What is your favorite Kurosawa movie?

I hate impossible questions!

I’d have to say Ikiru, but I also love The Men Who Tread on the Tiger’s Tail. I once watched the whole six-part performance of Kanjincho on YouTube, the basis of the latter movie, just to get a sense of its origins. It was fascinating.

Of course I do love The Seven Samurai, which I’ve seen a number of times, and I think both Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura are wonderful in anything, but it’s not my number one.

Honestly, I haven’t seen Tiger’s Tail or Ikiru. Ikiru is high on my list, though and will be watching soon. I’m bumping it up now that I saw Shimura in this.

Rashomon.

Last summar my son and I had a mini Kurosawa film festival, watched Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Ran, and Yojimbo in four consecutive nights.

I liked Rashomon the best.

I like Seven Samurai.

@Caravanfan, you can see them both paired as leads in Drunken Angel and Stray Dog.

I tried to like Rashomon, and I did love the idea of it (and Mifune and Shimura), but there was just too much screaming. It really got on my nerves. Also I never managed to like the woman, Machiko Kyo, in any part I saw her in. Loved the ending, though.

I’ve seen every Kurosawa movie that I could find with subtitles in the U.S., even the awful ones, and read his autobiography, as well as Donald Richie’s commentary and analysis. Worth every minute.

Watched Dersu Uzala on motel cable when I was snowed in at Missoula a couple years ago.

Loved it.

I’ve seen Seven Samurai and Rashomon and now need to add Ran, Yojimbu and Ikiru to the list.
Rashomon is one of the few movies I’ve watched more than once. I picked up sublte bits I missed the first time.

It reminded me of an episode of “My name is Earl” entitled Buried Treasure where each character recounts their own version of events.

Rashomon. I haven’t seen that many Kurosawa films, which is surprising considering I lived in Japan. I used to be fluent in the language. I’ve seen a lot of Japanese movies.

I just saw Ikiru and was really moved. At Watanabe san’s low point (about one hour into it) even I was ready for the cyclobarbital.
Thank you for the impetus to watch it.