Remaking Kurosawa: Translations and Permutations in Global Cinema [Hardcover]

Dolores Martinez (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 26, 2009

Through the lens of Akira Kurosawa's films, Martinez dissects the human tendency to make connections in a pioneering attempt to build a bridge out of diverse materials: the anthropology of Japan, film studies, and postmodern theory.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Offers the reader a portrait of Kurosawa's work in circulation throughout global culture, a focus that is unlike that found in other studies of Kurosawa...Martinez's sensitive understanding of Japanese culture provides fresh and intriguing interpretations of the plot material found in four key Kurosawa movies."--Journal of Japanese Studies

 

"A very welcome addition to the growing number of English language books discussing Kurosawa and his works. It approaches the topic from an angle that has often been referred to, but never quite explored with the dedication and enthusiasm that Martinez has given it."--akirakurosawa.info

About the Author

Dolores Martinez is a Reader in Anthropology with special reference to Japan at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 248 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (May 26, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312293585
• ISBN-13: 978-0312293581
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,435,016 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very good discussion of Kurosawa remakes and permutations, August 16, 2009

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Vili - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Remaking Kurosawa: Translations and Permutations in Global Cinema (Hardcover)

Remaking Kurosawa is a very welcome addition to the growing number of English language books discussing Kurosawa and his works. Martinez discusses how, and to some extent why, Kurosawa's films have made the transition from locally made films into the domain of global cinema, and how his films have served as inspiration for other films, both with direct remakes as well as in other less obvious cases. This is a topic that has often been referred to in Kurosawa literature, but never quite explored with the dedication and enthusiasm that Martinez has given it here.

The discussion focuses on four Kurosawa films and their "permutations": Rashomon (80 pages), Seven Samurai (28 pages), Yojimbo (20 pages) and The Hidden Fortress (12 pages). While familiarity with the original Kurosawa films is probably necessary, Martinez does not assume the same in her discussion of the derived works.

In addition to film discussion, Remaking Kurosawa is also a book about social anthropology, and Martinez herself sums up the book in the introduction as being about "the human imagination on a global level". While I am not an anthropologist like Martinez, I feel that the book doesn't perhaps quite achieve the goals that it has set there. However, this is not an issue that would cause me to mark it down.

Another small issue is the number of typographical errors, small factual mistakes and poor editorial choices that appear across the book. Hopefully, these will be corrected for the paperback edition.

If you are interested in Kurosawa's works and especially the way in which the four films discussed in this book have influenced other works, this is definitely worth a read.

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