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Akira Kurosawa's Dreams

Akira Kurosawa's Dreams

1990
Drama, Fantasy
1h 59m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 65.24% from 1249 total ratings

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(1249)
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Rated 18 Mar 2018
86
96th
While there are a couple of dubious moments here, the seeming simplicity of some of the episodes masks both subtlety and a gradually developing complexity of the film as a whole. The deliberate artifice used in the construction of the dreams, combined with remarkable aesthetic clarity, results in an oneiric mix of the beautiful and the uncanny, leaving the viewer with the impression of a singular experience whose unsettling power remains somehow mysterious. Perhaps the best Kurosawa I've seen.
Rated 22 Aug 2019
93
93rd
Each Dream is an encounter with Death, but they are meetings saturated with the melancholy and strange longing of a man who tried to take his own life, and was then thrust back into life's consequence. I was overwhelmed with feeling, and ultimately, reverence for the time to come and the time now given. After seeing this, I'd like to think that, when Kurosawa's passing did finally arrive in Its good time, It went black, then It said, I had another dream.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
91
95th
A beautiful, haunting masterpiece. Kurosawa was actually blind by the time he made this, but he still managed to capture the wonderment of his dreams. The Tunnel in particular is one to see.
Rated 13 Aug 2009
4
74th
Kurosawa's lament. The title is apropos; it exists somewhere in the uncanny valley. The best sequences are pageantry on par with the director's greatest achievements.
Rated 27 Nov 2013
8
97th
an extraordinary film that, without any pretension whatsoever, presents a series of dream vignettes that begin with simple surreal tales, and increasingly express the hopes and desires, fears and griefs of its creator, creating a sensory and psychological phantasomology that only our nighttime existence could conjure. this is perhaps the clearest statement of film as primal experience, a window into unreality. intensely personal, and i'm not sure if anything quite like it exists anywhere else.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
8
93rd
Visual poetry. A couple of segments (most notably The Blizzard) sag a little, but some of the others (The Tunnel, The Peach Orchard, Village of the Watermills) are strikingly beautiful and utterly haunting.
Rated 04 Jul 2016
10
96th
There are those that will be annoyed with this movie's sentimentality and moralizing. They might accuse its sentimentality of simplifying complex emotions, and they might accuse its moralizing of condescending its viewers. I understand that. But these very sincere and unpretentious dreams of war, ecological recklessness, loss, and fear moved me very much; especially "The Tunnel", which is probably my favorite.
Rated 01 Dec 2016
76
91st
Kurosawa's Dreams feels a lot like him saying sayonara. It's a collection of beautiful, colourful short fantasies connected by the love for nature and disappointment in humanity's disposition towards destruction of nature, and, in Kurosawa's opinion, unhealthy fascination with science. Some of the stories are a bit tedious (The Blizzard), others manage to touch the soul with their beauty (Village of the Watermills), but overall it is a beautiful film full of humanity.
Rated 09 Mar 2017
74
68th
Very nice to look at, with some scenes reminiscent of Ron Fricke's films. Perhaps I felt it was a bit slight, or a bit superficial overall, but I suspect that was either because I didn't "get" some of it, or perhaps I struggled to empathise or relate to what were probably quite personal experiences. Largely, though, it was curiously entertaining and occasionally affecting. And it's one of Kurosawa's, so almost certainly worth seeing.
Rated 23 Dec 2006
79
48th
Kurosawa's dreams are beautiful ones, indeed.
Rated 18 Jan 2007
87
82nd
Sonhos estreava há exatos 30 anos no Festival de Cannes. Curiosamente eu só lembrava dos dois sonhos do meio, O Túnel e Os Corvos, que devem ser o ponto de culminância no despertar criativo de Kurosawa pós segunda guerra, digo isso porque os sonhos obviamente seguem a cronologia de vida do diretor, passando pela crise nuclear que preocupava o inconsciente de todos, culminando no sonho que encara a própria morte sem pesar. BlurayRip no MakingOff.
Rated 04 May 2007
60
47th
A lot less satisfying than you might think. Martin Scorsese as Vincent Van Gogh is inspired casting, but that's about all I remember fondly
Rated 14 Aug 2007
86
90th
A very nice collage of visuals. It may not be Kurosawa's greatest work, but it is still an amazing film.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
84
44th
Beautiful and haunting. Slightly boring.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
40
15th
Not one of Kurosawa's best. Stories based on his dreams.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
92nd
With the exception of Crows (which is probably the worst thing Kurosawa has ever done), I find every episode to be involving and beautiful. One might argue that it's overly didactic, but I think it's too surreal to really be trying to make political assertions. They're just dreams. They're bizarre and awesome, and the point is ultimately in the journey more in the explanation.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
65
25th
Pales in comparison to other Kurosawa films. The post-nuclear story is the worst of the bunch. Don't care much for the Van Gogh bit either, or the city in flames. The one in the snow is decent, but it takes way too long. The rest of the segments are pretty good.
Rated 26 Nov 2007
80
69th
Visually beautiful, and the sgtories are gripping. A different Kurosawa film, but still very good.
Rated 07 Feb 2009
85
92nd
In her book "I, Fellini" (which is based on interviews with the famous Italian director) Charlotte Chandler writes that Fellini loves to dream. He goes to bed every evening impatient to fall asleep and enter the kingdom of the dreams. I'm guessing Kurosawa's attitude to dreams is at least of the same degree, especially after he devoted one of his last films to them. This being said, I see Yume as a beautiful homage to one of artist's greatest sources of inspiration.
Rated 06 Apr 2009
5
80th
The opening segment isn't particularly noteworthy at all but there's a progression to it that really hits you when you get to its later chapters [especially the wonderful last one].While there are better Kurosawa films, this has a unique place in his work, if only for its unadulterated glimpse into the mind of a director I greatly admire.
Rated 24 May 2009
45
75th
Some interesting and strange dream representations. Scenes could be less extended, nonetheless the graphic material communicates the dreamy (and somewhat unexpectedly chaotic) atmosphere.
Rated 15 Jul 2009
88
81st
A work of beauty, weirdness, and ultimately humility.
Rated 06 Oct 2009
82
80th
Each dream is darker than the last.
Rated 13 Oct 2009
9
97th
The episodic format kept me from getting very involved, emotionally, and hardly any of them were the right length, usually the case being over-long. On the surface though, this might be Kurosawa's most beautiful film.
Rated 01 Feb 2010
95
78th
A very, very beautiful movie.
Rated 13 Jul 2010
90
91st
Sure, one or two of the dreams aren't that great or interesting but what Kurosawa has accomplished should be congratulated. Kurosawa manages to convey that illogicality of dreams with stunning imagery using short stories that feel ever so natural while sometimes being truly bizarre.
Rated 29 Aug 2010
17
80th
Slow, beautiful, pensive. Very dream-like.
Rated 18 Jan 2011
69
42nd
68.750
Rated 25 Dec 2011
88
88th
A beautiful, colorful meditation of Kurosawa's views on art, nature, curiosity, regret, and his state of being late in life (80) at the time. The dreams are all about a traveler learning about the world and lessons he's learned in his long life. The diversity and use of color are astounding. You have to be in the right mood to watch Kurosawa's unusually-paced films, but this is one case where it's definitely worth it.
Rated 08 Mar 2012
66
50th
Always difficult to rate a movie like this, that is really more a collection of shorts than a unified piece. Some are great, some are trite. Certainly worth seeing though.
Rated 02 Apr 2012
95
95th
This movie is simply amazing. The visuals are stunning. There is no plot, and the scenes may appear disjoint. But they are not. They weave a coherent whole which covers more than can possibly be covered in a mere two hours.
Rated 25 Jun 2012
90
76th
Kurosawa creates an enchanting series in a spiritually and visually rich method, not necessarily logical or followable but if only capturing the abstruse traits of the Dream kingdom. The episodic framework is appropriate only to represent Kurosawa's humility and separated meditations on his experiences and different chapters of life; from the perils of unrestrained youthful curiosity to later years of the ascetic serene simplicity, embracing the organic ways of existence that have been forgot.
Rated 24 Nov 2012
65
60th
Visually stunning, but a bit grating.
Rated 20 Dec 2012
65
21st
Kurosawa's weakest film by a huge margin, but not unwatchable.
Rated 18 Jan 2013
91
77th
neden Kurosawa oldugunu izleyince anliyor insan.
Rated 02 Oct 2013
81
68th
80.500
Rated 25 Jan 2015
69
50th
Gosh, this is getting kinda awkward..
Rated 13 May 2015
88
80th
Does Kurosawa know how to make a film that isn't beautiful?
Rated 31 May 2016
80
82nd
Kurasawa takes us on a journey of 8 short films each featuring his different fears, joyful moments and philosophical instances. A true artist by nature Kurosawa symbolically shows us the unleashed beauty of his creativity: His Dreams.
Rated 13 Aug 2016
81
75th
None of the films Kurosawa directed in the 90s are serious candidates for the title of "best movie of all time" the way so many of his earlier movies were, but that does not mean that they were bad by any means. Dreams in particular is a really stunning and surreal sort of anthology piece which may stumble once or twice, but it hits home far more often than it falters.
Rated 30 Dec 2016
65
22nd
Octubre? 2016 - És curiós, creatiu, suposo que en el seu moment sorprenent, però em costa entrar-hi, estic acostumat a més ritme. També suposo que és apreciable que es preocupi pel medi ambient. Alguna cosa em queda en el record.
Rated 11 Mar 2017
84
84th
You definitely have to be in the right mood for it but this was exactly the serene, surreal poetry i was hoping it would be. I absolutely loved the journey through van goghs art. Almost all of it is simultaneously calming and haunting..the only bits not are either meant to only haunt...or the occasional preachy bits.
Rated 01 May 2017
70
46th
Some interesting stories included with a couple duds. Very nice colors.
Rated 29 Sep 2018
98
93rd
By no means a perfect film, but a necessary and beautiful one. An odd film for Kurosawa. "The Crows" is a bit weak and out-of-place. Out on the rim of the late 20th century. "Man has lost the capacity to foresee and to forestall. He will end up destroying the earth." And people walked out.
Rated 11 Dec 2018
58
48th
Beautiful. Painstakingly created. Moody like nothing else. These stories seem to be literally pulled from Kurosawa's dreams, and countless details (like the recreation of his childhood home and casting of a doppelganger of his mother) seem to mean more to him than they ever could to any of us.
Rated 19 Jan 2019
67
57th
Some misses but there are others that are just really great.
Rated 18 Jul 2019
61
57th
why tho
Rated 23 Dec 2019
80
75th
Sooooooo beautifuuuuulllllll!
Rated 22 Mar 2020
78
89th
Even in the twilight of his career, Kurosawa had yet to run out of ideas, and Dreams is his most abstract and experimental film, compromised of short colourful 'stories' fashioned around a central theme. Some of these dreams are more captivating than others, and as others have noted, the anti-nuclear power message in one of the segments is too on the nose, but there is plenty to admire here from a technical standpoint, and there are several moments of genuine beauty.
Rated 05 Jan 2021
62
8th
A visual and auditory treat, it is also a slow, clunky plod through philosophical explorations of challenging subject matter, and shows its age. Cinematography has come a long way since 1990. That said, visuals and scenes will stick with you because they are one of a kind... but it's a feat to even finish, and I couldn't wait for it to end... which is kind of the point? The epitome of a pet project.
Rated 16 Sep 2022
90
93rd
A journey into Akira Kurosawa's mind, this film is as majestic as can be. Fantastic cinematography, imaginative landscapes and an ending that's beautiful in it's simplicity. It's sincerity is it's greatest strength. An emotional anthology that would make an impact in anyone's life.
Rated 09 Nov 2022
47
35th
feels drawn out and dated, but strikes a chord at times
Rated 30 Jun 2023
80
72nd
What if this was like an Umbilical World type of deal where Kurosawa merged these movies into a linear storyline? How cool would that have been???
Rated 17 Jul 2023
80
72nd
A fascinating idea, as Kurosawa directs his own dreams. It's an anthology type presentation, with eight different dreams. Some make more sense than other, as dreams do. Some of the images are absolutely stunning. The dream where he is walking through Van Gogh paintings is just an absolute masterpiece. I'd love to see how that was done. It doesn't live up to Kurosawa's absolute best, but it's another great film from him.
Rated 04 Dec 2023
79
50th
The visuals are equal to Ran, especially the amazing use of colour, but the stories are more mixed. It’s really cool to see all these different facets of humanity from Kurosawa’s POV, mixing his disdain for humanity’s capacity for destruction with his love of life and nature, even if it does get too Old Man Yells at Cloud at times. I also did feel it was far too slow at times, although that might be because my own dreams are way more fast-paced and fluid than this.
Rated 06 Feb 2024
86
71st
A very unique movie from Kurosawa. It almost has Kwaidan vibes from time to time. Visually stunning, thematically, some dreams are great, some are alright. The Van Gogh and nuclear explosion dreams were the weakest. The rest was pretty good. Overall, nowhere close to Kurosawa's best, but still a very memorable movie that doesn't really disappoint from the master.

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