Pioneer Filmmakers: Comparisons between Akira Kurosawa and Hayao Miyazaki

Comparisons between Akira Kurosawa and Hayao Miyazaki
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Comparisons between Akira Kurosawa and Hayao Miyazaki
Introduction
Asian and Asian American films have tended to create a distinct film aesthetic that speaks to their culture, identity, and independence from Hollywood. For instance, the first Asian American films served the critical function of giving a voice to a minority community ignored mainly in America. On the one hand, the first Asian American films were produced by Asian American Ethno-Communications students in 1973 to highlight political and historical injustices the population, such as the Japanese American internment, forced labor in America, and discrimination against Chinese Americans. While most Asian American films employed different formats and genres, the institutional mission to illustrate the experiences of many Asians in America was central. The movie focused on racial discrimination, invisibility, and immigration: issues that universally touched Asian cultures and nations. They were relatable by most Asians who came into contact with American policies, culture, and history, irrespective of their country of origin. On the other hand, some filmmakers did not focus on the interaction between Asia and America but on Asia alone. For instance, albeit through distinct styles, Akira Kurosawa and Hayao Miyazaki brought Japanese scenes onto Hollywood by telling stories in settings that highlighted Japanese culture, identity, and characters.
The current paper aims to draw similarities between these two filmmakers by looking at some of the movies they have produced, their styles, themes, and how their respective backgrounds shaped their work. The aim, therefore, is to elicit potential differences and similarities between the two filmmakers.
Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998)
Akira Kurosawa was a Japanese filmmaker and painter. He was born in 1910 and died in 1998. His films career spanned over five decades in which he directed over 30 films and remained the most important and influential figure in the history of film. He began his career in film in 1936 and produced his first work Sanshiro Sugata during World War II. His father was an architect who was open to Western ideas encouraged his children to watch films and movies because they had an educational dimension. His brother, Heigo Kurosawa, was a major influence on young Akira when, following the aftermath of the Great Kanto earthquake of 1923, he encouraged Akira not to look away from the corpses but to confront his fears directly. Heigo also guided Akira to love film and filmmaking. Most of his work has focused on wartime stories and tragedies, having lived through an earthwork, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and America's nuclear attack on Japan. Rashomon remains one of his most successful productions. In 1951, it was shown at the Venice Film Festival and awarded the Grand Prix. It also won the Academy Award for best foreign-language film, becoming the first Japanese work to win international acclaim.
Rashomon (1950)
By definition, the Rashomon effect is when the same event is described in significantly different or even contradictory ways by other people involved or experienced. In Rashomon (the film), Kurosawa elicits the complexities of human beings as different people recount the various versions of the story of the murder of a nobleman and the defiling of his wife. The film's plot is simple. The frame narrative in the movie is set in the 8th century at the Rashomon, at the great gate of the imperial city of Kyoto, which is in ruins. Here, a Buddhist priest, a woodcutter, and a beggar run into each other while seeking shelter from the torrential rain. As they pass the time, they discuss the trial of a crime that took place earlier in which a Samurai and his wife, traveling through the woods, was killed by a famous bandit who then raped the wife and stole the sword. Thus, the film is focused on presenting the actual killer.
The film provides four different versions of events told by four other characters to achieve this. It appears as though the audience is the court beca...