Le corbeau - Probably the most controversial wartime French production, which managed the impressive feat of being loathed by both Right and Left *and* the Germans. The film's ambiguity gives rise to such wildly differing interpretations. Whether you view Le corbeau as an attack on French society or on collaboration with the Germans, it certainly has a cynical attitude about human nature. The supposed hero is actually rather unpleasant and is labelled as an adulterer and abortionist by the poison pen letters driving the plot. Just about everybody else reveals themselves to be totally self-serving, and the most sympathetic character commits a cold-blooded murder before calmly walking away down the street. In other words, a thoroughly fascinating and gripping film.
Seven samurai - Kurosawa's film will forever be associated with the American remake, The Magnificent Seven, even though a comparison reveals some crucial differences. Seven samurai is set in a wartorn society with a rigid class structure which creates a totally different dynamic. The farmers hate and fear both bandits and samurai, and in turn are viewed with contempt by both. In this world there can be no happy romantic union at the end because a farmer's daughter can never marry a samurai. The farmers also hunt down and kill weak and injured samurai, stealing their armour. The samurai they hire are furious about this but Toshiro Mifune perfectly summarizes the bitter relationship that exists between the two classes. Himself a farmer's son, he can never be a true samurai and his behaviour is never quite up to the standards of his companions, yet he is also brave and resourceful. It's Kurosawa's masterful pacing that makes this a classic. The lengthy running time flies by. He understands that the quiet moments, the character development, hugely increase the audience's involvement with the action scenes. Something different jumps out at each viewing. This time it was the lovely moment when the young samurai finally blurts out his total admiration for his quietly professional colleague, who responds with the slightest of smiles...
Throne of blood - Personally I think Kurosawa's Shakespeare adaptations are the finest ever made, despite differing from the source plays and using none of the original texts. Macbeth is transplanted to the chaos of 16th century Japan, and is full of images of spinning and entrapment. The witch spins out the fates of Washizu and Miki, who are frequently framed through the tangled branches in Cobweb Forest. At the end, Washizu is trapped behind wave after wave of arrows slamming into the walls around him. It's a supremely eerie film, from the storms that herald the witch's appearances, to the bloodstained wall behind Washizu and his wife as they plot murder, Miki's ghost revealed by the prowling camera, and the unnerving sight of the forest moving through the mist.
Yojimbo - Another Kurosawa film later remade as a Western. Considering all the murder and mayhem involved, Yojimbo is a very funny film, and has a wonderfully eccentric and playful score. Mifune is far more restrained than in the other 2 films, though he's still an incredibly physical actor. Sanjuro might be a man of few words but he manipulates the two opposing gangs into slaughtering each other with consummate guile. Despite his appearance he's a deeply moral and honourable man. He rescues the abducted wife of a gambler, and is suitably embarrassed by their gratitude, and spares the life of the foolish young man first encountered at the start of the film. However, it's not clear how much is left of the town by the time he's finished clearing out the criminals. A victory yes, but what's left?
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