Masaki Kobayashi’s Kwaidan (1964) is a great, great movie. Ever since I first saw it, its incredible, stylized snow scenes have reminded me of the shot-on-a-soundstage winter scene from Ford’s The Searchers (1956).
In a picture filled with so many spectacular outdoor shots — in VistaVision and Technicolor, no less — this segment of The Searchers seems rather out of place. But with its layers of trees and fake snow, to me, it’s one of the most striking things in the film.
The Kwaidan image above doesn’t support my point as well as it could — it was all I could find. Those who’ve seen both films will hopefully know what I mean. Of course, the connection may be more in my head than in Kobayashi’s. But you never know.
He definitely wasn’t. Many before him — including, but not limited to Ozu, Naruse, Shimizu, and Gosho showed plenty of love for Ford. Perhaps they weren’t as vocal or visual about their appreciated, but it is definitely there. Generally speaking, Ford was one of the biggest influences on early Japanese cinema.
I know very very little about Japanese cinema, aside from Kurasawa and Godzilla. Who’s got time — there are so many Westerns to watch!
But what I’ve seen I’ve usually really liked — from the samurai pictures that play like Westerns with swords to the stylized set-bound stuff that takes on a slight Old Hollywood vibe.
The most Fordian Japanese film I can think of is Tomu Uchida’s TWILIGHT SALOON, which is basically ninety minutes of a bunch of people getting loaded (and sentimental) in a bar. See:
http://www.midnighteye.com/reviews/round-up_011.shtml#twilight-saloon
PS – Spell-check on AK’s name!
Kurosawa now correct. Thanks.