• Kurosawa’s Birthday Month, Day 11

    Congratulations to Friday’s winner, Rick, and thanks for calling attention to an underappreciated film in response to our question about favorite Kurosawa remakes! It’s now in the Netflix queue of many a Criterion staffer. Here’s what Rick had to say:

    The Outrage, starring Paul Newman and Edward G. Robinson (oh, and Shatner’s in it, too). The concept of Rashomon has been used countless times (I’m quite fond of the X Files episode “Bad Blood” and the All in the Family episode when Archie and Meathead tell conflicting versions of the same story to explain what happened to the refrigerator), but The Outrage was an intentional remake of the Kurosawa film. The characters all give conflicting reports of a rape and murder in the American West. Great stuff.

    March is Akira Kurosawa month at Criterion. On the twenty-third, the great Japanese filmmaker would have been one hundred years old. For this centennial celebration, we will be posting trivia questions and other contests all month, and giving away a different prize every weekday.

    Today’s prompt:

    What would you pick as your “desert island” Kurosawa movie?

    Please respond by commenting below, and we’ll choose our favorite tomorrow. You must reside in the U.S. or Canada and leave a valid e-mail address to be eligible for the prize (a Dodes’ka-den DVD).

    Contests

156 comments

  • By Kevin Longrie
    March 15, 2010
    05:11 PM

    Rashomon, because it's like 4 movies in one.
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  • By Zachary Herrmann
    March 15, 2010
    05:11 PM

    Rashoman. Because in a way, you're getting three movies (although a similar-minded argument could be made for many Kurosawa films).
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  • By Joseph J. Finn
    March 15, 2010
    05:12 PM

    Yojimbo, just to watch Sanjuro play the various sides against each other over and over.
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  • By David Barrios
    March 15, 2010
    05:12 PM

    Easily, "Ikiriu." Kurosawa's ability to extract such truth and humanity, not only from his actors but as a visual artist, make this one of the most significant statements about life to emerge from cinema. In the face of death, the purpose of living is re-affirmed. Shimura's role is a tour de force and one of the most memorable portrayals in cinema.
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  • By Curt Mathies
    March 15, 2010
    05:13 PM

    Dreams
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  • By Dan Chung
    March 15, 2010
    05:13 PM

    My "desert island" Kurosawa movie would definitely be: Dreams Because, if you're on a desert island, what else have you got?
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  • By dan kinem
    March 15, 2010
    05:14 PM

    Seven Samurai. You get everything. Anytime I was bored on this island I could watch the movie and be on the edge of my seat. It's action-packed and so fun to watch. Not to mention over 3 hours long!
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  • By James Chow
    March 15, 2010
    05:15 PM

    Ran, because with all of those hundreds of extras in the battle sequences I would never feel alone.
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  • By Jon Rosa
    March 15, 2010
    05:15 PM

    I would choose Akira Kurosawa's Dreams as the film I would take on a Desert island. Its stunning visuals would help to break up the monotony of only seeing the sand and Ocean, while the numerous deep story lines would help to make it seem fresh no matter how many times I watched it.
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  • By Rick Andrade
    March 15, 2010
    05:15 PM

    Seven Samurai would be my choice because it would help me forget that I'm stuck on a desert island for 3 1/2 hours at a time...though the all the rice in the movie would probably make me quite hungry...
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  • By william zitser
    March 15, 2010
    05:15 PM

    Rashômon - Doing Soderbergh before he was even born.
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  • By Greg West
    March 15, 2010
    05:15 PM

    Seven Samurai, because it is long and epic enough to be watched hundreds of times.
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  • By Andrew Woods
    March 15, 2010
    05:16 PM

    I'd probably pick Yojimbo because I just find it to be his most entertaining. If I'm on a desert island I think I'd just want a bit of escapism.
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  • By Brett Kessler
    March 15, 2010
    05:17 PM

    Ikiru. It's Kurosawa's most beautiful and emotional film.
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  • By Keely Craig
    March 15, 2010
    05:18 PM

    Ran! I could never live without that last shot. Plus, since I would be on a "desert island", it would remind me that I'm better off without the rest of humanity; they're all just a bunch of greedy war mongers!
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  • By alberto gutierrez
    March 15, 2010
    05:19 PM

    RAN. because it lays bare the depths of human greed, but also human grace. It is a singular vision that needs to urgently shout This is the state of the world. I can watch it a million times and i always find something new. It is bold, energetic, abstract. It is the reason why movies are made.
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  • By Lesli Johnson
    March 15, 2010
    05:19 PM

    Seven Samurai. It is everything a film can be and more so to keep anybody enthralled if trapped on a desert island (assuming you had a TV and DVD player; and still assuming you an outlet for electricity; and even still assuming the question "desert pick," meant being trapped on an island). It has EVERTYHTING: action, drama, love, betrayal, honor, adventure, intrigue, sorrow, and most importantly heart, which is not hard to find in any Kurosawa film. Seven Samurai is epic, and will keep your spirit rising for centuries to come. I don't own any Kurosawa masterpieces, though I've seen many, including the prize. It'd be nice to start my collection. Let me know when Seven Samurai's up for grabs, too.
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  • By Michael P.
    March 15, 2010
    05:19 PM

    I'd go with THRONE OF BLOOD. A) You get Kurosawa AND Shakespeare. That's value! B) Anytime I fell into self pity I'd think, "At least I'm not Taketori. That guy had PROBLEMS." Of course, I could use the jam-packed Criterion SEVEN SAMURAI to crack open coconuts. Hm...
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  • By Francisco Lo
    March 15, 2010
    05:19 PM

    Though I'm tempted to say Throne of Blood because I too will eventually go crazy on a desert island, my ultimate "desert island" pick is High and Low. The thrill is enticing and it features two of my favorite Japanese actors, Mifune and Nakadai, shares almost equal screen time. I never get bored looking at the excellent use of the 2:35 : 1 widescreen and the sets are filled with details.
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  • By R E O P
    March 15, 2010
    05:20 PM

    I think the perfect desert island Kurosawa film would be Ran. The large scale of the story and setting would put my troubles in perspective. A desert island couldn't be that bad when you have movies to watch, could it?
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  • By Martin Wagner
    March 15, 2010
    05:21 PM

    If I were on a desert island, I suspect I'd want to be cheered up. So I would have to go with SEVEN SAMURAI, Kurosawa's most rousing entertainment. YOJIMBO runs a close second, if only because 7S is three and a half hours long, and on a desert island, between hunting for food and trying to avoid being killed by exposure or dehydration or Cthulhu, I'd have a lot of time on my hands.
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  • By Dan Sessoms
    March 15, 2010
    05:22 PM

    Seven Samurai. It's long, mentally stimulating, entirely engrossing, and I'm pretty sure that rain would look delicious after a few days.
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  • By Jason Cryer
    March 15, 2010
    05:23 PM

    Ran. It's the absolute definition of a classic. Not only does it take inspiration from Shakespeare, but it gives viewers an original and powerful take on the story of King Lear. The film's 160 minute runtime holds countless frames of simultaneous horror and beauty. Nakadai-san's acting alternates between theatrical and subtle from moment to moment. 'Grandiose' hardly defines the film's incredible magnitude. The major battle setpiece and the burning of the castle achieve more in a few minutes than most films do over their entire length. I've seen it countless times, and it only improves with every viewing.
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  • By Fernando C
    March 15, 2010
    05:24 PM

    If left stranded on a desert island, I wouldn't be precisely bored. I would carry Kurosawa's Seven Samurai with me and watch it quite often. Every single time I sit to watch this film, i find myself lost in a vast story with rich characters and a variety of situations that the film only hints at. When watching the film repeatedly, one starts imagining new adventures these brave samurai might have encountered, or will find late on out in the road, after the end of this first encounter. So in a desert island, I would enjoy Seven Samurai childishly, forgetting all films that borrow or steal from it, forgetting all critical commentary, watching it as a kid. Loving and living every frame. Creating long stories in my mind based upon these unforgettable, endearing characters.
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  • By Tobey Cook
    March 15, 2010
    05:25 PM

    I would choose Yojimbo because it was the first Kurosawa movie I ever saw and exposed me to the magnificent acting prowess of Toshiro Mifune. There are very few movies made today that can hold my attention the way Yojimbo can, so it would be perfect for passing the time while waiting for my eventual rescue.
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  • By joshua Bradley
    March 15, 2010
    05:25 PM

    Dersu Uzala is one of the most exemplary views of humanity of in any medium and if I were stranded on a desert island, I would miss the stories of the people you meet in the world and the impact we have on each other's lives. Having a "friend" who understood being pulled from one world to another would allow me to not only feel human, but to experience a range of emotions embodied by another.
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  • By Daniel Sohinki
    March 15, 2010
    05:26 PM

    I would have to choose 'Throne of Blood', just so I know exactly how to react if a tribe of natives happens to pierce my body with thousands and thousands of arrows.
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  • By James
    March 15, 2010
    05:27 PM

    Red Beard, because I love the cinematography, the story of a vain man learning from Mifune to be a good man, and the scene where Mifune kicks ass at the madam's house.
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  • By David Still
    March 15, 2010
    05:27 PM

    a very tough choice but I'd have to go with RAN. So stunning that it still moves me like the 1st time I saw it.
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  • By David
    March 15, 2010
    05:28 PM

    Ikiru Taksahi Shimura gives his most emotional performance that begs the viewer to consider what is most important in life.
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  • By Mario Villalobos
    March 15, 2010
    05:29 PM

    Throne of Blood, specifically the Criterion DVD version of it, because if I'm stranded on a desert island, blood is something I'm going to have to conquer in order to survive, and I'll need that visual reminder that the Criterion cover so perfectly encapsulates.
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  • By YiFeng You
    March 15, 2010
    05:29 PM

    assuming that there is unlimited electricity, TV&Blu-Ray player that will never break down ever, i'd grab Seven Samurai (Blu-Ray coming late this year from Criterion). everytime i watch this almost 4 hour epic, i reap and gleam more and more information. there is so much to unpack because of Kurosawa's genius and mastery of mis en scene (something we do NOT see in modern films anymore). furthermore, it's everything that film is. action, romance, tragedy, comedy, shakespearean, pathos, bathos and so on.
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  • By Cesare
    March 15, 2010
    05:29 PM

    While Yojimbo is probably my favorite Kurosawa movie, I'd have to go with Seven Samurai for desert island pick. It covers such an expansive emotional territory, has a so many memorable characters, and absolutely breathtaking action scenes. It's a movie that leaves the viewer satisfied in every possible way. When I watch Seven Samurai, I don't feel the need to watch anything else for a while. Seven Samurai's epic length is another consideration. If I'm trapped on a desert island, I'm not really in a hurry to get anywhere.
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  • By Rob Kozlowski
    March 15, 2010
    05:29 PM

    If stranded on a desert island, it would have to be Seven Samurai because I'd finally have the time to watch all the supplements.
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  • By Lucas Kollauf
    March 15, 2010
    05:32 PM

    Seven Samurai for sure. Not only is it my favorite film, the length would never be a problem. I also hope I can bring the upcoming Blu Ray with me and get into the special features.
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  • By Marc Mayo
    March 15, 2010
    05:34 PM

    Were I stranded on a desert island I would pick Ikiru, without question. Watching Watanabe's heroic triumph in finding meaning in his own deserted landscape might inspire me to find meaning in my own.
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  • By JLG
    March 15, 2010
    05:35 PM

    Probably Dodes'ka-den, honestly -- my inescapable reality mirroring that of the film's shanty town residents. If that sounds incredibly self-loathing, well.. I'm Jewish. At least I'm guaranteed fresh fish.
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  • By Nick Barnes
    March 15, 2010
    05:36 PM

    I would choose Seven Samurai! It's so full of adventure and excitement, is also a compelling character movie and has such a high watchability that it woud provide endless hours of escapism while one is waiting for rescue!
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  • By Justin Moffitt
    March 15, 2010
    05:37 PM

    Seven Samurai, beyond a shadow of any doubt. Beautiful, beautiful film.
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  • By William Vanyo
    March 15, 2010
    05:38 PM

    Ran, without a doubt. I am quite fond of Kurosawa's catalog as a whole (particularly Seven Samurai, Yojimbo--I can keep going...), but I am most-fond of his interpretations of previously known material. 'The Idiot' is a wonderful reexamination of Dostoyevski; 'Throne of Blood' would have made Shakespeare proud; but 'Ran' is both the culmination of Kurosawa's years of artistic vision(s) coming to it's finest point (in my opinion) as well as something that is both wholly Shakespeare and entirely Kurosawa at the same time. While the other films (including 'Roshomon') were stellar reinterpretations of their literary analogs, 'Ran' is so universal in it's panoply of human emotions than anyone on any island in any country would feel its emotional (and visual) gravity on a level beyond a basic re-working of 'Kind Lear' (provided that they either spoke Japanese or were able to read subtitles in their language, of course). Again, Shakespeare would applaud with envy.
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  • By John Taylor
    March 15, 2010
    05:41 PM

    This is very difficult to choose but I think I'd have to go with Hidden Fortress. This is a film I can watch any time that's filled with Kurosawa's classic elements of action, drama and overall good humor. It's one of the first Akira Kurosawa films I ever saw and the one that always sticks in my mind. If I chose another one of his films as my 'desert island' pick I know I would regret never getting to watch Hidden Fortress again.
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  • By Kevin
    March 15, 2010
    05:41 PM

    It's a toss up between Kagemusha and Ran. I love the colors and their tones in Kagemusha so much. It's dream like cinematography make me want to plug it in right now and watch it. Ran on the other hand is so complicated, yet very simplistic. I love how the colors of that film are more naturalistic and the storytelling is more realistic. Ran was probably the pinnacle to what Kurosawa's whole career was leading toward, so I guess I'd have to say that's the one I'd pick. It's hard to pick one though, especially when there's so many films of his that I'd miss.
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  • By Benjamin Crais
    March 15, 2010
    05:41 PM

    Seven Samurai. It's the perfect movie. There's beautiful romance, exciting and brutal action, lots of comedic moments with Kikuchiyo and there's tragedy as the samurai fall in battle. Naturally this would be my desert island movie, there is nothing I could want that I cannot find in this fantastic, beautiful film.
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  • By D-Man
    March 15, 2010
    05:42 PM

    If I were stuck on a desert island with only one Kurosawa film, that film would have to be Seven Samurai. Each new viewing of this epic masterpiece is never the same and I always find something else to take away from it. Even at 3.5 hours in length, it is probably the most economical film I've ever seen. Every scene and frame is very significant to the plot and moves the story forward. Not to mention that it practically puts every human emotion that could be captured on celluloid, making it a roller coaster ride of a film. It's also jam packed with grand action sequences that always has me at the edge of my seat. And finally, if I'm on a desert island, there is no quicker way to kill 3 and a half hours. Seven Samurai moves faster than the bullet train in High and Low.
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  • By Scott
    March 15, 2010
    05:42 PM

    I would pick Ikiru, because the outstanding story is complemented by the phenomenal acting of Takeshi Shimura. Additionally, it is perhaps the quintessential Kurosawa film, exemplifying many if not all of the cinematic auturism for which he is known. The detail with which he framed each scene and even each cut, from simple things like catching light in Watanabe's eyes to more meaningful aspects like the contrast between the dying man descending the stairs while a woman celebrating her birth ascends, demonstrates his masterful eye and inherent attention to detail that makes us love his films. In Ikiru, we see the struggle to find meaning in life itself, and the many many pitfalls into which we all fall at some point. However, it is uplifting to discover that even when we fall there is always a path to redemption and contentment, and it is encouraging to know that life will go on.
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  • By Martin
    March 15, 2010
    05:42 PM

    Definitely Ikiru. If I was literally on a desert island, Ikiru would be one of the only films outside of just Kurosawa that I would want. It possesses an overall melancholic tone, illustrating a man on the brink of death (much like being stuck on an island) and ends in an uplifting, if bittersweet way. To me, Ikiru means that life is never too late to really live, and while you may not change the world by finally doing something selfless, you can die knowing that you did make a difference.
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  • By Joshua James
    March 15, 2010
    05:43 PM

    Stray Dog. I can watch that film a million times and never tire of it.
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  • By Mike Denbo
    March 15, 2010
    05:43 PM

    If I were forced to watch only one movie for the rest of my life, it would have to be Seven Samurai. Each time I watch it, I notice something new that never occurred to me before. The level of depth and the broad range of characters make this one the easiest to watch again and again. At any rate, Seven Samurai is the only Criterion movie I actually own, so it's kind of like I'm stranded on a desert island, anyway.
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  • By Brian Hollendyke
    March 15, 2010
    05:45 PM

    While I would say that my favorite Kurosawa film is Ran, if I could only choose one film to represent Kurosawa on my desert island it would be The Hidden Fortress. I have two reasons for this. Primarily, The Hidden Fortress is fun. It's light-hearted, overall, and brings a smile to my face. But The Hidden Fortress is also capable of showing the horrors and sadness that Kurosawa put into his films, as well. In particular, the scene where the image of Princess Yuki is double-exposed over the image of a flag symbolizes not only her own sadness but the saddest elements of Kurosawa's entire career. Put together, The Hidden Fortress holds everything, the happiness and the sadness, that Kurosawa strove to deliver to his audiences. My other reason for choosing The Hidden Fortress is that it would be as though I were bringing several films with me in one package. After seeing The Hidden Fortress and learning that Star Wars was (essentially) a remake of the film I have had a blast looking for the similarities between the two. I can't help thinking of Star Wars when I think of The Hidden Fortress. Thus, as I would probably be unable to have any of the Star Wars films with me on my desert island, having The Hidden Fortress with me would be like having the original trilogy and a bonus masterpiece that is (conveniently) preferred by myself!
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  • By Luke Petach
    March 15, 2010
    05:46 PM

    Yojimbo would be my personal desert island Kurosawa Film. What better than to have a film about a lone wanderer while being stuck alone on an island? The village in which the film takes place could be perceived as a metaphor for such an island and Toshirô Mifune plays the man stranded upon that island, doing anything he can to escape.
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  • By Justin
    March 15, 2010
    05:46 PM

    Definitely Seven Samurai. I could watch that over and over and over again!
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  • By dan
    March 15, 2010
    05:48 PM

    My desert island movie would definitely be Sanjuro. Sanjuro could hardly be called one of Kurosawa's crowning achievements, it's somewhat short and doesn't take itself as seriously as movies like Seven Samurai and Ikiru do, but it's got by far the most charm of any of his movies that I've seen. Sanjuro is the perfect vehicle to show off Toshiro Mifune's over-the-top acting as well as Kurosawa's ability to write and direct comedy. There are two scenes that never fail to impress me every time I see them (and I've watched the movie hundreds of times). The first is when the guard captured at the uncle's mansion runs out of the closet to warn everyone about the one-story gate, only to celebrate with them later when their foes fall for it, the second is the final showdown between Sanjuro and Hanbei... that final duel gets my adrenalin pumping every time.
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  • By Paul Shingleton
    March 15, 2010
    05:49 PM

    It would be hard to not choose Seven Samurai, but I think I would have to choose Ran. It hits me hard every time I watch it. It's almost like watching it for the 1st time, every time. Not many movies can do that.
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  • By J.B.
    March 15, 2010
    05:51 PM

    If I were stranded on a desert island (I'm talking literally here), it would have to be with a copy of "Rashomon." Not only is it one of my favorite films, but it would make the prospect of never being rescued from my island prison-- never to encounter another living soul again-- somewhat manageable, given the grim view of humanity espoused by the film's characters until the conclusion.
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  • By Ryan Carroll
    March 15, 2010
    05:54 PM

    My Kurosawa "desert island" film would be 'Ikiru' because it would motivate me to make the most of my situation - Kanji knows there is no hope for his (medical) rescue, but rather than using it as an excuse to give up, he uses it as a tool to live his life like he had never done before. I could also probably use the movie to take some great acting cues from Takasi Shimura.
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  • By Travis Westmore
    March 15, 2010
    05:58 PM

    Without question, my choice would have to be Seven Samurai. It was the first Kurosawa film I ever watched, and holds a special, comforting place in my heart (as well as my movie collection). Currently, I've lost count as to how many times I've watched it, and yet, it feels beautifully fresh every time I watch it again. It's an eternal, gorgeous spectacle that makes me feel at home no matter where I may be.
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  • By Ronald Pabon
    March 15, 2010
    05:59 PM

    I would pick Kurosawa's DREAMS. This would be my ultimate pick because there is just so much to be discovered in these eight dreams. I love how each dream ends ambiguously. This allows me to delve deep into these dreams and create different endings for each one. In an island with nothing, a man should still be able to dream.
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  • By Jason Dickason
    March 15, 2010
    06:00 PM

    The Seven Samurai. It is the greatest epic I've ever seen. Due to it's length I don't often have the time to watch it all. But on a desert I'll have just as much time as I need.
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  • By Chris Martin
    March 15, 2010
    06:02 PM

    Film: Seven Samurai Format: 70mm up-scaled from original 35mm film I would watch it until the film wore out. After that, I could live contently for the rest of my days knowing that the last film I'd seen was the greatest Kurosawa film in the highest quality possible.
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  • By Kelly Lewadniuk
    March 15, 2010
    06:04 PM

    Definitely Seven Samurai. So many different characters and such a great story that I can and have watched over and over.
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  • By Kelly Lewadniuk
    March 15, 2010
    06:05 PM

    Definitely Seven Samurai. So many different characters and such a great story that I can and have watched over and over.
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  • By Kelly Lewadniuk
    March 15, 2010
    06:05 PM

    Definitely Seven Samurai. So many different characters and such a great story that I can and have watched over and over.
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  • By Woody
    March 15, 2010
    06:06 PM

    My "desert island" Kurosawa film would have to be Dersu Uzala. It is heartbreaking tale of friendship and the absolute majesty of nature, which is probably the ultimate star of the film. The overwhelming breadth of this film is truly awe-inspiring and the ending just gets to me every time. If ever there was a film that deserved the Criterion treatment it is this one. It is also worth noting that this was the first Japanese/Russian co-production so bonus points for that.
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  • By Todd Frye
    March 15, 2010
    06:07 PM

    Seven Samurai - it's the greatest film ever. And I'd like it on 3D Blu-Ray, on my big-screen TV (I'd manufacture electricity from coconut milk), with Jessica Alba serving me popcorn with movie butter/oil. For a non-Kurosawa film, I'd want a documentary called How To Escape From A Desert Island, After Ravishing Jessica Alba Several Times.
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  • By Aric
    March 15, 2010
    06:11 PM

    I'd have to take Seven Samurai. It was the first Kurosawa film I ever saw and it would only be fitting for it to be the last I would ever see.
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  • By Joseph
    March 15, 2010
    06:16 PM

    I would have to pick Throne of Blood, because it's my favorite adaptation of a Shakespearean work. Although not as eminently re-watchable as some other Kurosawa films, Throne of Blood is perhaps the most rewarding to re-watch; each time I've noticed something that has changed my perception of both the movie and original work.
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  • By Jeffrey Riedy
    March 15, 2010
    06:17 PM

    I would have to pick Sanjuro. Though a "sequel" to Yojimbo, it is much softer and light-handed than Yojimbo or Seven Samurai. It has a strong sense of humanity and is not nearly as violent as Seven Samurai and Yojimbo. There are moments of humor, and unlike Samurai and Yojimbo which are very dark, Sanjuro is shot in bright sunlight. Don't know about you, but if I'm stuck on an island, I want to watch something uplifting`, and not depressing and dark. Just listen to the ST on Sanjuro, filled with whistling birds and the sounds of water in the brook. The film is smartly shot and framed to accentuate character relationships, while telling the story within the visual frame, this is Kurosawa at his best. Come on... the film inspired Italy's Spaghetti Westerns.
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  • By Tom S
    March 15, 2010
    06:18 PM

    I would bring Yojimbo. Yes, it's a great and very entertaining movie, but more importantly it would give me any number of important tips about what to do and what to avoid in gaining power over the warring kingdoms of natives sure to be on any desert island that also gives me access to a dvd player; sure, Throne of Blood and Ran might be helpful, but those both give me more advice about what to do after I take power- and at that point, I can just have my minions send for them.
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  • By Christopher R
    March 15, 2010
    06:23 PM

    My desert island Kurosawa film would be Dersu Uzala for its depiction of a man who lives happily out of society. Its portrayal of the chance friendship between trapper and Russian soldier would give me hope for being found.
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  • By D. Thomas Dalton
    March 15, 2010
    06:30 PM

    Seven Samurai. It never gets old.
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  • By Ross McClintock
    March 15, 2010
    06:32 PM

    If I were to have a desert island Kurosawa DVD, I would bring The Seven Samurai. The running length and quick paced story line would distract me as I presumably dehydrated to death as I watch it over and over again
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  • By Jesse Oswald
    March 15, 2010
    06:35 PM

    Red Beard. This film has special meaning to me........'nough said =)
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  • By Aaron Friedrichsen
    March 15, 2010
    06:35 PM

    Ikiru. Nothing like a message of hope when you're feeling stranded.
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  • By Lionel
    March 15, 2010
    06:38 PM

    If we're talking DVD rather than film, I'd probably have to go with the Criterion version of Seven Samurai, because not only would you have the three and a half hour movie, you'd also have the two three and a half hour commentaries, and all the other assorted bonus features, so there's a lot to divert you. But if we were limited to just a copy of the film, I'd probably go with High and Low. On a purely personal level, this is just one of my favorite Kurosawas, even though he's best known for his historical/samurai films. I love the quiet drama of the first half, of watching the action hero Mifune in a more restrained domestic role, demonstrating his mastery of restrained emotions. I love the premise of the film, the tough emotional choice Kingo has to wrestle with. And I like seeing the growing raport and respect the police seem to develop with him, as they watch him make his choice, realize the difficulty involved and what he is potentially sacrificing, and come to respect him as a man despite the initial indifference they may have felt at a "rich man"s problems. And with the second act, you almost have an entirely different film, as the focus shifts to the police and the fascinating detective work they engage in, demonstrating how much manpower goes in to an investigation of this kind and the amount of detail that has to be sorted through. Like many Kurosawa films, there's an excellent use of tension, as the audience is continuously held captive waiting for the next development. I think I've seen it a dozen times, and it always has me on the edge of my seat, even when I know perfectly well where it's going.
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  • By Billy Ritchie
    March 15, 2010
    06:38 PM

    Seven Samurai. Not only would I be able to lose myself in it for three and a half hours at a time, but no other film has such an incredible ability to make one less lonely. Seven Samurai isn't so long simply because it's "an epic." Every second of that movie is intentional. It allows you to really, really know every character in it. How many movies immediately throw tons of characters at you, leaving you floundering in all these strangers that mean nothing to you? No so with Seven Samurai. Each new addition to the "magnificent 7" gets at least an entire scene, and we can immediately identify them all. After only the first hour of the film, we can connect to these ronin. As it progresses, you really know them. The first time I watched the film, I stopped at the intermission. When I picked back up the next day, I felt like I was coming home, and seeing friends I hadn't seen in a while. There's a wonderful familiarity to the movie. Cinematically, Kurosawa uses this familiarity to build emotional intensity as it progresses, making the end particularly affecting. But on a desert island, this familiarity serves a different purpose. Whenever I would begin to get lonely, I could say "I wonder what mischief Kikuchiyo is getting into today." Whenever I would need good advice and wisdom, I could watch Kambei talking to...well, anyone. Whenever I would need comfort, I could fast-forward to that beautiful, beautiful rain. Seven Samurai. It actually makes a desert island sound not so bad.
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  • By Robert P.
    March 15, 2010
    06:43 PM

    This is hard because there are so many excellent choices. Hidden Fortress is a fun movie. I love the spectacle and colors in Ran plus you get Shakespeare. Seven Samurai is a great humane story leavened with humor. But I lean toward Rashomon. It was the first Kurosawa movie I ever saw, and I loved Kurosawa's use of light, particularly dappling. I liked how Kurosawa deftly combined two Akutagawa stories for the setting, plot, and characters to form a study of truth and self-interest.
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  • By Josh G.
    March 15, 2010
    06:44 PM

    STRAY DOG Not only a great movie, but also giving you a way of saying "Hell, at least its not THAT hot here!".
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  • By Seth Beatty
    March 15, 2010
    06:44 PM

    I would choose Seven Samurai for both it's narrative depth and magnificent scope. With this film Kurosawa proved himself to not only be one of the greatest directors in Japan, but also one of the best in the whole world. While it's story has since been retold countless times (remember that without Seven Samurai there would have never been a Star Wars) I still feel that the original, from Toshiro Mifune's nuanced performance to Asakazu Nakai's stunning photography, is not only Kurosawa's finest hour, but also one of the greatest films ever be made.
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  • By Ryan Estabrooks
    March 15, 2010
    06:50 PM

    My Kurosawa desert island film would have to be "Seven Samurai". If I was on a desert island for a long time, I would start to become delusional and maybe even start hallucinating, which means whatever movie I watch, I'm going to think I'm actually IN it. And if that's the case, I want to hallucinate that I'm a part of the Seven Samurai protecting folks and cutting up evil doers with my mighty samurai sword. The island wouldn't seem so lonely if I believed I was a part of seven noble samurai.
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  • By Matthew Martin
    March 15, 2010
    06:51 PM

    High and Low. I'm a sucker for thrillers and it would keep me occupied for two and a half hours.
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  • By Rafiq Uddin
    March 15, 2010
    06:52 PM

    I'd say "The Quiet Duel", because it'd make me think "Wow, I don't really have it that bad do I?".
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  • By Gabriela P
    March 15, 2010
    06:56 PM

    I doubt that I would have electricity on this teeny, teeny, island so, I would get Seven Samurai because its thick book will keep me occupied for a week. After that I would want to watch it just to hear people's voices again.
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  • By Charlie
    March 15, 2010
    06:56 PM

    'High and Low' is my desert island Kurosawa. In one way, it has the comforting thrills we might expect from an Ed McBain adaptation (for instance the perfectly staged money-drop on the speeding train.) More intoxicating for me though was the police procedural that took over the second half of the film. Not only are the police trying to solve kidnapping case, but they also serve as witnesses to the cruelties of the world as they navigate in and out of the wealthy and poor communities. They witness the noble gestures of a hard-hearted businessman go punished and members of the lower class engulfed by their unforgiving environment (the final stumbling dancing of the OD-ing woman is an image I've never been able to shake.) Even with the arrest/iminent execution of the kidnapper, there is no real closure. Live are destroyed . Wrongs will not be righted. The world is left messy and unfair. It would give me a lot to think about in my own life if I ever found myself literally stuck on a desert island.
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  • By BRENT SALLAY
    March 15, 2010
    07:05 PM

    I would choose RAN for several reasons, some aesthetic, others practical: 1. Well, it's my favorite film of his--the music, the vivid colors, the shifts in tone between playful and deadly, that final haunting but poetic image of a blind man ambling about at the edge of a cliff. All of these elements combine to make a film that remains rewarding after many repeat viewings, which apparently I will have a lot of time for. 2. The film is quite long, but doesn't feel like it, which would make it an ideal way to pass the time while deserted. 3. It would probably give me some valuable pointers on how to hunt, kill, and prepare wild boar and other animals that might be indigenous to the island. 4. In all sincerity, the Criterion cover art for RAN has to be in the top 5 or so of the upper echelon of Criterion covers. As a civilian, I have already spent countless minutes staring into its deep, colorful pools of paint splatter, searching for some greater meaning behind the blots. As a deserted island inhabitant, I am sure it would provide many, many more such minutes of enlightenment. It is truly a work of art unto itself. 5. I believe that other than IKIRU, this is the only other Criterion Kurosawa release that is in those double wide cases, which of course means more surface area of plastic. Though it would pain me to do so, if it came down to it, the case could perhaps be reimagined into some sort of crude piece of furniture or flotation device, or could be dismantled into sharp plastic shards, which could serve as weapons in the hunting of wild boar. (See item 3.) 6. As we all know, the Criterion version of RAN is sadly out of print, and so I assume would grant me the most leverage in a bartering situation with anyone else I might run into on the island. Though of course, they will have to pry it from my cold, dead hands.
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  • By C Tyler Belile
    March 15, 2010
    07:18 PM

    Stray Dog. I just really enjoy the marketplace montage that Kurosawa's AD walked around and shot.
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  • By John T Plasket
    March 15, 2010
    07:46 PM

    A bit of an odd choice, being a) one of his least popular and b) today's prize, but I'm choosing DODES'KA-DEN. First of all, it was Kurosawa's first use of color, and he used it well. From the brightly-painted shacks in the shanty town, to the brilliant glow of the dream house imagined by the homeless man and his son, to the psychedelic backgrounds accompanying Roku-chan's journey, the palette in this film makes it hard to believe that before making this film, Kurosawa saw little value in using color stock. There is also Toru Takemitsu's beautifully simple theme tune, whose unorthodox instrumentation (guitar, marimba, harmonica, and shaker) is surprisingly effective. After seeing the film for the first time, the melody never escaped my head. Above all, however, is the number of stories featured within. For one thing, if I can only have one film, why not one that tells more than one tale? Each story is short enough that they are both satisfying and open-ended. As someone whose mind wanders a lot, I can think about things like what happens to the characters the next day, or what exactly Roku-chan is praying for, to occupy my time as I wait to be rescued.
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  • By Alex K
    March 15, 2010
    07:51 PM

    Seven Samurai -because it's one of his longest films and a frame of a Kurosawa film can be more entertaining than a whole film by a lesser director. Also, it would be the most fun to reenact the scenes from...
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  • By Nathan Collins
    March 15, 2010
    07:53 PM

    One Wonderful Sunday. Definitely not Ikiru. Dreams would be a good choice, but too many of them are nightmares. For happy ones, you've basically got Village of The Watermills and the Van Gogh one (am I missing one?). So One Wonderful Sunday. Lovely story, and a plot involving making the best of a lousy situation, which might well be a useful thing to have on a desert island.
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  • By Frank Lemmon
    March 15, 2010
    07:56 PM

    Ikiru (or, more appropriately, To Live). Alone on a desert island one would need no more a reminder of what it means to live than the character of Kanji. Near his life's end, we find Kanji alone on a swing in the playground he worked so hard to create. Comparing this, the final scene of his life, to how we find Kanji at the beginning - surrounded by co-workers caught up in bureaucratic meaninglessness and living with a son desiring nothing more than his father's pension - a life alone on a deserted island ceases to seem lonely. To live, Kurosawa seems to be saying, is to forget about our everyday concerns for money and efficiency and to be able to kick up one's feet and enjoy life...be it on a swing in a playground or on a deserted island with a copy of Ikiru.
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  • By Roberto
    March 15, 2010
    08:02 PM

    The Quiet Duel. If I had it on the island, I wouldn't have to live with the fact that somewhere out there, there's a Kurosawa film I haven't seen.
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  • By Caleb W.
    March 15, 2010
    08:09 PM

    Stranded on a desert island, bereft of civilization, I would unequivocally choose RAN since Kurosawa's remarkable film sublimely transfers humanity's essence to the viewer. In isolation, we as humans will decay emotionally and mentally. RAN offers the best human socialization emulation with a pristine cinematic examination dealing with human passions and experiences that concern love, friendship, loyalty, comedy, lust, hatred, enmity, terror, madness, and more. Kurosawa's directorial magic connects us to these things in RAN via images and sound. Through the camera eye, he masterfully illustrates these elements with style and candor, and above all, hope. Kurosawa pinpoints human's frailties, watches them destruct, and yet still finds beautiful meaning in their ashes. I would find consolation in the character's inabilities to find a new path, knowing while alone, I am not yet alone as long as I am cognizant others have traveled the same path before me. All these facets should satiate my need to be connected to others, and thus allowing me to enjoy this island predicament. With regards to enjoying the island setting, Kurosawa's uses of greens and majestic hills would later have me comporting myself to nature's beauty (aka, the island) which as he reminds us, is easily lost amidst things like bloodshed and turmoil. And of course Kyoami always brings a smile to my face...
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  • By Mike McGranaghan
    March 15, 2010
    08:09 PM

    I'd choose "Seven Samurai." The very best movies have ways of revealing new things to you every time you see them: new connections, new themes, new pieces of information, new stylistic bits. Watching a film as rich as "Seven Samurai" for the tenth or twentieth time is, in some ways, like watching it for the *first* time, because you find things in it that you had not previously noticed. Such movies are rare, but if you come across one, you can have a lifetime of discovery. If I was trapped on a desert island, I'd definitely want a movie of that caliber, and "Seven Samurai" is absolutely one of them.
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  • By Michel Blemur
    March 15, 2010
    08:09 PM

    My choice would have to be Ikiru. Aside from being my favorite Kurosawa , I find it to be his film that affected me the most on a personnal level. It is a constant reminder of life's worth and impermanence. If there were ever a time to be reminded of that(to kick one's survival instinct in high gear) would be on a desert island...
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  • By Andrew Henderson
    March 15, 2010
    08:12 PM

    HIgh and Low. Out of all of Kurosawa's masterpieces, High and Low is not only my favorite but it still manages, after many viewings, to gets the strongest emotinal reactions out of me. It is a masterpiece in the truest sense of the word.
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  • By Timothy
    March 15, 2010
    08:19 PM

    Desert island? Definitely Seven Samurai. Assuming that I'm all alone, languishing away, I think that I'd get pretty much all the best of humanity in the seven samurai. Leadership, self-sacrifice, the enthusiasm of youth and the self-assurance of maturity, humor, loyalty, single-minded devotion to one's craft, passion, stoicism. I'm sure I'm missing some. Being alone wouldn't be so bad if, whenever I craved the human element of civilization, I could spend some time with the avatars of everything good about the life I'd left behind. Plus, during all the time I'd spend talking to coconuts with faces painted on them, I could say, "I fever to ask!" (Oh, wait, I guess not anymore....)
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  • By Daniel Chavez
    March 15, 2010
    08:20 PM

    My "desert island" Kurosawa pick would be Throne of Blood because currently it is the movie that has been playing in my head. I feel that I can get so much out of it, especially with the fantastic commentary of Michael Jeck. It is truly his knowledge of the film and back story that completes this film for me (as well as his commentary on the Seven Samurai- which I would also try to sneak onto this island).
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  • By RYAN MCGLADE
    March 15, 2010
    08:20 PM

    It would be an excruciating process to choose a single Kurosawa film to watch for the rest of my life, as I love them all so much and I would never want to part with the rest, but if I were forced to choose, I suppose I would go with "Seven Samurai". A masterpiece in any sense of the word, this film is what made me love Kurosawa originally and it is truly a miracle of filmmaking. Within its nearly four hours of length one may find countless new details with each viewing, and it stands as the rare film that never gets old. Of course, one could say that about nearly any Kurosawa film, and that is what makes his legacy so special. Truly, one could randomly choose from a list of Kurosawa films and, no matter what one lands on, he or she would have a timeless work of art to treasure for all time. So I guess the choice isn't so hard really, as all choices have equally positive outcomes.
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  • By Bobbin
    March 15, 2010
    08:23 PM

    A desert Island? With no DVD player or TV? "Seven Samurai", because I love the book that comes with it.
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  • By Patrick
    March 15, 2010
    08:25 PM

    Were I stranded (presumably for the rest of my life) on a desert island, the Kurosawa movie I would bring would be The Bad Sleep Well. It's so depressing that it'd hasten my decision to kill myself because I'm stuck forever on a desert island. Also, I'd get to watch an awesome movie before I go.
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  • By Narukami
    March 15, 2010
    08:27 PM

    Seven Samurai -- it is his most fully realized master piece. Nothing pleases like the classics.
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  • By Matthew E. B.
    March 15, 2010
    08:28 PM

    If this movie is coming to a desert island with me, then I feel it shouldn't necessarily be my favorite, but rather something that can provide me with the positive human influence that I am left without. This limits the choices since so many of Kurosawa's flicks are about swordplay and violence. "Dreams" would be a nice choice, but with so much surrealism, I'd look to something more based in everyday civilization. Therefore, I would have to select "Ikiru" because, while it does stand you alongside the downfalls and turmoils of the real world, it also presents you with a character so full of emotion, internal conflict, doubt, and redemption that, before I ever returned to civilization, I would have essentially GAINED experience in living.
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  • By Sylvain Philippe
    March 15, 2010
    08:56 PM

    The movie I'd bring with me would have to be Seven Samurai. A classic will always be a classic, so why look for something out of the ordinary. This movie has everything you need to live happily ever after alone on your island.
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  • By Bryce Duncan
    March 15, 2010
    09:14 PM

    Rashomon, because it's just about the greatest movie ever anyway.
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  • By Lex
    March 15, 2010
    09:21 PM

    Ikiru. To remember there's always a reason to live.
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  • By marcus
    March 15, 2010
    09:27 PM

    if im on an island, i think id like to watch Stray Dogs. lots of locations to imagine myself inhabiting while wishing i had the luxury of turning off/on a light switch.
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  • By Devin
    March 15, 2010
    09:35 PM

    Ran. It's my favorite of his, it's his most affective, his most powerful...and his most tragic. I'd perk up and face my situation, realizing that there could be a lot worse things than being stranded on an island. Though I suppose there is the oft chance I'd get so sad and hopeless from the ending I'd just end it all... Ah well, Ran would totally be worth the risk.
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  • By Robert Weiss
    March 15, 2010
    09:38 PM

    Just one?! Seven Samurai is the obvious choice and with great reason. However, I'm going with Red Beard because it's got heart and compassion.
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  • By Ben Middleton
    March 15, 2010
    09:41 PM

    Seven Samurai, because at over 3hrs long it would distract you the longest from having to survive. But the bigger question is how do you watch the film?
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  • By Martin
    March 15, 2010
    09:42 PM

    Ikiru, an exercise in what you should do with the time that you have and that after death, the effects of your actions may still be felt. That is hope on a desert island.
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  • By Todd LaPlace
    March 15, 2010
    10:04 PM

    "RASHOMON" It's the best movie to watch when you're alone, which would probably be the case when you're on a desert island. You can't help talk to yourself as you're working your way through all of the twists and turns of the various stories. It doesn't count as going crazy if you're just making an argument for which story you think is the real one.
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  • By Jay Patrick
    March 15, 2010
    10:06 PM

    Throne of Blood. Not only my favorite Kurosawa and my favorite adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth, but also the perfect model on how to go absolutely bat-guano crazy once the desert island solitude overcomes rational thought. I can then practice dodging imaginary arrows for exercise and perfect the histrionics of an extended and labored death sequence when my survival skills (read: lack thereof) catch up with me.
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  • By Thomas Williams
    March 15, 2010
    10:42 PM

    Ran, because there's nary a better way to pass time on a better way than watching a fool - and his jester.
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  • By Thomas Williams
    March 15, 2010
    10:43 PM

    ^ Strike that, it should have read: "Ran, because there's nary a better way to pass time on a desert island than watching a fool - and his jester."
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  • By Matt Kovar
    March 15, 2010
    10:57 PM

    I would pick "Dodes’ka-den" as Kurosawa's desert island, because of how it takes place in a world completely out of Tokyo society (or any society). The people of that small village area have their life, and outside of that the rest of the world seems not to exist. As well, like a desert island, most of the people of the outside world seem to not have noticed its isolated existence, and those that do in however small of way accept it as a natural thing and don't care to explore it. You can also really alienate it outside of the rest of the films ever made by anyone, because there really is no film quite like it in any way. It stands alone.
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  • By Zach
    March 15, 2010
    11:08 PM

    Seven Samurai, because of the unique and revolutionary portrayal of every character. Every shot is set so that you feel something different for every person and as the film continues he uses these people to drive the story. One of my personal favorite parts was the shot of the old man in the beginning with the beard; it amazed me. This is how movies should be made.
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  • By Jonah F.
    March 15, 2010
    11:12 PM

    Ran, because it's the zenith of Kurosawa's work. He spent ten years preparing for it, even "rehearsing" with Kagemusha. He painted every scene in the movie before filming: each scene in Ran is a painting by the master, and as such I believe I could get the more value from deep study of Ran than of any other film he made, it being the most detailed and perfected of his works.
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  • By Jeff
    March 15, 2010
    11:19 PM

    The Bad Sleep Well. One of the first I saw that really attracted me to Kurosawa. I find it very underrated.
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  • By Alexander Case
    March 15, 2010
    11:48 PM

    I'd definitely go with Yojimbo. It's an excellently told story, with excellent action scenes, and magnificently memorable dialog, and an extraordinary cast.
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  • By Jaysin
    March 15, 2010
    11:55 PM

    This is the easiest answer so far. Without a hesitation or delay in thinking, my desert island Kurosawa would be Seven Samurai. No other film has the lasting emotional construct as much as Samurai does, in my opinion. It still stands as one of the very few films I can immediately play again right after finishing it. The film gives hope, inner strength and intellectual prowess. I couldn't pick a better film, no matter what director we were honoring.
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  • By Chris Martin
    March 15, 2010
    11:57 PM

    Everyone on here has the same answer but I think I would have to choose Scandal. There is so much about this movie that I like. The drama of having Ichiro and Miyako versus the media. Ichiro hiring a small town lawyer with a lot of issues in his life, including a daughter who is ill and eventually dies, finally resolving his issues to help save the day. So if I am stuck on a deserted island I would have hope that someone would find me.
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  • By Mark Hendrix
    March 15, 2010
    11:57 PM

    Ikiru, because I would want to be reminded of what it means "To Live." It may be the only film that would give me the hope to keep actively trying to do good in the face of impending death.
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  • By Michael Charboneau
    March 16, 2010
    12:20 AM

    Seven Samurai. The depth of the characters and detailed story make it a movie I can watch again and again. Although I probably wouldn't learn to catch a fish with my bare hands or handle a sword or organize a makeshift army, it would provide me hours of entertainment and food for thought.
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  • By Zach Crowell
    March 16, 2010
    12:21 AM

    Ikiru. It's nice to think that a desert island could also be a playground. I'd start by building a swing set...
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  • By ALBERT BAIER
    March 16, 2010
    12:35 AM

    On a desert island, it's pretty much you against everything else. To survive you'll need to be alert, adaptable and street smart or in this case island smart. So my desert island Kurosawa movie would be Sanjuro. The character Sanjuro is a lone traveler, a wanderer in new areas, able to succeed when challenges are thrown at him and within the challenges are always a change in tides that he can quickly adapt to. The movie won't necessarily won't be a tutorial or how to video to make it in a desert island but hopefully an inspiration on how you can always try to stay ahead of the obstacles thrown at you. Of course I might fail but maybe with Sanjuro's spirit I'll have a little fun trying.
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  • By Anthony Holly
    March 16, 2010
    12:40 AM

    High and Low I bought this movie without reading the synopsis or knowing anything about the film. I put it in my DVD player and sat down expecting just an average movie. 143 minutes later and I was sitting on the edge of my seat completely riveted to the image on the screen. High and Low is a fabulous film I could watch again and again.
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  • By Keith
    March 16, 2010
    12:52 AM

    If I'm on a desert island, I would not want to watch something on the serious side. All Kurosawa films are great but I'd want to lighten the mood so I would forget the isolation. Therefore, it would have to be THE HIDDEN FORTRESS. Since it's the inspiration for STAR WARS and I love STAR WARS, I would watch THF over again to pass the time.
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  • By Keith DuCharme
    March 16, 2010
    01:26 AM

    I would undoubtedly choose Seven Samurai. As perplexing as it would be to be stranded on an island that has the necessary technology for film screening but not for communications or global positioning, there are a bevy of lessons that can be extracted from this samurai epic. I would appreciate the level of poverty with which nearly all the characters live in. Their humility would be my benchmark. Takashi Shimura's character Shimada, one of cinema's finest examples of pragmatic thinkers, would serve as my role model for this new life. His rationality and practical thinking, which saved an entire village, could certainly save one lonely soul. The movie would not only entertain, but serve as inspiration.
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  • By Bret Bynum
    March 16, 2010
    01:28 AM

    I'd pick Seven Samurai. Not only is Seven Samurai my favorite Kurosawa movie, it's probably my all time favorite movie! It's hard to find any other movie that has effected me as much and as deeply as Seven samurai. But the thing I love so much about Seven Samurai is that it effects me deeply, but in a way that no other movie that I've seen has even came close to doing! And that's because it presents to me seven different characters and I can relate to them all. I have qualities about myself that directly relates to each samurai in the movie. That's why it has moved me so much. Without a doubt in my mind, Seven Samurai would be the the movie (not just a Kurosawa movie but out of any movie) I'd take to the island with me.
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  • By Ted House
    March 16, 2010
    03:10 AM

    High and Low. I love noir, suspense mysteries, and this movie has it all. This movie would keep me watching again and again, and help remind me of the love of my family and goods times back at home (off the island). I also think that, if the island was not deserted, this film would get everyone enthralled, and help them and myself forget our troubles and just enjoy the incredible film. High and Low best represents all the proper cinematic nuances to effectively help the viewer(s) escape reality, which may be exactly what one would need while stranded on an island.
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  • By Justin Morgan
    March 16, 2010
    03:45 AM

    I'm going to completely tie this together in probably an entirely different way than planned. The television show LOST is coming to a close, and I'm choosing that destination as my "deserted island," and being that my faith is in cinema and I'm am hypothetically on that sacred island, I have brought Seven Samurai with me, and not because it's a damn good movie (it is my favorite), but because the film is relevant to everything on this mysterious island. Sides are being taken, and good is the minority, the weak needs help, and a select few are going to rise to that challenge, through death and heartache. We are standing up for what we believe in, and if we stand together and survive, then will can chill at one of the island's secret Dharma stations that has a big screen and 35MM print of the film, and we'll watch it every 108 minutes after it's complete, not because we have to, but because we love it so much.
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  • By Robert Peterson
    March 16, 2010
    04:29 AM

    Yojimbo. Mifune's character just gets better and better every time, it's the reason why he's my favorite actor. And this film has enough of everything in there too, from comedy to suspense, action to drama and so on, making it always an appealing choice of foreign cinema.
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  • By joshua jordon
    March 16, 2010
    04:50 AM

    I would go with Dreams. As anyone who has watched one film or tv show infinitely on dvd, the exact flow of plot becomes superflous to the mere enjoyment of the film. With Dreams I can watch a little or a lot. I can have a bit of distraction, or be engrossed by some of the most magnificent visuals around, and in the end, on a desert island, its all about distraction and being taken somewhere else, over and over and over again.
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  • By Gordon Littlejohn
    March 16, 2010
    06:19 AM

    Yojimbo Mifune as Sanjuro constantly staying one leap ahead of the two warring gangster groups thoughtful musing analitcal mind you can see before he makes tactical decisions Kurosawa uses the Inkeeper,Undertaker and the Town crier as a referrence to what was real life in the town and a link between Sanjuro and his adveseries Even the arrival of firearms which tipped the ballance in the whole of Japan is swept aside by our Hero
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  • By Russ Brown
    March 16, 2010
    07:54 AM

    Ikiru so when I felt down about being stuck on a desert Island I would get up and make something of myself.
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  • By Patrick Carr
    March 16, 2010
    08:21 AM

    Drunken Angel. A little noir, a little inspiration, early Mifune showing what was to come, typically fine work by Shimura. Add in a soft spot for dissolute rascals, and there you have it.
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  • By Alexander Bucsis
    March 16, 2010
    09:08 AM

    I'd have to say Seven Samurai, for the following reasons: 1. The move from the Information Age to a deserted island will no doubt leave plenty to be done and the three and one half hours of the film will nicely accommodate having nothing else to do. 2. The picture is chock-full of survival tips. It covers everything from bandits to the elements. 3. Though it may be superfluous, it has to be said: the film is just fantastic on so many levels, and so is the Criterion DVD. With the wealth of features, if I were ever rescued, I'd be an expert on the film and I could write an essay for the film's blu-ray release.
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  • By Craig Bennett
    March 16, 2010
    09:41 AM

    Ikiru to remind me that life is worth living.
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  • By James Mulligan
    March 16, 2010
    09:59 AM

    Personally, I'd try to sneak the Post-War Kurosawa box or something. I've got a soft spot for some of his smaller films. Call me crazy, but I rather enjoy when Kurosawa gets away from the samurai, and things like The Idiot are among my favourites. If I could only take one, it'd probably be a toss up between that, No Regrets For Our Youth, and Drunken Angel.
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  • By Sam Moyerman
    March 16, 2010
    10:31 AM

    Madadayo. As much as I love Seven Samurai and Ran, they're movies I would really want to discuss with people. And everyone who said Ikiru is right that it makes us believe life is worth living. But Madadayo is the one movie in his ouvre that really makes me feel complete after watching it. It doesn't just reaffirm that life is worth living; it shows us that no matter the situation, no matter the trials, life is what we make of it. It's not just us but those we influence and affect. Just a beautiful and (way too) often overlooked film. Always leaves me with a smile on my face. Madakai? MADADAYO!!!
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  • By thepete
    March 16, 2010
    10:43 AM

    "Stray Dog" simply because it's lessons of personal responsibility is an important one and I've always found the movie to be rewatchable--an important trait when stranded on an island. :)
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  • By Kevin Powers
    March 16, 2010
    12:50 PM

    Is this a trick question? Should we assume that we will be trapped on the island for a very long time? Hidden Fortress seems to be the obvious choice. Mifune in a great lead role, but its really the two bumbling idiots who make the film. You get an action/comedy/drama all rolled into one, with funny and well written dialog, and the brilliant cinematography.
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  • By Caroline
    March 16, 2010
    01:39 PM

    This is tough, but I'm going to pick Throne of Blood. When I eventually descend into madness, it would be nice to have something to relate to.
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  • By Andrew
    March 16, 2010
    01:49 PM

    Throne of Blood The scene of the Lady Macbeth character trying to scrub the imaginary blood from the floor remains one of the most profound visual treatments of guilt in movie history. And it's more than guilt--anguish, rage, dread. I can't think of a more emotionally wrenching scene. It gives me the willies but I want to watch it over and over. Her obsession would be even more identifiable and more affecting, I'm sure, after a few days on a deserted island! How long is the extension cord for the DVD player, anyway?
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  • By Green Rahman
    March 16, 2010
    01:57 PM

    YOJIMBO! When you say 'desert island', you mean 'a long time', you mean 'a lonely time'. So you need a movie that you can watch over and over and over again without getting bored. 'Seven Samurai' is 'too heavy', 'Rashomon' is 'too heavy', 'Ikiru' is 'too gloomy' - for a desert island, that is. I have seen YOJIMBO many times from begining to end. I have also seen YOJIMBO scene-wise. I have many, many favorite scenes that I watch just that day. For example, the dog carrying the hand, the gang head bidding for Sanjuro's service. I have also seen YOJIMBO music-wise. For example, the opening credit sequence, the sequence where he just enters the town, the sequence where the two gangs are face to face while the hero enjoys the show. I have also seen YOJIMBO instruction-wise. Before an important event I see a scene that is inspiring to me. For example, the final showdown- gun vs sword. I have watched that scene before every final exam all through my college. I still do whenever I need some courage. I tell myself, 'if he can do that so can I'. I will definitely take YOJIMBO to that island!
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  • By najirah
    March 16, 2010
    02:09 PM

    If I were stranded on an island, I would want to watch a film that was similar to my current condition. Something that let me know that I’m not the first to be stranded, that others had been in my situation before, and I wouldn’t be the last. Eventually, I would take comfort in the fact that yes, I am physically isolated from civilization, but psychologically, I’ve always been alone, like everyone else. For these reasons, I would have to go with Rashomon. It’s the film that creates the same sense of isolation as a deserted island would. First of all, there are only three (as opposed to hundreds and thousands) characters, really—four, if you want to count the abandoned (isolated, stranded) baby—the rest are just part of backflashes. The woodcutter, priest and the boorish villager are pretty much stranded in that gatehouse by the rainstorm. The gatehouse, like the island for me, is their only refuge for the time being, and Kurosawa seems to go even further by showing each character as an island unto himself. All three characters come from a different class and seem to have a different level of sin. The priest is assumed to be the most morally pure, while the woodcutter has done regrettable things but he tries to redeem himself; and the villager seems to lack moral fiber all together. He knows what he is doing is wrong, but he doesn’t show any remorse or signs of wanting to better himself. The same can be said of the bandit, the wife and the samurai in that all three realize how easily they’re willing to separate themselves from the other, lie and blame each other in order to preserve themselves. Plus, Rashomon is a hell of a movie.
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  • By Curtis Seelen
    March 16, 2010
    02:36 PM

    Dreams - because I think it would give me a lot to think about.
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  • By Adam Sabata
    March 16, 2010
    03:28 PM

    I would have to say THRONE OF BLOOD. Simply for the great combination of Noh theater, Shakespeare and Kurosawa all rolled into one. The movie would remind me of why I am on this Island in the first place. I would want to be reminded of a world of petty intrigues and personal glories that I have escaped from. Plus, so many of the scenes reference of all the other great films in his career: the attack on the castle-Ran, the actors-Any Film. Each scene would remind me of all the great films and scenes that Kurosawa delighted us with so that I would never be alone on that island if I was stuck there for a hundred years.
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  • By Matt Reddick
    March 16, 2010
    03:40 PM

    The Lower Depths... it comes to mind right away b/c it's the first, and so far, only Kurosawa dvd I own. I was lucky enough to see a screening of it at the Film Forum and it only got better. The compositions are amazing and the characters just as fascinating.
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  • By Harry Timmons
    March 16, 2010
    03:48 PM

    The Hidden Fortress. Who better than to join you on a desert island than those two peasants? I just can't feel lonely with those guys around.
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  • By Henry Dykstal
    March 16, 2010
    03:55 PM

    Seven Samurai. It's three and a half hours of greatness, a film that can be studied over and over for days. It's a movie that demands repeated viewings, not just to understand it, but to see everything you missed.
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  • By DOUG SOPER
    March 16, 2010
    04:15 PM

    While "Seven Samurai" is my favorite, I feel that "Throne of Blood" is Kurosawa's most watchable movie. There's something hypnotic about it and I find myself coming back time and again. That's the kind of movie one needs on a island. It's my Friday. My Wilson.
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  • By JHW
    March 16, 2010
    05:35 PM

    No Regrets for Our Youth. A very inspiring movie with a perseverant positive attitude that would help me survive the Desert Island.
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  • By Joren Cain
    March 16, 2010
    05:45 PM

    It has to be "Kagemusha" for me. I'd have all the time in the world while on the island, so a longer, more meditative film would be the way to go. This film has some of the most beautiful visuals in Kurosawa's entire ouvre, and I am always mesmerized by the story and great acting by Tatsuya Nakadai. "Kagemusha"!
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  • By Doug Bray
    March 16, 2010
    05:48 PM

    On an island all alone with my one Kurosawa film Ran in hand I’d still feel at home. Waves could crash violently, rain might as well pour bucks, and damn the wild animals, I’m still watching Ran. Only difference from home while I watch is the scent of sand and the salty ocean, which isn’t bad. Kurosawa and Shakespeare, two geniuses that could double team me tell the end of my days, and Ran to me is the greatest of the pairing. Any way if I ever actually miss humanity I’ll pop it in again to take care of that, 3 hours flat.
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  • By Jon
    March 16, 2010
    06:04 PM

    Seven Samurai, because I'm a sucker for both classics and martial arts.
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  • By REO
    March 16, 2010
    09:45 PM

    Seven Samurai. Great LONG film lot of stuff to notice over the long haul.
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