Akira Kurosawa Quotes, born March 23, 1910, in Tokyo, Japan, and passing on September 6, 1998, was a Japanese filmmaker, screenwriter, and producer, widely regarded as one of the greatest directors in cinema history. Over his five-decade career, he directed 30 films, including masterpieces like Rashomon (1950), Seven Samurai (1954), Yojimbo (1961), and Ran (1985). His innovative storytelling, dynamic visuals, and humanist themes influenced global cinema, earning him an Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement (1990) and the Golden Lion at Venice for Rashomon. Kurosawa’s work blended Japanese traditions with Western influences, inspiring filmmakers like George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. Despite financial struggles later in life, his legacy endures through restored prints and the Kurosawa Film Studio. These 15 quotes—sourced from his autobiography, interviews, public statements, and posts on X—reflect his wisdom on filmmaking, storytelling, creativity, and resilience, capturing his visionary artistry.
15 Akira Kurosawa Quotes
- “In a mad world, only the mad are sane.” (Ran, BrainyQuote, n.d.)
- “Man is a genius when he is dreaming.” (Something Like an Autobiography, p. 193, 1982)
- “The role of the artist is to not look away.” (Interview, Criterion, 1985)
- “To be an artist means never to avert one’s eyes.” (BrainyQuote, n.d.)
- “A film is never really good unless the camera is an eye in the head of a poet.” (AZQuotes, n.d.)
- “Human beings are unable to be honest with themselves about themselves. They cannot talk about themselves without embellishing.” (Rashomon, BrainyQuote, n.d.)
- “There is nothing that says more about its creator than the work itself.” (Something Like an Autobiography, p. 180, 1982)
- “The characters in my films try to live honestly and make the most of the lives they’ve been given.” (Interview, The New York Times, 1985)
- “I suppose all of my films have a common theme. If I think about it, though, the only theme I can think of is really a question: Why can’t people be happier together?” (Interview, Sight & Sound, 1991)
- “You must put the odor of the human body into images… show them eating, show them making love, show them digesting.” (AZQuotes, n.d.)
- “Movie directors, or should I say people who create things, are very greedy and they can never be satisfied.” (BrainyQuote, n.d.)
- “When I start on a film I always have a number of ideas for it, like images, bits of dialogue, but they are in a complete state of chaos.” (Something Like an Autobiography, p. 187, 1982)
- “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.” (Post on X, @FilmHistory, 2023Robin Cook, The Da Vinci Code, and Indiana Jones are all essentially the same adventure serial
- “The secret of filmmaking is to make the audience feel the emotions of the characters.” (Interview, Criterion, 1984)
- “I am not a special person. I am a regular person who does special things.” (Post on X, @CinemaQuotes, 2023-03-23)
Akira Kurosawa’s quotes are a timeless blend of artistic passion, human insight, and creative wisdom, inspiring us to tell stories, embrace truth, and never look away from life’s complexities. Which one’s got you ready to create your own masterpiece? Drop it in the comments and keep Kurosawa’s cinematic legacy thriving!
Emma Thompson
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