‘Sanshiro Sugata’ an eye-opening, strong start to Akira Kurosawa’s long career
Akira Kurosawa is synonymous with Japanese cinema. Virtually any conversation, published article or book surveying the breath of film from the land of the rising sun simply must make at least passing reference to the great master. The sheer volume of his oeuvre, to say nothing of its variety and quality, is staggering. For all the existing critical appraisals of Rashomon, Yojimbo, Seven Samurai and High and Low (but to name a smidgeon of his cherished works),