The Masters of Cinema

Re-looked at Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 classic High and Low, with my old teacher, specifically with reference to an adaptation of the story that I’m trying to do (more on that separately).

The point of interest, and the point to learn was how the masters did things with elegance and simplicity. When I’m writing the same story (OK I did lose focus somewhere down the line), I’m worrying more about the logic of the story than the story itself! Looking at the masters again helps to focus you back to the story, to the human beings and their emotions as they unfold. Because eventually that is all that matters in a story. As the script writing teachers put it ‘Character=Plot’.

As Kurosawa’s film is now fifty years old, it should look a bit dated with this or that detail, especially as its not a ‘period’ film but a contemporary film from its day. But really speaking, nothing dates in the story, even if you were to remake it today as a period film set in 1963, you’ll do the same.

Then I guess that’s what makes it ‘classic’ and timeless.

My teacher remembered the details of character- his getting in touch with the elements, the wind from the window and water on his face. I remembered the character’s arrogance and bullish confidence in the beginning and gradual humanisation. That transformation of the main character is the story and the plot of Kurosawa’s story.

Looking at Kurosawa’s film, I realised that was the missing link in my story, its more or less where I was stumbling in the story.

That’s the tough part of re-telling classic stories- they force you into plumbing depths of storytelling and filmmaking that you  never knew existed inside you! OK, its tough work reaching there, but you can try.

I had always imagined that even if one were to make mistakes re-telling a classic story, you’d get somewhere- as the depth of humanism in these stories is immense. But when you start thinking in terms of actually re-telling the stories doing justice to them, the possibility exists that you can come damn near to them. Is that scary or exciting?