Rhapsody in August

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dave s Rhapsody in August has all of the markings of a great film, but turns out to be a bit of a disappointment. Directed by the great Akira Kurosawa, it is the story of four children and their attempt to convince their grandmother, whose husband was killed by the atomic bomb in Nagasaki, to travel to Hawaii to visit her ailing brother. Over the course of the film, the children begin to realize the long-lasting impact the horrific event had on the fragile matriarch, who is reluctant to forgive America for its actions. It all sounds promising, but it falls flat due to far too much in the way of exposition from the characters, a ton of awkward dialogue, and wooden performances from all involved. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Aside from the overwhelming amount of sentimental jabs and locations, this film doesn't look or feel anything like an Akira Kurosawa film. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Audience Member A fine little film by Kurosawa. Plain but evocative. I like late-stage Kurosawa. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/21/23 Full Review Audience Member Made when he was 81 and made quickly this is minor Kurosawa for sure, but it does have some great scenes. The march of the ants next to the praying people, the embrace of the dead trees, and the very eerie, creepy and supernatural eye in the sky recollection. This is part 2 of the trilogy that ended Akira's film career after he completed his magnum opus "Ran"- the film he dreamed about making for many years. What makes this film part of the trilogy is the realization that the old woman (my guess is she's in her late eighties) represents Akira himself, and that makes the film fun. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/14/23 Full Review Audience Member It's slow & quiet. Has a lot of moving moments. I enjoyed it. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member Late period Kurosawa and not one of his great films, but very much worth a view. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Rhapsody in August

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