Biographie

Frequently uses the "wipe effect" to fade from one scene to another.

Painterly compositions.

Likes to do Shakespearan plays in Feudal Japanese settings.

Use of weather to heighten mood, most obviously rain.

Female characters that are usually either sweet but weak and submissive or are deceitful, evil and conniving. Exceptions include Princess Yuki from 'The Hidden Fortress', who is willful and good-hearted, and Mutsuta's wife from 'Sanjuro', who is gentle and kind but sharp and intelligent.

According to his family, he rarely thought about anything other than films. Even when at home, he would sit around silently, apparently composing shots in his head.

Although the Japanese press tried to paint him as a tyrant, almost all of his casts and crews agreed he was a much more cool and detached presence on sets. Many also described him as "intense".

His films are frequently copied and remade by American and European filmmakers.

He was voted the 6th greatest director of all time by Entertainment Weekly, making him one among only two Asians along with Satyajit Ray (who is ranked in 25th position) on a list of 50 directors and the highest ranking non-American.

At around 6' feet, he was extremely tall by Japanese standards, having stood a head taller than any of his colleagues.

For me, film-making combines everything. That's the reason I've made cinema my life's work. In films painting and literature, theatre and music come together. But a film is still a film.

Human beings share the same common problems. A film can only be understood if it depicts these properly.

The characters in my films try to live honestly and make the most of the lives they've been given. I believe you must live honestly and develop your abilities to the full. People who do this are the real heroes.

With a good script, a good director can produce a masterpiece. With the same script, a mediocre director can produce a passable film. But with a bad script even a good director can't possibly make a good film. For truly cinematic expression, the camera and the microphone must be able to cross both fire and water. The script must be something that has the power to do this.

In all my films, there's three or maybe four minutes of real cinema.