Akira Kurosawa
Most influential Asian filmmaker
Most quoted
"The characters in my films try to live honestly and make the most of the lives they’ve been given. I believe you must live honestly and develop your abilities to the full. People who do this are the real heroes."
— from Interview/Statement
"With a good script, a good director can produce a masterpiece. With the same script, a mediocre director can produce a passable film. But with a bad script even a good director can't possibly make a good film."
— from Interview/Statement
"The most important thing is to have a good script. If you have a good script, you can make a good film even with bad actors. But if you have a bad script, you can't make a good film even with good actors."
— from Interview
All quotes by Akira Kurosawa (408)
Creating is the same as living. It is a struggle.
A film director is like a general. He needs a good strategy and good soldiers.
The essence of cinema is editing. It's the combination of what can be extraordinary images of people during emotional moments, or images in a general sense, put together in a kind of alchemy.
I don't believe that anyone who makes films knows in advance what the finished film will be like.
I always look for the essential humanity in my characters, even the villains.
The sound of the temple bell is the sound of the Buddha's voice.
I am not a man of politics. I am a man of cinema.
No matter how difficult the situation, you must never give up hope. You must keep moving forward.
Contemporaries of Akira Kurosawa
Other Film & Theaters born within 50 years of Akira Kurosawa (1910–1998).