Akira Kurosawa

Film & Theater Japanese 1910 – 1998 408 quotes

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 end, what matters is the legacy you leave.

Deathbed reflection 1998

I am a person who is not very good at expressing myself in words. I am a person who expresses himself in images.

Something Like an Autobiography

The most important thing is to make a film that is true to yourself.

Something Like an Autobiography

A film is like a dream. It has to be seen to be believed.

Something Like an Autobiography

The director's job is to make a film that is as good as it can be.

Something Like an Autobiography

I believe that the best way to make a film is to be honest with yourself and with your audience.

Something Like an Autobiography

The cinema is a mirror that reflects the world.

Something Like an Autobiography

I don't think that there's any difference between a good film and a bad film. There's only a film that you like and a film that you don't like.

Something Like an Autobiography

The most important thing in filmmaking is to have a good story.

Something Like an Autobiography

A film should be like a piece of music. It should have a rhythm and a melody.

Something Like an Autobiography

I believe that the director is the most important person in the making of a film.

Something Like an Autobiography

The camera is a tool. It's up to the director to use it to tell a story.

Something Like an Autobiography

I don't believe in happy endings. I believe in realistic endings.

Something Like an Autobiography

The most important thing is to make a film that is true to life.

Something Like an Autobiography

I think that the most important thing in filmmaking is to have a clear vision.

Something Like an Autobiography

The cinema is a language. It's a way of communicating with people.

Something Like an Autobiography

I believe that a film should be an experience, not just a story.

Something Like an Autobiography

The most important thing is to make a film that is timeless.

Something Like an Autobiography

I think that the most important thing in filmmaking is to be able to tell a story visually.

Something Like an Autobiography

The director is like a conductor. He has to bring all the different elements together to create a symphony.

Something Like an Autobiography

Contemporaries of Akira Kurosawa

Other Film & Theaters born within 50 years of Akira Kurosawa (1910–1998).

1918–2007 · Swedish

1915–1985 · American

Federico Fellini

1920–1993 · Italian

Stanley Kubrick

1928–1999 · American-British

Alfred Hitchcock

1899–1980 · English-American