as a director still holds a major place in global cinema. Acclaimed filmmaker John Woo -- who directed Face/Off -- said on July 15, 2008 that at some point in his career he wanted to remake Yojimbo.

Although the influence of Akira Kurosawa's films continue to grow long after his death, his skill and vision as a director was appreciated among his contemporaries. In 1975, his Dersu Uzala won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film and in 1990, Kurosawa was honored again by the Academy with a lifetime achievement award.

He also won a Career Golden Lion from the Venice Film Festival in 1982 and most recently was bestowed a special honor during the 10th Iran Cinema Celebration in 2006. Kurosawa died in 1998 at the age of 88.

Over the course of his 50-year career, Kurosawa made more than 30 films. Here are some of his most well-known movies:

The copyright of the article Akira Kurosawa: Japan's John Ford in Asian Films is owned by Adam Benson. Permission to republish Akira Kurosawa: Japan's John Ford in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.