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Kurosawa, Akira (Translated by Audie E. Bock).
SOMETHING LIKE AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
New York City, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 1982. Hardcover. First Edition/First Printing. 205 pages. Fine/Fine. Rare Akira Kurosawa memorabilia set. The Japanese film director's autobiography with a signed Greeting Card produced by him. One of the most important cinematic texts of the 20th century. The first appearance of the title in English. "A first-rate book and a joy to read. It's doubtful that a complete understanding of the director's artistry can be obtained without reading this book. Also indispensable for budding directors are the Addenda, in which Kurosawa lays out his beliefs on the primacy of a good script, on scriptwriting as an essential tool for directors, on directing actors, on camera placement, and on the value of steeping oneself in literature, from great novels to detective fiction" (Variety). With the exception of Yasujiro Ozu, who was his exact opposite, Akira Kurosawa was the greatest Japanese film director of the 20th century. He was surely the most influential as far as film directors in the West were concerned: "The Seven Samurai" was re-made (badly) as "The Magnificent Seven". George Lucas credited "The Hidden Fortress" as the inspiration for his "Star Wars" Series. Lucas and Steven Spielberg produced one of Kurosawa's unsurpassable masterpieces, "Ran", his adaptation of Shakespeare's "King Lear". Kurosawa was also an accomplished painter and artist, and it is part of the reason his films are so visually rich and stunning. His prolific body of work will endure long after currently fashionable directors shall have been forgotten. This copy comes with a Christmas Greeting Card whose cover art, a mournful-looking Santa Claus, was created by Akira Kurosawa (his initials, "A. K. ", are visible on recto), and is prominently and beautifully signed by him in blue fountain pen on the greeting page. Impeccable provenance available upon request. This title has been out-of-print as a hardcover for a very long time. This is the only such signed set available online and both items are in unusually fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright, a collector's copy. A rare, one-of-a-kind signed set thus. One of the greatest film artists of the 20th century. A fine collectible set. . ISBN 0394509382. $500.00 |
