Lovesusti The Worst Film Ever

Micitype Pretty Good

Tedfoldol everything you have heard about this movie is true.

Catangro After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

Blueghost Another beautifully rendered Kurosawa film. Rhapsody in August explores the psychological impact of Anglo-Japanese relations in the wake of those who remember the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, and to see if there are any wounds within that may manifest once having established a familial bond with an old enemy that is now a friend.The political ramifications are clear, and fairly in the viewer's face, but I really didn't detect any sort of jab on the part of Kurosawa, who himself was opposed to the military regime of Imperial Japan and states in his autobiography that he wished he had been braver to oppose it. But, he was a child at the time, or at the very least a young man, and is perhaps being a little hard on himself with that bit of self admittance.The film and Kurosawa don't take much position on the bombing of Nagasaki other than it was a bad thing. He let's the performers narrate his film as he sets the camera in one place with perfect lighting, and lets us witness the story unfold in the form of actors telling their views.In a sense this film is supposed to be a kind of balm for older generations who still remember the second world war, and specifically the event of the Nagasaki bombing. It's designed to show the aftermath, the perception of how the horrors of war are still with us, and the emotional shock it has on a grandmother whose husband was lost (possibly vaporized) in the bombing. She is scarred for life, and much is made of the bombing event. One wonders if she would feel the same way were she living in the middle ages, and bandits or samurai from a rival clan came and chopped down her husband with a sword. And that's an important point, because even though the younger characters are given the frame of Americans as being callous, their prejudice is tempered by the appearance of an American family relation in the form of Richard Gere. Suddenly Americans are real, and not some abstract concept that fly high altitude bombers and drop devastating weaponry. Is the psychology of the collective offspring salvaged to see people, even Americans, as people? You be the judge.I have two personal opinions on this film in regards to the politics of the atomic bombings. I love Japanese culture, I love Japanese art, anime, martial arts, I wish we could incorporate aspects of Japanese culture into the United States to reshape and bring back the polite society that we had in this nation at one time. But, having said that, the best way to prevent Nagasakis and Hiroshimas is to prevent the Pearl Harbors. People get the government they deserve, and at the time the samurai class in Japan still had a stranglehold on the nation via the professional army shogunate that had no "rival lords" to oppose military decisions. The rest, as they say, is history.A minor gripe about this film is Kurosawa's lack of SFX savvy. I wish the guy would have sprung the extra cash for some much needed miniature work and process shots. The miniature bugs me more by the fact that the shot that's in the film could have easily been substituted with stock footage. Where as the process shot used in the split screen flashback could have used a high end optical printer; i.e. ILM where were you when Kurosawa was putting the finishing touches on this thing.All in all a decent film. Enjoy.

Luis Guillermo Cardona On August 9, 1945, six years into the bloodiest war concocted by governments of major powers, the humble Japanese people -that had nothing to do with the decisions of their barbarous rulers- he got up after another night marked by anxiety and terror. For the past six months, dozens of cities were being bombed by allied forces prepared to uproot every trace of fascism. And just three days before the most terrible bomb that has come to know humanity, had been released by the U.S. against the people of Hiroshima, killing 180,000 people with it, most of them, innocent civilians. Around noon, a beautiful and loving lady, look forward to her husband who, at that time, was in the city of Nagasaki. When the clock struck at the stroke of 11:00 am, she was out of the house looking at the mountains that separated the place where he was the father of her children. Two seconds later, heard, this time very close, another terrifying explosion as three days before, he did believe that had opened wide the gates of hell. A huge mushroom of fire and smoke curled over the mountains in the center of Nagasaki and an satanic eye kept on your retina the image of all those around him. About 80 thousand civilians, without any role in the conflict, were killed instantly and in the course of the year. It was Harry S. Truman' gift, to account for the "power" of the American nation. 46 years after of this insucess, the director Akira Kurosawa tried to do an act of reflection, forgiveness and reconciliation, hatred against any lag still persists in the minds of people. And a grandmother, the woman who was waiting for the husband who never returned and never was able to identify among charred corpses, feels that he has erased any resentment in his heart, but still thinks with pain in man she loved. Four grandchildren accompany now and the memories will come to your mind as a choice between a trip to Hawaii is put on the table.For unlucky, this is a timid film of little relevance and visual plot, and that does not achieve sufficient strength and sensitivity that we had used the master Kurosawa. The presence of Richard Gere gives very little, and the film dissolves without the emotional impact that we hoped we would.

FilmCriticLalitRao Although aware of Akira Kurosawa's standing in the realm of world cinema,I have never been a great fanatic of his films as most of them are Samurai films heavily laden with symbolic references to Japanese society.For me Akira Kurosawa's non Samurai films are better films as they speak of deeper issues like human sentiments.I watched "Rhapsody in August" directed by Akira Kurosawa film with rapt attention.As I was watching it after having watched "Madadayo",I could not help but comparing it both in style as well as content with that film.Both the films were made by Kurosawa when he was at the end of his career and may be for this reason he chose to make humanist stories.Rhapsody in August is a meaningful tale for all people whether they are young or old,American or Japanese.It is a film which shows how important a family is and how wisdom must be passed from the old to the young. Kurosawa has deftly tackled the question of Japan's Atomic bomb tragedy through plain words spoken by an old lady who tells her young grandchildren that with the passage of time all wounds are healed.Rhapsody in August tells us albeit in a non academic manner why it is important to live peacefully thereby avoiding war for the benefit of peaceful coexistence and human society.

MartinHafer This story is about the grandkids who come to stay with their elderly grandmother while their families go on vacation. At first, the kids are pretty bored living out in the country, but over time they grow to appreciate the simplicity as well as the chance to spend quality time with grandma. Slowly, she begins to talk to them about the past. It seems that their parents have never really told them about this--in particular, how grandma had survived a nuclear attack but had lost most of those she held dear. Unfortunately, while this is slowly revealed, at the same time, grandma's mind begins to wane and she ultimately degenerates into senility and despair. Later, the parents and Richard Gere of all people return and they talk about the past--until Gere finds out that his Japanese father died and he is wanted back home to make arrangements. A very odd film but interesting because it deals with the long-term impact of war.