Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams (The Criterion Collection)

What can I say? This film, which is really a series of vignettes intended to represent actual dreams that Kurosawa had, is a masterpiece of cinematography. It only has the thinnest of connecting narrative threads to connect the stories, so if you're looking for a traditional beginning-to-end story, Dreams may not be for you. But if you want to see gorgeous, imaginative scenes that transport you to very strange places indeed, something to just relax with and savor, take in the beauty of every scene...well, this is worth the time. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a forest fox wedding to go attend.

I watch this often. I love all the stories. What a masterpiece of a movie.

There are some very talented people involved in this statement of the Dream. The various "Dreams" are understated to the magnificent. "The Tunnel" is a moving belief, in fact, it so appealed to me that it was a magnificent statement, "The Peach Orchard" is another magnificent statement it is beautiful. The Mount Fuji eruption is another great statement on "Nuclear" safety. The "Blizzard" is a wonderful tale of the desire to succeed. "The Village of WaterMills" is a real enjoyment with a word to the reader. This is an exciting and pleasurable experience to watch this motion picture, "Dreams". There are more than a few words in fact a lot more to say as would discuss meeting "Vincent Van Gogh" or the observation of the Wedding of Foxes and there is more. In the initial, as it were introduction we discover a very young Boy who goes out into what looks like a Sunshower. He stands out from beneath the rain while I do not know if this woman is something of a maid or maybe the child's mother. Personally, I would not say the woman is the child's mother but a maidservant however It is not clear just who this woman in fact is. This woman says that he has seen something that he should not have seen and as a result, she(this Woman) gives the little boy a "Hari-Kari" knife and tells the child(a little boy) to use the knife and kill himself. This is chock full of symbolism with the knife and expressed wish by the woman to hurt the child causing any who are watching this to take note that this is an expressed attempt made upon the child. The woman as well expressing self-hate as she is the witness to this child's place in this world and she used her natural god-given nature to hate the fact that she can bring life into this world. she has a distinctly opposing view as she wants to destroy life or the capacity to create life as would be the potency of the mail penis. Without much effort, you can put these pieces together and it seems we have the making of what is called "Penis Envy". This is meant to be a pause because there may be more to all this than merely a case of "Penis Envy".This is mostly meant as a warning this storytelling is not entirely friendly as would be "The Wedding of The Foxes".What is suggested is that there is a clash of cultures and in this clash of cultures whether there is this or that meaning the filmmaker or a western sensibility is not what is true to this female. I do believe that this protagonist to this is a woman who much like "Saphos" is her own person, however, she is like some amazon of the jungle who hates the male, be forewarned it is to this opinion real. The Wedding of the Foxes" bought back in memory a motion picture called "Meet John Doe" and it is in the picture that a comment made by an important character suggests "That thing has got whiskers".There is a female behind all this, again it is no joke to continue on as would be all this, however, the comment was made in the particular motion picture in response to a bogus letter sent to a Newspaper which by the way, the particular newspaper published said letter and an uproar was created. The bogus letter was sent by an angry writer or reporter for the newspaper a short while after she gets fired. It was in observing the procession whereby both the male figures and the female figures had whiskers I thought about this "Dream" This is merely passing on a recommendation that this offer from "The Criterion Collection" is an all around excellent experience. The Criterion Collection offers a second disk that shows how a motion picture is made,it is fascinating. There is as a well-written pamphlet with critical information on the evolution of the entire presentation.

Absolutely amazing art style and image quality

Criterion gives us another Akira Kurosawa (Seven Samurai, Rashomon) Blu-Ray. Much like "Ran" the colors are stunning. Being rendered into 4K from the original film elements gives this 1080p picture extra depth. I'm sure many will say this is not one of AK's best films. While this may be true, this film is still a masterpiece. It's a must for fans, and worth the money for those that haven't seen this movie. This is a Criterion title, which means the extras actually enrich the overall experience and contribute to your knowledge of the movie makers. Grades: Picture and Sound: 9.5/10 Extras: 9/10 Movie: 8.5/10 - DW 1-23-17

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One of the best movies ever made.

OK... to be fair, you may feel you are being maybe not so subtly lectured to. There is a thread or two common to the dreams that I think maybe a bit worn by the end, just my opinion and it's worth what you paid for it.. The dream of the peach orchard - you will never see anything like it even in his other movies - I feel it one of cinematography's greatest hits. Watching blu ray upscaled to 4k, just mind boggling. The lieutenant and the cave - dark and somber and truly eerie. Completely unlike all the other movies of his I own (and that is not all of them). There is a sort of magic to the Van Gogh dream... If you don't have Ran, 7 Samurai, Hidden Fortress... others... get those first. But do get this at some point just to shed some light on the person that made all the others.