Akira Kurosawa's grand works in the subject of reality criticism

Jermain 2022-05-10 16:44:23

It is said that the reason why Kurosawa Akira's film failed is estimated to be sympathy for an old rich man who is unfounded. However, the fear of nuclear radiation is not groundless. If Ozu's Tokyo Story truly reflects the disintegration of Japanese family relations after the war, then the record of living people is a rare reflection by Akira Kurosawa on the deconstruction of the whole post-war social relationship. There are many angles of interpretation. Kiichi Nakajima, who wears Mifune Toshiro's old-age makeup, is not only the last image of a feudal parent, but also the incarnation of the last real emperor. That is, incapable of judging the situation but having an unquestionable status and abundant resources. The sound of the dialogue between Mifune and Shimura Joe in the tram tunnel is so wonderful, as loud as the urn, although the sound is long gone. Digression, Jiang Wen may not be able to reach the level of Toshiro Mifune in his entire life. The resistance of the sons and daughters is both a questioning of authority and a questioning of his abilities. The Tokyo Family Affairs Court can be interpreted as a direct intrusion of the democratic rule of law into the Japanese-style autocratic authority. The subtle competition and defense relationship between Nakajima's concubines and direct-born children is also a portrayal of the traditional family of the last generation. The marginal status of a son-in-law in family affairs is now an antiquated one. Today's "adopted sons-in-law" in Japan inherit the chaebol family business everywhere, and their status is not what it used to be. All of the above make the documentary film of living people a family drama full of contradictions and entanglements. Although Akira Kurosawa gave Nakajima a lot of sympathy, he also wrote about his inhumanity. For example, he self-destructed his family business. Just as Emperor Showa led the country into a dilemma of war. The original intention of authority was to let everyone live a good life, but it ended up dragging more families into misery. So I agree with Tadao Sato's statement that the record of strangers is an important work of Akira Kurosawa. Akira Kurosawa does not have many realism themes, but in terms of structure and depth, this film should come out on top. Of course, the problem is also very obvious. The theme of the atomic bomb is not easy to shoot. Two years later, Allen Resnai's film Love of Hiroshima in 1959 hit the pain point, talking about the pain of the atomic bomb on the individual society and the country. The record of strangers skips the foreshadowing of pain, and directly talking about countermeasures fails to resonate. In the movie, Tokyo at 11 o'clock in the evening is still so lively and people are still working.

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Extended Reading

I Live in Fear quotes

  • Sue Nakajima: Good old Father. In only two days.

    [Jiro beats Sue and chases her around the courtyard]

  • Jiro Nakajima: My father's scheme is simply a castle in the air. He wants to buy a farm there, but he has no dollars at all. Emigration is being encouraged if it is constructive, but he's running away from Japan because he is afraid. Will he get any dollars? No. I went to the Finance Ministry and verified it. In short, this plan is bound to end up like his underground house.