Dreams

Plot

A collection of tales based upon the actual dreams of director Akira Kurosawa.

Release Year: 1990

Rating: 7.6/10 (10,415 voted)

Director:
Akira Kurosawa

Stars: Akira Terao, Mitsuko Baishô, Toshie Negishi

Storyline
This is essentially eight separate short films, though with some overlaps in terms of characters and thematic material – chiefly that of man's relationship with his environment. 'Sunshine Through The Rain': a young boy is told not to go out on the day when both weather conditions occur, because that's when the foxes hold their wedding procession, which could have fatal consequences for those who witness it. 'The Peach Orchard': the same young boy encounters the spirits of the peach trees that have been cut down by heartless humans. 'The Blizzard': a team of mountaineers are saved from a blizzard by spiritual intervention. 'The Tunnel': a man encounters the ghosts of an army platoon, whose deaths he was responsible for. 'Crows': an art student encounters 'Vincent Van Gogh' and enters the world of his paintings. 'Mount Fuji in Red': nuclear meltdown threatens the devastation of Japan…

Cast:

Akira Terao
–

I

Mitsuko Baishô
–

Mother of 'I'

Toshie Negishi
–

Mother carrying child

Mieko Harada
–

The Snow Fairy

Mitsunori Isaki
–

'I' as a boy

Toshihiko Nakano
–

'I' as a young child

Yoshitaka Zushi
–

Pvt. Noguchi

Hisashi Igawa
–

Nuclear Plant Worker

Chôsuke Ikariya
–

The crying demon

Chishû Ryû
–

Old Man

Martin Scorsese
–

Vincent Van Gogh

Masayuki Yui
–

Member of climbing team

Tessho Yamashita
–

Misato Tate
–

Catherine Cadou
–

Taglines:
The past, present, and future. The thoughts and images of one man… for all men. One man's dreams… for every dreamer.

Release Date: 24 August 1990

Filming Locations: Gotemba, Shizuoka, Japan

Box Office Details

Budget: $12,000,000

(estimated)

Gross: $1,963,207
(USA)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Quotes:

[first lines]

Mother of 'I':
You're staying home. The sun is shining but it's raining.

User Review

A way of life

Rating: 10/10

I am not inclined to post my opinion on web pages. In fact, this is the
first time that I feel compelled to let my words be heard on the web.
However, having read from other users that "Yume" is "a waste of time" and
"too personal" to be enjoyed, I was so disappointed that I felt the right
time to speak up had come.

I am the first one to agree that this is not a film for everyone. It is
actually far from that. Alas, in this world where the vastest majority of
people feel that the necessary and sufficient condition for a film to be
good is to have as much special effects as possible, "Yume" sadly faces no
other fate than to be overlooked by almost everybody.

It is those few people that might consider watching this film that have
the
opportunity to appreciate its full greatness. There are still many hurdles
on the way, though. For many Western people, including myself, the fact
that
"Yume" orbits around Japanese legends is a big obstacle to overcome, as we
are not well acquainted with their meaning. I am convinced that Kurosawa's
"Dreams" conceal much of their true objective to us who are not familiar
enough with the Japanese culture.

But my advice is: forget these problems. There are thousands of other
details to enjoy. From just a cinematographic point of view, Kurosawa's
mastery of colour is unrivaled, and a sound reason to watch this film, yet
not the only one by far. The true value of "Yume", in my opinion, is the
use
of the parabolas presented disguised as dreams to teach us a way of life.
The absurdity of war. The beauty of nature. The need to preserve our
environment. In summary: a praise to life.
And yet, Kurosawa being old himself when he filmed his "Dreams", looks at
death and presents it as the last station of a wonderful journey. Carpe
diem, yes, but not to the point of being scared. Life will follow its
course
as does the river at the end of the movie, with or without us being here
to
enjoy it. Just be thankful for the small things in life; they are the most
important. Enjoy them while you can and you will leave this existence in
peace with yourself.

"Yume" is one of these small, humble things, so humble that it can be
overlooked by many. It would be a waste. Don't let this happen to you. You
would miss a true masterpiece. You would miss Kurosawa's way of
life.