BLOG QUESTION ADV: KUROSAWA AND COMPOSING MOVEMENT

What were the three types of movement that Kurosawa used in his films? How did he use these techniques in his films? What did they communicate to the audience? Please explain each in detail.

The first movement he utilizes is the movement of nature. That includes weather, water, wind, fire, smoke, and snow. This adds visual interest when people are still. He also uses the movement of groups, whether that be large groups of people who band together or groups of people who split. Larger crowds = bigger emotion. Lastly, he uses the movement of individuals. His blocking style is unrealistic/exaggerated. He has characters pace back and forth, stand taller, or kneel to the ground to exaggerate their emotions. He also likes to have actors choose a gesture to repeat throughout the film in order to help audiences differentiate characters and know how they're feeling. He pairs this with fluid camera movements, which have clear beginnings, middles, and endings, as well as cutting on action to give his films smoother transitions. When a scene ends, he likes to end on a static shot and then have the next shot be in motion, in order to keep the audience on their toes.