Akira Kurosawa’s “Dreams” Without death, how will we appreciate life? Among many other arcane things that exist on earth, one of life’s greatest mysteries is its nature to end. After watching “Dreams”, I cannot help but appreciate the exquisite cinematography styles that Akira Kurosawa incorporated in the film and also the hidden messages he might have possibly intended to deliver to his audience.
In contrast to Western films that tend to be full of effects and relatively have complicated plot lines, the series of short films in “Dreams” was much simpler and more focused on the genuineness of the messages of the film. Personally, my favorites are “The peach orchard” and “The tunnel” for these aforementioned films were able to deliver the message about how things that have withered or have lost its life will be appreciated more fully after it’s long gone.
This connects to “Mono no Aware”, a concept discussed in our book which is mainly about things that seem to have no meaning, unless the person observing it knows how to “read between the lines. ” In the dream “The peach orchard”, Japan’s culture was showcased in a sense that it showed how much the little boy (representative of the Japanese people) loves and appreciates nature, respects the Hina dolls and how he anticipates the change of seasons as spring usually meant the blossoming of the peach orchard.
What i noticed is that the short films may have been centered on the loss of things whether it is the lives of the members of a platoon for “the tunnel” or the absence of the flowers in the peach orchard. But despite all this, the short films also delivered a sense of hope. Towards the end of the peach orchard“ film, the boy sees a small isolated branch of the peach plant which symbolizes rebirth and second chances.
The films were very very brief, relatively simple and could even be slow and dragging at times, but as i paid more attention to the hidden messages, I was really convinced that these films are beautiful and well done in composition. I admit that at times even I tend to take nature for granted because of so many technological distractions. Some of us even take the short span of life for granted until it is too late for changes. I believe that this movie is a great eyeopener and reminder to all of us to cherish all the things we have in the present, for as the old adage goes, “Nothing lasts forever. ”
