Confucian Philosophy in the Films of Akira Kurosawa Through the Documentary Film Medium
Wu, Li-Hsueh Truth and Beauty: Confucian Philosophy in the Films of Akira Kurosawa Through the Documentary Film Medium Doctor of Design 2008 Swinburne Abstract This doctoral research consists of two 90 minute DVD documentaries and a complementary text about the Japanese film director, Akira Kurosawa, a major figure in 20th century cinema. It focuses on how the Confucian cultural heritage has informed many aspects of his approach to filmmaking, especially his manifestation of philosophical and aesthetic concepts. To bridge the gap in the existing critiques of Kurosawa’s films, the research incorporates critical analysis of interviews with twelve filmmakers and scholars in philosophy, history, arts, drama and film. The interviews discuss the aesthetic elements from traditional arts and theatre, and address a failure in the literature to draw from the deep meaning of the Confucian cultural heritage. The first documentary, An Exploration of Truth in the Films of Akira Kurosawa, has three sections: The Way of Self- Cultivation, The Way of Cultivating Tao and The Way of Cultivating Buddhism. It explores how the films of Kurosawa manifested the Confucian philosophy via inner self-cultivation, which displayed his humanist values. It also examines the ‘outer enlightenment pattern’ in Kurosawa’s films which effects profound dramatic tension. The interrelationship between Confucianism, Shinto and Buddhism in different periods of Kurosawa’s films is explored, focusing on issues of historical background, cultural heritage and philosophy and film narrative elements. The second documentary, The Origin and Renovation of Traditional Arts and I Theatre in the Films of Akira Kurosawa, has three sections: Structure and Mise-En-Scene from Noh and Kabuki, Representation and Symbolism from Noh Masks and Chinese Painting and Color and Mise-En-Scene from The ‘Five Elements’ Theory and Japanese Prints.
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