Online Tributes to Akira Kurosawa for the 102nd Anniversary of his Birth
Monday, March 26, 2012
March 23rd is a particularly noteworthy date for admirers of Japanese cinema, as it marks the birth of one of its most beloved figures: Akira Kurosawa. In the time since the master's centenary two years ago, the month of March has come to be recognized by some as "Kurosawa Month," used by many as a welcome opportunity to revisit and rediscover his incredible works. I myself took the opportunity this year to see his 1985 film "Ran" after a long break, and was once more enthralled by the vision and power that he wielded so ably, and in so many different ways, throughout his career. This year, among the more impressive online tributes to Kurosawa was a "Great Kurosawa-thon" of posts by the tumblr blog This Must Be The Place which assembled posters, stills, quotations and even gifs(!) that take visitors on a journey through his career and some of the events and ideas that helped shape it. Along with getting highlighted by MUBI's Notebook, the post series inspired Flavorwire to take a closer look at the paintings that Kurosawa often composed (particularly in the stunning late, color-saturated phase of his career) as references for his onscreen compositions.
How did other Kurosawa devotees celebrate the great one's legacy? Any films watched or pieces written (or spotted beyond the sites listed above)?