On this day 27 years ago, on September 6, 1998 (July 16, 1998 in the lunar calendar), the famous Japanese film director Akira Kurosawa passed away. "Shadow Samurai" Japan 1980 Director: Akira Kurosawa The famous Japanese film director Akira Kurosawa passed away in Tokyo on the afternoon of September 6, 1998 at the age of 88. Born in Tokyo in January 1910, Akira Kurosawa entered the world of filmmaking in 1936. In 1943, Akira Kurosawa directed his debut film, "Shisaniro", which was a great success. "Rashomon", which he directed in 1950, won the grand prize at the Venice International Film Festival the following year. In his lifetime, Akira Kurosawa directed a total of 30 films, several of which won awards at international film festivals. Akira Kurosawa was born on March 23, 1910 in Oi-machi, Shinagawa District, Tokyo. His father served as an army officer and later transferred to a high school trustee. His mother's family ran a business in Osaka. Akira Kurosawa was the oldest of eight brothers. After graduating from junior high school in 1928, he was passionate about painting, determined to be a painter, and participated in national art exhibitions with his works. This experience greatly helped him in his later film creation. Influenced by his brother, Akira Kurosawa was also very interested in literature and drama. In 1934, he was admitted as an assistant director and entered the predecessor of Toho Films, "PCL Film Company", where he studied director Yamamoto Kajiro as a teacher and screenwriter. In 1943, he independently directed his debut novel "Shizako Sanshiro", which rose to fame and was regarded as a new hope for Japanese cinema along with the director of "Harbor Flowers Bloom". After the war, he directed the first work of the left-wing playwright Eijiro Kuban, who wrote and opposed militarism "Deserved of My Youth". In 1948, Kurosawa directed Akira again, insisting on using Mifune Toshiro as the male lead of "Mochen Angel". From then on, Kurosawa and Mifune Toshiro opened the "Golden Age of Kurosawa" and became the strongest film partners in Japan. In the 17 years leading up to "Redbeard," films directed by Akira Kurosawa and directed by Toshiro Mifune include "Rashomon," "Idiot," "Seven Samurai," "The Book of Life," "Spider's Nest City," "Red Redemption" and "Heaven and Hell." Not only did "Rashomon" filmed in 1950 win the grand prize at the Venice International Film Festival the following year. Since then, Akira Kurosawa has become famous in the world of film, and Toshiro Mifune has also won the Venice Film Festival Actor Award for "The Great Redemption" and "Red Beard". As a result, the two have established the title of "Kurosawa International, the Three Ships of the World" in the Japanese film industry. Afterwards, with the encouragement of international filmmakers, Akira Kurosawa collaborated for the first time with the film capital of Hollywood in the United States. He started filming transnational films such as "Tiger Tiger" and "Rapid Train", but neither of them received the expected sales results. From the second half of 1960 to the early 1970s, Kurosawa's creative low point was the sudden break in his relationship with Toshiro Mifune. Since then, the two of them have stopped talking to each other and have not cooperated again. However, both of them have been silent about the reasons. In 1970, his film adaptation of Goro Yamashiro's novel "A City Without Seasons" failed at the box office, and Kurosawa even attempted suicide as a result. However, Kurosawa soon stood up again. In 1975, his Japanese-Russian joint film "Desuurza" won the gold medal at the Moscow Film Festival and the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. In 1980, Kurosawa was funded by the French film company. "Shadow Samurai", which was co-filmed again with Toshiro Mifune, won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. In 1985, Kurosawa completed the giant costume film "Chaos". In his later years, Kurosawa was enthusiastic about creating costume films. His artistic pursuits were more persistent, and his works also had deep philosophical connotations. At 1.81 meters tall, Kurosawa had a tall physique that was rare among Japanese people at the time. It is said that he demanded perfection in everything. His roaring voice often scared the staff all over. When filming "Heroes of the Warring States Period", he waited for 100 days to shoot a satisfactory sunny shot; when filming "Heaven and Hell", he found that the second floor of a house blocked him from filming actors throwing cash from the Shinkansen, and forced the second floor of the house to be demolished. Akira Kurosawa has repeatedly interpreted Western stories in Japanese settings, such as "Idiot" from Dostoevsky, "Spider's Nest" from "Macbeth", and "Chaos" from "King Lear"; but Kurosawa also had an influence on Western films, such as his early Hollywood adaptations of "Seven Samurai" and "The Great Redemption" into "The Brave Seven Dragons" and "The Great Redemption of the Wild," George. Lucas' two robot characters in "Star Wars" were inspired by two peasant partners in "Heroes of Sengoku." Shadow Samurai Japan 1980 Director: Akira Kurosawa "Chaos" Japan 1985 Director: Akira Kurosawa "Seven Samurai" Japan 1954 Director: Akira Kurosawa "Mud Drunk Angel" Japan 1948 Director: Akira Kurosawa "Rashomon" Japan 1950 Director: Akira Kurosawa "Shisakiro" Japan 1943 Director: Akira Kurosawa