Akira Kurosawa: Better than TMNT?

I have always been a big fan of the teenage mutant ninja turtles but until just recently, I have learned that it takes more than a severe craving for pizza to be a real samurai. Although the TMNT were my favorite sword wielding heroes when I was a wee lad, I have come to realize that a samurai is not a turtle...no not a turtle at all, but a master swordsman often trained with the philosophy that life is to be lived out with pride, and discipline. This unit has been interesting and exciting for me being my first viewing of an Akira Kurosawa film, I must say that I enjoyed his style. I liked how Kurosawa utilizes artistic and visually appealing shots to make the audience feel connected to his work. Some shots that really stood out to me were the final standoff between Murakami and Yusa in Stray Dog when blood is dripping onto a flower petal at our hero's feet. Another thing I enjoyed about Kurosawa's work was his use of natural forces like the wind and an extreme heat wave to add to the intensity of the scene.

To me a Samurai film is supposed to be a bit over the top, I would say that AK accomplished this with his many looong takes, and extravagant battle scenes. The red paint used for blood really added to the brutality of the battle at the third tower in Kurosawa's epic film, "Ran". I liked the use of color in "Ran", this was really something that was lacking in "Stray Dog", and "Yojimbo" seeing that these were shot in black and white. I liked the separation of the armies using the three primary colors: RED, YELLOW, and BLUE. My favorite movie of the three was definitely "Yojimbo"...this film really captured my attention because it emphasizes the idea that the hero doesn't always have to be type-casted to one and only one role. The hero, Sanjuro, is my favorite character out of all of Kurosawa's characters because I can relate to him the most. This unit has inspired me to spend some time in some different parts of the movie store, I plan on checking out Kurosawa's epic film known around the world as "Seven Samurai".

Raging Bull

There is something about the dynamic duo that is Joe Pesci and Robert DeNiro that makes you want to curse up a storm and beat the shit out of everybody. In Scorsese's brutal depiction of Jake La Motta a ruthless boxer at reaching for the middleweight title in the 1940's, DeNiro and Pesci complement each other nicely. Scorsese seems to stick with what works, by combining two of hollywoods most famous wise-guys Scorsese is able to yet again blow the audience away with raw graphic violence, foul language and a fast dialogue. I like how Scorsese uses the same actors in a lot of his films because that way he is really able to get to know them and how they work. The film takes place in New York City in the 1940's following the ups and downs of boxer Jake La Motta, Scorsese captures the essence of the era and the city through advanced cinematography. Throughout the film there are many technical shots especially during a fight in the ring. The film is in black and white and opens with a robed Deniro dancing around in the ring practicing his footwork. This shot is in slow motion with classical music playing during the opening credits. Along with this shot, Scorsese uses a wide variety of techniques inside the ring, in one instance when La Motta gets hit in the face the camera reels around in a circle as if to show us how dizzy and rattled his brain must be. When the bell rings between rounds the camera focuses on La Motta (DeNiro) in the corner aith a dutch angle, oftentimes the camera is slowed down when his manager is cleaning his wounds and cleaning his face with a sponge full of water.

Along with many of these shots one stands out above the rest, this is obviously when Jake notices Vicky from across the dance floor in a restaurant. It is a slow motion zoom in on her face and as it it travels across the dance floor people dance in front of the camera making it seem as if we are gazing at this girl from across the room as well. One thing that I have noticed about Scorsese's films is that in every one they start out fairly slow giving some good background information on the characters, after all he is well known for his incredible character development. Joe Pesci and Robert DeNiro dive so deep into their characters that it amazes me, for a minute there I actually believed they were brothers. Along with all of the violence and blood, Raging Bull spends a great amount of time on the ups and downs of Jake La Motta's boxing career and family life, which I really enjoyed. I like how Scorsese makes you feel as if you know this "character" personally after viewing the movie. I also enjoyed how much time Scorsese spent on developing Jake's nasty behavior and personality, he points out how jealousy, mistrust, and domestic violence destroys his career and breaks up his family. After viewing these three films by Scorsese I have grown in admiration of a man who has become a master of his craft.

Alfred Hitchcock: Master of Suspense?

First off I would like to answer my own question...YES...I do believe that Hitchcock is a master of suspense. In all three films, "The 39 Steps", "Rear Window", and "Vertigo" he is able to captivate his audiences and make the viewer feel as if he or she is really there with James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Cary Grant...etc. To me this is the most important detail in making a successful thriller, if the audience feels like they are in danger, then the director has done his job. The way Hitchcock is able to keep his audiences with white knuckles, sitting on the edge of their seats is truly amazing. In almost all of Hitchcock's film he keeps one thing consistent, an older male protagonist and a much younger blonde female "sidekick" if you will. By doing this the audience is able to connect with the characters on a more intimate level (especially when they watch two James Stuart films in a row like we did). We now feel as though we have met this character before and have gotten to know them, so NOW when this character's life is thrust into danger, we fear for their safety and well-being even more.
Hitchcock is known for being able to tell a story without words, he is a great visual artist and takes a lot of the things he learned from his silent film era and uses those talents in his later works. A great example of this is the opening scene from Rear Window where the camera pans across L.B. Jefferies broken leg and around the room clearly showing some of Jefferies photographs of the things he's done and the places he's been. Another key Hitchcockian trait is his character development. In almost all of Hitchcocks greatest films one variable remains constant: the ordinary man who is thrust into extraordinary situations. It seems that Hitchcock has proved himself as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time merely by using the skills he has picked up over the years and these experiences have made him what he is today...a legend.