Early Kurosawa

Available on DVD for the first time, this 4-disc set contains 6 films from legendary auteur, Akira Kurosawa, made at the start of his career and demonstrate the emergence of a profoundly influential directorial vision.

Sanshiro Sugata (Sugata Sanshiro), 1943, 79 min

Kurosawas assured debut about a young mans spiritual journey through the study and practice of judo.

Sanshiro Sugata, Part Two (Zoku Sugata Sanshiro), 1945, 83 min

This sequel reunites most of the principal cast from the original and follows Sanshiro face a new set of enemies whilst continuing his quest to become a judo master.

The Most Beautiful (Ichiban utsukushiku), 1944, 85 min

An artful propaganda film that anticipates the social realism of his post-war films, The Most Beautiful provides a fascinating portrait of female volunteer workers in an optics factory manufacturing lenses for binoculars and gunsights.

They Who Step on the Tigers Tail (Tora no o wo fumu otokotachi), 1945, 58 min

Adapted from Noh and Kabuki theatre, this classic tale of deception sees a lord and his bodyguard disguise themselves as monks to bypass an enemy roadblock.

No Regrets For Our Youth (Waga seishun ni kuinashi), 1946, 110 min

Kurosawa’s first post-war film stars Ozu regular Setsuko Hara as Yukie, a privileged daughter of a professor who takes a soul-searching journey through rural Japan and comes to question her values.

One Wonderful Sunday (Subarashiki nichiyobi), 1947, 108 min

A bitter-sweet story of young love set in the devastation of post-war Tokyo reminiscent of Frank Capras social realist comedies.