Akira
Alice (aka futuregirl) has created a set of stuffed characters based on great German film directors. Duly impressed, I vowed to create my own set based on my current obsession with interest in Asian film. Here's the first, Akira, namesake of the grand master of Japanese film, Akira Kurosawa. Kurosawa made films from the 1940's until the early '90's covering many genres, from his famous samurai films Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, and Sanjuro; film noir detective stories in Stray Dog, The Bad Sleep Well, and High and Low; covers of classics like Throne of Blood (the best ever version of Macbeth), The Idiot, and The Lower Depths, and lovely slice-of-life films (Ikuru, Madadayo). All amazing, all exquisitely written and shot. Kurosawa made relatively few films in color, but in the ones he did make the colors are almost painfully vivid, in vibrant reds, magentas, and turquoise.
I made my Akira a crow - since crows are sharp-eyed, curious, intelligent and mysterious. All words I would use to describe Kurosawa himself. Thus ends your first lesson in Asian Cinema 101.
The still in the background is from one of my favorite Kurosawa movies, The Hidden Fortress, which was a major inspiration for the subplot of Star Wars. The little guy is the master himself. Yet another reason to admire the Japanese - they make action figures of their artists!
Oh, I *love* that crow! It's a perfect choice. My high school World History teacher showed us Seven Samurai, but I haven't seen any of Kurosawa's movies since then. I'm going to add the films above to my list.
I can't wait for the rest of our Japanese Film lessons. :)
Posted by: futuregirl | November 06, 2006 at 09:55 PM
holy cow, that is spectacular...
Posted by: stephanie s | November 06, 2006 at 11:38 PM
fantastic! and I will have to get to some of those other Kurosawa movies too...
Posted by: mimi k | November 07, 2006 at 04:45 AM
I have a fondness for crows and I think yours is superb.
Posted by: carolyn | November 07, 2006 at 07:19 AM
Wow, Rose--that is REALLY cool looking. With this and all your Halloween stuff (those knitted trees are so awesome) I really think you have a special talent for bringing out the darker side of craftiness--which is weird, because I don't consider you a dark person. Great job!!!!
Posted by: Lauren | November 07, 2006 at 09:40 AM
Great crow! And thanks for the mini cinema lesson too :). At the moment my cinema experience is usually animated and produced by Disney...
Posted by: amy | November 07, 2006 at 05:23 PM
This is great! It REALLY looks like a crow. Love the legs.
Posted by: kay susan | November 08, 2006 at 10:18 AM
That's nice. :) I never thought of Kurosawa as a crow, to be honest, but it does fit.
Posted by: Vili Maunula | November 08, 2006 at 01:00 PM
oh great job! we just watched Kurosawa's Dreams last night! one of the segments in it is called Crows.
Posted by: aimee | November 09, 2006 at 06:22 AM
I love your crow. Love!!!!!!!
Posted by: ann wood | November 09, 2006 at 07:34 PM
He's so pretty! I've always wanted to watch a Kurosawa film, but I never get around to it. I find it hard to find the time to watch anything really. Of course, now I really want to try Throne of Blood....
Posted by: scribblesnbits | November 10, 2006 at 10:32 AM
What a great conceptual softie! I love your play sets too!
Posted by: Therese | November 14, 2006 at 04:20 PM