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Rhapsody in August
 
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Rhapsody in August (1991)

Starring: Sachiko Murase, Richard Gere Director: Akira Kurosawa Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) Format: DVD
4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)

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Customers buy this DVD with Akira Kurosawa's Dreams DVD ~ Akira Terao

Rhapsody in August + Akira Kurosawa's Dreams
  • This item: Rhapsody in August DVD ~ Sachiko Murase

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
The final film released in the U.S. by Japanese master Akira Kurosawa looks at the atomic blast at Nagasaki from a distance of more than 40 years, through the eyes of a woman who survived it--and the grandchildren who are spending the summer with her. Though she tries not to think about it, the memory of the bombing is with her every day, in the family she lost and the scars she still carries. But the grandchildren insist on seeing the memorial, which brings it home to her once again--and to us. Though sometimes slow going (and what is Richard Gere doing in this movie, as her Amer-Asian nephew?), Rhapsody in August is a story about family and about living in the present while never being allowed to forget the past. --Marshall Fine

Product Description
Academy AwardÂ(r) winner* Akira Kurosawa (The Seven Samurai) delivers 'the most intimate drama of his career (Los Angeles Times), a stunning epic that is as visually tantalizing as it is emotionally touching. Set in the gorgeous countryside surrounding Nagasaki and starring Sachiko Murase, Hidetaka Yoshioka and Golden GlobeÂ(r) winner Richard Gere, this endearing saga follows a Japanese family once torn apart by war and now facing personal demons brought on by contact with American cousins lost long ago. Sachiko Murase is stunning as the aging matriarchof a Nagasaki family that has long lived with a legacy of horror brought on by WWII. But when an older brother she never knew she had resurfacesalong with his Japanese-American descendantsshe must come to terms with her most deeply held feelings about America and her haunted past. *1989: Honorary Award

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Customer Reviews

22 Reviews
5 star:
 (11)
4 star:
 (5)
3 star:
 (6)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (22 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The day the bomb fell life was never the same again..., April 12, 2003
An elderly woman (Kane) played by Sachiko Murase lives in Nagasaki Japan. One memorable summer she takes care of her four grandchildren who inadvertently awaken in her the memory of the day that the atomic bomb fell in 1945, and how it deprived her of her husband.

With the arrival of her American-Asian nephew from the US, played surprisingly well by Richard Gere who manages to speak Japanese without fluffing it too much, Kane is forced to re-evaluate how the dropping of the bomb has shaped her life and beliefs.

Haunted by the fact that she could not save her husband, and reliving the memories of that terrible day Kane strives to protect her family, and this culminates in her fleeing her house in a storm, clutching an umbrella as if this will protect her against the wrath of nature.

The scenery is breath taking, the acting brilliant and with a haunting sound track, this slow moving Japanese with English subtitles will make you look at the dropping of the atomic bomb with new and horrified eyes. An intelligent and thought provoking film for those people who like a movie with class and brains.

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21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Autumn Radiance, September 13, 2000
By "f19f" (Singapore) - See all my reviews
I saw this film on the big screen and, as usual of most Akira Kurosawa's films, it left a lasting impression.

Made in Kurosawa's twilight years, the film is aptly mellow and contemplative, reflecting as it is on one of the horrors of humankind - the Second World War culminating in the release of the atomic bomb.

When this film was first released in US, it generated some controversy when US critics questioned Kurosawa's motivation in two comments in the film relating to the bombing. The critics should not have been concerned, the film's theme indeed is one of reconciliation and bridge-building, laying no blame on the US but the evils of war.

The film is skilful in the way it draws the viewer into the children's discovery and realisation of the horror of the bombing as experienced by their grandmother. The viewer could feel the same anticipation and mystery as the children in their attempt to fathom the old lady.

The film is also delightful in its quiet satire on the middle generation.

Indeed, Rhapsody is a very good film that is every bit an enjoyment of Kurosawa's mastery of story-telling. It has a pace and richness that flow with the excitement of a child's adventure of discovery. And I must say the film contains one of the most indelible images of the film medium when the viewer finally sees what the grandmother and her brother saw on that fateful day in August.

Rhapsody is indeed a fitting completion to the huge and beautiful spectrum of great films from this great, great director.

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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars thoughtful treatment of the effects of war, December 28, 1998
By A Customer
This may be a minor film by Kurosawa, but anyone else would be thrilled to have made something so beautiful and thought-provoking. The film follows four children (the oldest is about to start college) who are visiting their grandmother in Nagasaki for the summer. They learn that their grandfather was killed (forty-five summers before) in the 1945 bombing of Nagasaki, and try to understand what that means for them now. Slowly, they come to understand both their grandmother and themselves better. This is a thoughtful treatment of the use of the atomic bomb, in large part because it manages to be profoundly anti-war without being hostile toward America. You will never forget the grandmother.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Rhapsody in August
I love this movie,very moving and will grab you emotionally.Richard Gere has a small part in the movie does pretty good speaking Japanese. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Daniel Batts

3.0 out of 5 stars Visually beautiful, but still falls short
Akira Kurosawa's film addressing the impact of the nuclear bombing of Nagasaki from the perspective of nearly 40 years after the fact lacks the dramatic intensity of his earlier... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Cara Holman

4.0 out of 5 stars Perspectives
I was rather surprized by "Rhapsody in August". I am a big fan of Kurosawa's movies and this one seemed to be missing his usual stamp of excellence. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Randy Keehn

5.0 out of 5 stars Poetry, Japanese style...
As we all know, this is one of the last works of Akira Kurosawa, the Master in movie making.

He was also known by his friends as Kurosawa-san or by those who admired... Read more
Published on April 19, 2007 by Patrick Selitrenny

4.0 out of 5 stars Still life with atomic bomb
Even a master like Kurosawa must occasionally make a non-masterpiece. Overwhelmed by his own desire to make a political point, he forgot to be a story teller and "Rhapsody in... Read more
Published on August 12, 2006 by Zack Davisson

3.0 out of 5 stars A Real Rhapsody, Like Maborosi - A Specialized Choice
This movie reminds me a lot of Maborosi: slow, beautiful, true ring to it for its conclusion.

If you want action, don't watch this movie. Read more
Published on May 27, 2006 by Monica Black

3.0 out of 5 stars Kurosawa's Majesty on a Low Flame in Minor League Anti-War Film
The best of intentions certainly infuse Akira Kurosawa's penultimate film released in 1991, but unfortunately it really doesn't move me despite the worthy subject of dealing with... Read more
Published on August 1, 2005 by Ed Uyeshima

5.0 out of 5 stars Most beautiful film
In Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece, a group of young people, through the guidance of their aging grandmother, discover what it means to grow up during the bombing of Nagasaki. Read more
Published on June 26, 2005 by Dusk2Dawn

3.0 out of 5 stars Akira Kurosawa vs. Richard Gere
What happens when a truly great film-maker meets a truly bad actor? In this case, it is still watchable, but not nearly as good as it could have been. Read more
Published on July 14, 2004 by Gus the Goldfish

4.0 out of 5 stars Does anybody know about the music?
In this movie there is one scene (if I^m not mistaken it is the visit to the place where they commemorate the victims of bombing) where you have either a requiem or a Stabat... Read more
Published on April 7, 2004

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