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)
In the film Rashomon, I showed how water behaves on a wood table. It was a lesson in nature.
The theme of a film is more important than the plot.
I have always favored the boldness of the absurd.
To make a good film, you need three things: a good script, good actors, and good weather.
Life is brief, but art is eternal.
I believe that the cinema is the most important art form of the 20th century.
The director is the one who decides what the film will be.
In Seven Samurai, I wanted to show the dignity of the common man.
Art is born out of human suffering.
I am not interested in special effects; I am interested in human emotions.
The best way to learn is by doing.
Cinema is a visual art, but it must have a soul.
I have made films for 50 years, and I still learn something new every day.
The essence of drama is conflict.
Peace is the most important thing in life.
I draw all the time. Drawing is my way of seeing.
Human beings are the only creatures that refuse to be what they are.
A film is never really good unless the camera is an eye in the head of a poet.
I am a storyteller, and stories are what connect us.
The older I get, the more I realize the importance of simplicity.
Contemporaries of Akira Kurosawa
Other Film & Theaters born within 50 years of Akira Kurosawa (1910–1998).