Akira Kurosawa - Composing Movement

Hi my name is Tony and
this is Every Frame a Painting.

So here’s a fundamental question:

When you’re judging a shot,
what’s the first thing you look for?

Is it balance?

Leading lines?

Golden ratio?

Color? Light? Shapes?

I think these are all essential,
and they’re all part of good images.

But there’s one thing
I always notice first

Movement

--For me, Kurosawa is the
Beethoven of movie directors

--It's that recognizable full sound
that Beethoven had

--that is so unmistakable

A Kurosawa film moves like no one else’s

Each one is a masterclass
in different types of motion

and also ways to combine them.

Over a career spanning half a century
he made 30 films

and in all of them, the movement
is surprising and cinematic.

Wow. If you’d like to see the names
of the films, press the CC button below.

So what types of movement did he like?

First, there’s the movement of nature.

In every one of his films,
the background of the shot

features some kind of weather.

Wind

Water

Fire

Smoke

Snow

One advantage of this approach is that
shots have a lot of visual interest.

Even when people are still, there’s rain
in the background to draw your eye.

--Rain is a real emotional trigger
that works in any film.

--You know, anything that’s excessive
because it gives you

--another layer that the
audience can relate to sensually.

Second, there’s the movement of groups.

Kurosawa films usually feature large
groups of people who band together

or split apart.

Crowds like this are really cinematic.
When you put this many people in a shot,

any emotion feels big.

If you want a good reaction shot,
try using four people

Or twenty-five

And if you want something really big...

Which brings us to #3:
the movement of individuals.

One of my favorite things
about Kurosawa is that

that his blocking is
unrealistic and exaggerated.

If someone is nervous,
they pace left and right.

If they’re outraged,
they stand straight up.

And if they’re ashamed…

He would often tell his actors to pick
one gesture for their character

and repeat it throughout the film.

That way, the audience can quickly see
who’s who and how they’re feeling.

Number four: movement of the camera.

One of the hallmarks of Kurosawa’s style
are his fluid camera moves

that go from close-up to full shot to
OTS in a single unbroken take.

I did another essay about these shots,
called the Spielberg Oner,

but what’s important here is that
every camera move has a clear beginning

middle

and end.

Just by itself,
this camera move tells a story.

And last, there’s movement of the cut.

Kurosawa is one of the few directors
who worked as his own editor.

One of the reasons his movies just flow
is that he tends to cut on movement.

Often, you’re paying so much attention
to someone who's moving

that you don’t see the edit.

When he finishes the scene,
he switches the rhythm

usually by ending on something static.

and then cutting straight into movement.

By switching up the rhythm,
he keeps you on your toes,

because you can’t guess the next cut.

So with all that, let’s break down
one scene and study the motion.

This scene is from Seven Samurai.
I won't tell you what it’s about.

See how long it takes you
to figure it out. Ready?

The first shot shows the whole village,
then just the important characters

then just the samurai.

Right about here...

most people get what’s happening.

As Kikuchiyo sits down his mood ripples
outwards to affect the whole village.

Notice how much the wind adds to the
scene. Even when people are still

there’s that little bit of wind
to spice up the frame.

So that’s pretty straightforward.

Now let’s jump 60 years into the future.
This is The Avengers.

Here, we start with a camera move into
an establishing shot. But this time...

--These were in Phil Coulson's jacket.

We get dialogue right away.

Throughout this scene, the only things
that move are the camera and Nick Fury.

Even though we have weather outside and
actors in the background

none of them are used.

Notice that the camera movement doesn’t
have a beginning or an end.

And there’s no variation. Each shot
goes in the exact same direction

--Maybe I had that coming.

But in Seven Samurai...

The camera moves have a distinct
beginning middle and end.

And each shot changes
direction from the previous one.

As he climbs up, Kurosawa uses
the movement of the flag

to cut smoothly into this angle:

all seven samurai and
their banner, together.

This scene has every type of movement

carefully pieced together
and spaced throughout.

The weather.

The group.

The individual.

The camera.

The cut.

But this scene tells its story
mostly through dialogue

--called the Avengers Initiative.

Sure, the camera moves.
But it’s pointless movement.

For all the money that was put into it,
this scene feels flat

--It's an old-fashioned notion.

But how could you improve this scene?
Well...

if you know what the scene’s about,
try to express it through movement.

Start with the character.
How are they feeling?

Is there any way the actor
can convey that by moving?

Okay, maybe that's too much.
Let’s be more subtle.

Take the feeling that’s
inside the character

and bring it out
through the background.

If a character is angry and menacing,
you can do this

Or if she's simmering
with resentment.

Another option is to contrast
one person against the group.

So if somebody suffers a very
public humiliation, this works.

Or if they’re looking for
a needle in a haystack

You can use camera movement
to convey excitement

You can cut on movement
to show surprise

And you can combine every type of motion
into one amazing image

By the way, you don’t need to put every
type of movement in every shot.

That’s just tiring.

But there’s a nice middle ground with
lots of variation and subtlety

and you won’t know what
works best until you try it.

If you combine the right motion
and the right emotion

you get something cinematic.

--But just for me, I look at his movies
two or three times a year

--just to feel, oh wow, that’s why
I wanted to be a filmmaker

--and look what I’m doing now.

--Special effects, and then
another movie about special effects

--and then a third movie
about special effects.

Now pick any of his films.
Go to any scene.

And watch how everything moves together

--You know, it’s the visual stimulation
that hits the audience.

That’s the reason for film.

Otherwise, we should just
turn the light out and call it radio.