Master of Cinema

Rizzoli, New York, 2010. Quarto hardcover, 301pp., colour and monochrome illustrations. Dustwrapper. Remainder. New. Display copy. Wrapper a little scuffed (now professionally protected by superior non-adhesive archival film and white paper backing); else fine. Fans of the movies of Akira Kurosawa never tire of the resonant images which his camera has captured for all time. This book reveals the planning and intensity behind these films, captured in dramatic stills and the director's personal notes in outlining the narratives, photography and costuming of each gripping tale. Here is Kurosawa's philosophy of incorporating the five oriental elements of nature into the narratives, his decision to move from monochrome to full-colour, and his love of "samurai-chic". The book is divided into sections focussing on various themes and intentions brought to the projects by their creator - western pastiche, Japanese melodrama, literary revisions - and captures the painstaking attention to detail that is the hallmark of all Kurosawa's movies.