"DREAMS"(Yume) is a special film to me. When I saw this film for the first time, it seemed to me rather strange. When I saw it for the second time, I was fascinated by its fantasies and beauty. And when I saw it for the third time, I was choked with tears.
I know "DREAMS" is apt to be misunderstood mainly because Kurosawa has concentrated his efforts in faithfully reproducing his treasured dreams, not in creating a story from the dreams. The film consists of eight vignettes. Some of the vignettes contain elements* of Japanese folktales or myths. But because they appear in the vignettes without explanation, the viewer may be puzzled at first. This shows that "DREAMS" is a reproduction of dreams, unlike ordinary feature films. Kurosawa seemingly makes no attempt to tell a story or to narrate a message, rather, his purpose is to reproduce his dreams. Because Kurosawa has given priority to telling his own dreams, any apparent message we find in "DREAMS" should be considered as something projected onto his dreams as a reflection of his experiences, rather than as a direct message.
Paradoxical as it may sound, faithfully reproducing dreams can allow us to come closer to TRUTH than more orthodox approaches. I suppose Kurosawa made "DREAMS" with such an intent. And what he has succeeded in producing through this approach seems to be depiction of fear arising from violating the forbidden, guilt, admiration of beauty, and the union of death and happiness.
Because Kurosawa has taken such an approach, those who expect an immediate message from this film may at first be disappointed. To such people I would say, "Forget messages. Instead, enjoy the vicarious excitement and wonder of Kurosawa's dreams." I myself have been fascinated by "DREAMS" without seeking messages.
For instance, I was greatly moved at the very end of "DREAMS" - the last scene of "Village of the Watermills." What moved me was not simply what the centenarian said, but that everything was integrated - the old man's personality, his existence and the existence of the village as embodiments of an ideal life, the idea of a happy funeral, the idyllic air of the village, the beautiful flow of the river, the movement of the water mills, the sound of the water, the sweet music evocative of personal memories.... Also the image of the flowing river reminded me of a thirteenth-century Japanese writer's words, which Kurosawa must also have had in mind when he filmed the scene: "The flow of the river is ceaseless and its water is never the same. The bubbles that float in the pools, now vanishing, now forming, are not of long duration: so in the world are man and his dwellings."(From Chomei Kamo-no's "Hojoki," translated by Donald Keene) The integration of all these elements overpowered me.
"DREAMS" is a music-like film. It looks much like a suite consisting of eight contrasting movements rather than a movie. Sensuous elements are given equal place to narration or logic. The film expresses truth projected through Kurosawa's experiences with visuals and sounds which ravish the eyes and ears.
"DREAMS" is not an "active" film. Each vignette opens with the same subhead in Japanese, "I saw a dream like this." It sounds as if Kurosawa were speaking to us, "Hi, dears. I had a fantastic dream. Do you want to hear about it?" How can we fault such an innocent proposal? Just as it is nonsense to criticize others' dreams, so too is it irrelevant to criticize "DREAMS." It may be true that "DREAMS" appeals primarily to those whose feelings or thoughts resonate with Kurosawa's. But so what? We can still enjoy his fantasies each in our own way unless we persist in common beliefs about the way movies should be.
Well, then. Let's "listen to" the suite, not being argumentative, but just relaxing and clearing our minds, with some drinks if we like.
[*note] The following are the elements in "DREAMS" seemingly derived from Japanese folktales or myths. Foxes in "SUNSHINE THROUGH THE RAIN": Foxes have spiritual powers and are capable of bewitching people by turning themselves into humans. Dolls in "THE PEACH ORCHARD": March 3 is the day of Peach Festival for girls, on which girls display a set of "hina" dolls on a tiered stand at home. The dolls are believed to save a girl when she meets a crisis by sacrificing themselves. A woman in "THE BLIZZARD...": A pale, cold, female apparition in white, called "the woman of the snow," appears on snowy nights, and often takes a man's life. A demon in "THE WEEPING DEMON": A horned demon called "oni" has an ambivalent nature; he has a benevolent face as well as a demonic one. Mount Fuji in "MOUNT FUJI IN RED": This dormant volcano has been the object of religious worship as a place where spirits and a god live.
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