EAST 255 - Kurosawa’s Cinematic Histories

Semester Offered: Second Semester, Second Module
Half Course
Credits: 2 credits
Attribute: 2SS, CD

This second module course will explore the ways in which Director Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998) portrayed Japanese history on film. To understand Kurosawa’s approach of holding up a mirror to Japanese society-throughout the ages-and its quandaries, emphasis will be on both the films and their depiction of historical realities. Films under consideration span Kurosawa’s almost five-decade long-career and include The Men Who Step on the Tiger’s Tail, Ikiru, High and Low, Kagemusha, and Madadayo. 

Note: Weekly film screenings.

Enrollment Limit: 15
Instructor: E. O’Dwyer

Cross List Information: HIST 255