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Akira Kurosawa

Something Like An Autobiography Paperback – May 12, 1983

by Akira Kurosawa (Author)

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Translated by Audie E. Bock.

"A first rate book and a joy to read.... It's doubtful that a complete understanding of the director's artistry can be obtained without reading this book.... Also indispensable for budding directors are the addenda, in which Kurosawa lays out his beliefs on the primacy of a good script, on scriptwriting as an essential tool for directors, on directing actors, on camera placement, and on the value of steeping oneself in literature, from great novels to detective fiction."
--Variety

"For the lover of Kurosawa's movies...this is nothing short of must reading...a fitting companion piece to his many dynamic and absorbing screen entertainments."
--Washington Post Book World

Print length

205 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Vintage
Publication date

May 12, 1983
Dimensions

5.2 x 0.63 x 7.97 inches
ISBN-10

9780394714394
ISBN-13

978-0394714394
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Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Translated by Audie E. Bock.

"A first rate book and a joy to read.... It's doubtful that a complete understanding of the director's artistry can be obtained without reading this book.... Also indispensable for budding directors are the addenda, in which Kurosawa lays out his beliefs on the primacy of a good script, on scriptwriting as an essential tool for directors, on directing actors, on camera placement, and on the value of steeping oneself in literature, from great novels to detective fiction."
--Variety

"For the lover of Kurosawa's movies...this is nothing short of must reading...a fitting companion piece to his many dynamic and absorbing screen entertainments."
--Washington Post Book World

From the Back Cover

Translated by Audie E. Bock.
"A first rate book and a joy to read.... It's doubtful that a complete understanding of the director's artistry can be obtained without reading this book.... Also indispensable for budding directors are the addenda, in which Kurosawa lays out his beliefs on the primacy of a good script, on scriptwriting as an essential tool for directors, on directing actors, on camera placement, and on the value of steeping oneself in literature, from great novels to detective fiction."
--"Variety
"For the lover of Kurosawa's movies...this is nothing short of must reading...a fitting companion piece to his many dynamic and absorbing screen entertainments."
--"Washington Post Book World

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0394714393
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vintage; First Edition Thus (May 12, 1983)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 205 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780394714394
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0394714394
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.2 x 0.63 x 7.97 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #90,995 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #45 in Video Direction & Production (Books)
- #74 in Movie Direction & Production
- #1,036 in Actor & Entertainer Biographies

Customer Reviews:
449 ratings

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4.8 out of 5

449 global ratings

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Book in perfect condition.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 20, 2022

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Well packaged; fast delivery. Thank you, and Kurosawa for his brilliance.

Helpful

Christopher Barrett

A wonderful book on the life and mind of Akira Kurosawa.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 24, 2014

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Purchased used - good from Blue Cloud Books for $0.94 plus $3.99 shipping. Very happy with the condition of the book. The Kindle edition seems a good price at $9.99. but I prefer the actual book in hand.

The book is an autobiography of sorts written in 1982, in the waning years of Kurosawa's life and career. It seems it was dictated to another person since it follows a train of thought progression. Either that or Kurosawa penned it this way. Either way, there is a purity to the storytelling that feels as if the reader is sitting across from the director, conversing over tea.

A lot of the book focuses on his early life, and the reader empathizes greatly with the young Kurosawa. There was much tragedy in his young life, both within his family, but also with the nation of Japan during the years leading up to and including the war. Much of his early career was spent trying to work on and create good films while appeasing the Japanese censors. Then post war, the American military was censoring the films. The guy couldn't win!

A lot of the book also praises a lot of the directors, actors, and staff that Kurosawa worked for or worked with. He gives somber praise to his predecessors, especially his mentor, Kajiro Yamamoto. Kurosawa is very self deprecating at times, looking back and considering his actions at the time or decisions he made in his youth. But with those he admired, he gives credit where credit is due.

Which is not to say this is a look back in regret. Instead Kurosawa touches on times, events, and emotions from the past. His laments are brief and heartfelt. In a few chapters he admits that he had a fiery temper, so he often writes about regret at letting his anger get the better of him.

This isn't truly a look at Kurosawa's films, but instead a look at his life and the events surrounding his career. I would say this is not the same style of biography as Bergmann's "A Life in Film" which focuses on the films themselves. Much of this book also touches on the events surrounding life in Japan during Kurosawa's life. We feel the horror he felt after the great Kanto earthquake or the helplessness of the life of an artist leading up to World War 2. We sense that his films had depth and impact because Kurosawa worked so hard to get results during such trying times. It is a testament to his stubbornness, ambition, and dedication that he was able to craft the best films of his career during these times (pre-war, during war, and post-war).

If you are a fan of Kurosawa and want to know more about the life and mind of this genius director, then this is a wonderful book to read. If you are expecting a point by point synopsis of his films, there are better texts out there (often much more expensive), such as 'The Films of Kurosawa' by Donald Richie (which is excellent by the way!).

7 people found this helpful

Helpful

B. Ying

An Autobiography by a Master Filmmaker

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 2, 2022

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Kurosawa is arguably one of the top five filmmakers in the motion picture history.
This book only covers from his youth till after WW2 when he ascended from the Japanese film industries.
This book details his upbringing, his education, his early love in watching movies, his determination, his drive and stamina that befitting the demands from filmmaking.
A slim book but filled with informative and interesting details about the historical background upon which he ultimately became a master filmmaker.
Highly recommended.

3 people found this helpful

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William Flanigan

Mostly Childhood "Memories."

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 11, 2016

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GAMA NO ABURA / JIDEN NO YOU NA MONO (TOAD OIL / SOMETHING LIKE AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY). Mostly Childhood "Memories."

Rating = ***
Author: Akira Kurosawa
Translator: Audie Bock
1983
ISBN: 0-394-71439-3

This is a de facto first volume of Japanese film director Akira Kurosawa's life. Apparently, it was so traumatic and embarrassing (since many folks who could/should be written about were still living at the time) for the author to compose (hence the original title "Toad Oil" [explained in his Preface]), that no further volumes were forth coming. It is also a highly readable book--suspiciously so! It has likely been subject to multiple levels of filtration (including the "lost-in-translation" phenomenon) prior to publication. Read with the proverbial grain of salt.

All autobiographies, of course, are filtered by their authors who only describe events they can remember and consider to be the most flattering as well as add embellishments to same. (The most accurate and compressive view of a subject's life and motion-picture career are usually to be found in biographies not written by their relatives!) Translators of Japanese into English also take abundant liberties and/or make extrapolated guesses (which are plain to see in many translated Japanese film titles and dialogue subtitles) to: "prettify" their English version; turn nuanced or negative statements into decisive or positive ones (the latter, by the way, is often done in movies for comic effect); and otherwise put words deemed "appropriate" into the originator's mouth (sometimes, though, direct English equivalents simply do not exist for Japanese words or phrases). The actions of the translator's book editor/publisher can add yet a third layer of filtration.

Kurosawa seems to have had a remarkable (perhaps photographic?) memory and/or substantial written records and/or drew from his vivid imagination (after all, he had had a hand in creating many, many photoplays including the scenarios for all his films) judging from the level of details described from his childhood. These events are interesting from a psychological perspective, but not necessarily so for the director's film enthusiasts. Except, perhaps, for developed and retained character traits, it's hard to see much in the way of direct connections between the child described and the cinematic talent he would become. (One tidbit that emerges: it was Kurosawa's older brother who induced him--a struggling painter at the time--to start a new career in the motion picture business.) Bock in her Translator's Preface appears to think the major value in relating so many detailed childhood memories is in helping to describe Japan's migration from a predominantly rural society to a more urban one during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Perhaps.

Judging from her Translator's Preface, Bock seems to have been enraptured/enthralled with Kurosawa at the time she translated his work. This very likely impacted the objectiveness of her translation. Now and then Kurosawa's rougher language apparently manages to slip through which makes for added reading interest.

While Kurosawa writes mostly about his childhood, all but one of the numerous individuals he names as assisting him in writing his book seem to be connected to him only via his cinematic activities. This casts further suspicion on the veracity of his childhood stories.

This small book may lack historical accuracy and not add much (or anything) to what is now known about its author's film endeavors. But it does make for a pleasant, casual read (especially if you have a bout of insomnia). WILLIAM FLANIGAN, PhD.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Jay Quintana

One of the best books on the creative process

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 16, 2021

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The title is apt because we don't learn that much about Kurosawa, the person. He mentions marrying an actress and that's pretty much all we hear of her. We do learn about his upbringing, the type of student he was, and the tragedies he experienced. Most of all, we learn about how he became an artist (if you want to be a director, write scripts) and how he made his films. Definitely a must read for creators and those interested in Japanese movies. Have to say, though, the book is slightly disappointing because he doesn't cover his collaboration with Mifune in detail.

2 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Ian Richardson

Truly Fascinating.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 2, 2020

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Kurosawa is one of the greatest and most original film-makers of the 20th Century and I would rank him alongside Bergman, Hitchcock, Ford, Spielberg (who is a fan) etc. It is probably the case that you have to be a fan of Kurosawa's films to really enjoy this book. It is because of it's appeal to this, very specific, audience that I give it four stars. Not because of any weakness in the book itself. However, anyone new to Kurosawa will also find this a fascinating and insightful book. It might well encourage you to seek out the films. Indeed, I would say that the ideal preparation for reading the book would be to watch Rashomon, whose winning of the Golden Lion and Italian Critics Award at the Venice Film Festival of 1950 took the movie-going world by surprise. (Not least, the director, who did not even know that it had been entered). In fact a special "honorary" Academy Award was given several years before the Best Foreign Language Award was officially created.
This book ends with the success of Rashomon, so what we have here is an account of Kurosawa's childhood, youth and his early years in the Japanese film industry. As Kurosawa says, the rest of his life can be found in his films. Most of his better known and internationally-famous films were made after 1950, so this is a great way to make sense of the origins and nature of the Japanese film industry, and Kurosawa's place in it. It is also a brilliant starting point from which to go and watch those fabulous later films. I found it utterly wonderful. Kurosawa's life is reflected in his film-making to a fascinating degree and he is unusually perceptive about his own creative processes. His writing is poetic, literary and often strikingly vivid. This befits a man who started as a visual artist and trained himself to be a writer. He also has a self-deprecating, dry wit that is very engaging. This is not common. There are several great film-makers (I will name no names!) who are profoundly inarticulate when it comes to talking about their own films. Kurosawa is also blessed with a superb translation by the Fulbright Scholar, Audie Bock, who spent many hours with the director and watched him filming the stunning Kagemusha in the late 1970s. It's clear that this was a great labour of love for the translator and it shows in the care she has taken to make the director's meaning crystal clear at every turn.
I would describe this as the best book that I know about the craft of film-making, as well as the best insight into the life and work of one particular genius. (...and I do not use that word lightly).

4 people found this helpful

Felix Lector

Rare and valuable memoirs from a great artist

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on September 8, 2017

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A startlingly honest and wonderfully detailed account of the beginnings of AK's life and early career. He paints a warts and all self-portrait, almost a confessional at times:from open and honest stories about his childhood, then onwards to the successes and failures of the earliest films in his oeuvre. It is all achieved with a guile-less charm, wit and perception, and entirely lacking pomposity or self-deception. He has a justifiable go every so often at critics and other filmmakers who misread his work, and he is utterly honest in assessing his own successes and failures. Even when it's not specifically about his film-making, the book is a marvellous reminder of how the most apparently small insignificant incidents in life can be grist to the mill of a great artist. When the big stuff happens- the great Kanto earthquake of his childhood, the war in the Pacific when he was starting out as a director, his memories are described with the vivid detail of a great screenwriter as well as director. All this is enhanced by a fine translation from Audie Bock, who, like Donald Ritchie before her, was as close to Kurosawa as any westerner could be.

3 people found this helpful

Brian D.

... fascinated by the Japanese culture and Kurosawa gives a brilliant view of pre-war Japan in his early years

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on October 8, 2017

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Always been fascinated by the Japanese culture and Kurosawa gives a brilliant view of pre-war Japan in his early years. He is truly among the greats of twentieth century film directors. Other great books https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/kindle/ku/sign-up/ui/rw/about/ref=sr_ku_lm?qid=1507466137https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/kindle/ku/sign-up/ui/rw/about/ref=sr_ku_lm?qid=1507466137https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/kindle/ku/sign-up/ui/rw/about/ref=sr_ku_lm?qid=1507466137

Marva G

Inspiring. Funny.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on February 19, 2022

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Very interesting head space. Now I need to not only watch his films I haven't seen, but rewatch the ones I have!

Storyteller

A gift for a film buff.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 26, 2023

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