Madadayo / Not Yet

Dir: Akira Kurosawa (Rashômon,Throne of Blood / Kumonosu jô, Seven Samurai / Shichinin no samurai, Yojimbo)
Cast: Tatsuo Matsumura, Kyôko Kagawa, Akira Terao, Hisashi Igawa, Jôji Tokoro, Masayuki Yui
Japan, 1993

Seen: October 2, 2007 thanks to the Toronto Public Library

Reason to see: Another delving into Akira Kurosawa's work!

Reason to review: As a part of the the Akira Kurosawa blog-a-thon!

This film was not at all what I expected, although I didn't know anything about it to begin with other than Akira Kurosawa directed it. I was complete astonished by it, and you really have to be ready for a bit of a long haul as it clocks in at 2h14min and there are quite a few repetitions on simliar yet building events. Centred around 'The Professor' Hyakken Uchida (played by Tatsuo Matsumura) though many stages of his list starting in about the 1940's, some of the stages were grand and others more gruelling. In essence, the film reads as a tribute film to a fine and optimistic man admired by his former students. I have a soft spot in my heart for teacher stories and this one did find a little home in there.

Shannon's Overall View:
I quite enjoyed it
I'd watch it again
I would recommend if you like stories about teachers, and have patience

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© Shannon Ridler, 2007