Rating: 
Summary: The day the bomb fell life was never the same again...
Review: An elderly woman (Kane) played by Sachiko Murase lives in Nagasaki Japan. One memorable summer she takes care of her four grandchildren who inadvertently awaken in her the memory of the day that the atomic bomb fell in 1945, and how it deprived her of her husband. With the arrival of her American-Asian nephew from the US, played surprisingly well by Richard Gere who manages to speak Japanese without fluffing it too much, Kane is forced to re-evaluate how the dropping of the bomb has shaped her life and beliefs. Haunted by the fact that she could not save her husband, and reliving the memories of that terrible day Kane strives to protect her family, and this culminates in her fleeing her house in a storm, clutching an umbrella as if this will protect her against the wrath of nature. The scenery is breath taking, the acting brilliant and with a haunting sound track, this slow moving Japanese with English subtitles will make you look at the dropping of the atomic bomb with new and horrified eyes. An intelligent and thought provoking film for those people who like a movie with class and brains.
Rating:
Summary: The day the bomb fell life was never the same again...
Review: An elderly woman (Kane) played by Sachiko Murase lives in Nagasaki Japan. One memorable summer she takes care of her four grandchildren who inadvertently awaken in her the memory of the day that the atomic bomb fell in 1945, and how it deprived her of her husband. With the arrival of her American-Asian nephew from the US, played surprisingly well by Richard Gere who manages to speak Japanese without fluffing it too much, Kane is forced to re-evaluate how the dropping of the bomb has shaped her life and beliefs. Haunted by the fact that she could not save her husband, and reliving the memories of that terrible day Kane strives to protect her family, and this culminates in her fleeing her house in a storm, clutching an umbrella as if this will protect her against the wrath of nature. The scenery is breath taking, the acting brilliant and with a haunting sound track, this slow moving Japanese with English subtitles will make you look at the dropping of the atomic bomb with new and horrified eyes. An intelligent and thought provoking film for those people who like a movie with class and brains.
Rating: 
Summary: Does anybody know about the music?
Review: Four grandchildren are to spend the summer with their grandmother in Nagasaki as their parents are spending the summer vacationing in Hawaii. In Hawaii the parents are to meet their grandma's older brother, but she does not remember this brother as she had 11 or more siblings while growing up. In a letter the grandmother is invited to Hawaii, which excites the kids as they want to go to Hawaii. However, the grandmother is hesitant to leave, since the remembrance of her dead husband is coming up on August 9th. The kids learn through their stay in Nagasaki how their grandfather died from the atomic bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9th, 1945. This knowledge brings the kids closer to their grandmother as she begin to share her stories about her brothers, which offers the children some excitement. Rhapsody in August is a melancholic cinematic experience as Kurosawa tells the tragedy of a family that is divided between those who remember the war and those who have only heard of it. In addition, Kurosawa demonstrates his message with subtle clarity that the agony of the war is being forgotten as family values change toward wealth and prestige where love and care for one another takes a backseat. In the end, Rhapsody in August is a tragic film that is well balanced as it displays hope through love and affection, which offers a terrific cinematic experience.
Rating:
Summary: A Summer in Nagasaki...
Review: Four grandchildren are to spend the summer with their grandmother in Nagasaki as their parents are spending the summer vacationing in Hawaii. In Hawaii the parents are to meet their grandma's older brother, but she does not remember this brother as she had 11 or more siblings while growing up. In a letter the grandmother is invited to Hawaii, which excites the kids as they want to go to Hawaii. However, the grandmother is hesitant to leave, since the remembrance of her dead husband is coming up on August 9th. The kids learn through their stay in Nagasaki how their grandfather died from the atomic bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9th, 1945. This knowledge brings the kids closer to their grandmother as she begin to share her stories about her brothers, which offers the children some excitement. Rhapsody in August is a melancholic cinematic experience as Kurosawa tells the tragedy of a family that is divided between those who remember the war and those who have only heard of it. In addition, Kurosawa demonstrates his message with subtle clarity that the agony of the war is being forgotten as family values change toward wealth and prestige where love and care for one another takes a backseat. In the end, Rhapsody in August is a tragic film that is well balanced as it displays hope through love and affection, which offers a terrific cinematic experience.
Rating:
Summary: Autumn Radiance
Review: I saw this film on the big screen and, as usual of most Akira Kurosawa's films, it left a lasting impression. Made in Kurosawa's twilight years, the film is aptly mellow and contemplative, reflecting as it is on one of the horrors of humankind - the Second World War culminating in the release of the atomic bomb. When this film was first released in US, it generated some controversy when US critics questioned Kurosawa's motivation in two comments in the film relating to the bombing. The critics should not have been concerned, the film's theme indeed is one of reconciliation and bridge-building, laying no blame on the US but the evils of war. The film is skilful in the way it draws the viewer into the children's discovery and realisation of the horror of the bombing as experienced by their grandmother. The viewer could feel the same anticipation and mystery as the children in their attempt to fathom the old lady. The film is also delightful in its quiet satire on the middle generation. Indeed, Rhapsody is a very good film that is every bit an enjoyment of Kurosawa's mastery of story-telling. It has a pace and richness that flow with the excitement of a child's adventure of discovery. And I must say the film contains one of the most indelible images of the film medium when the viewer finally sees what the grandmother and her brother saw on that fateful day in August. Rhapsody is indeed a fitting completion to the huge and beautiful spectrum of great films from this great, great director.
Rating:
Summary: Autumn Radiance
Review: I saw this film on the big screen and, as usual of most Akira Kurosawa's films, it left a lasting impression. Made in Kurosawa's twilight years, the film is aptly mellow and contemplative, reflecting as it is on one of the horrors of humankind - the Second World War culminating in the release of the atomic bomb. When this film was first released in US, it generated some controversy when US critics questioned Kurosawa's motivation in two comments in the film relating to the bombing. The critics should not have been concerned, the film's theme indeed is one of reconciliation and bridge-building, laying no blame on the US but the evils of war. The film is skilful in the way it draws the viewer into the children's discovery and realisation of the horror of the bombing as experienced by their grandmother. The viewer could feel the same anticipation and mystery as the children in their attempt to fathom the old lady. The film is also delightful in its quiet satire on the middle generation. Indeed, Rhapsody is a very good film that is every bit an enjoyment of Kurosawa's mastery of story-telling. It has a pace and richness that flow with the excitement of a child's adventure of discovery. And I must say the film contains one of the most indelible images of the film medium when the viewer finally sees what the grandmother and her brother saw on that fateful day in August. Rhapsody is indeed a fitting completion to the huge and beautiful spectrum of great films from this great, great director.
Rating:
Summary: Grandma
Review: I've always associated Akira Kurosawa with battle, Samurai battle. Yet, I find this Kurosawa film to be the strongest anti-war film I've seen (_Thin Red Line_ runs second). Grandma stirs my repulsion for war and capitalism. Sachiko Murase, who plays Grandma, delivers one of the most powerful performances I've ever seen: dripping with 100% authenticity. Grandma frequently caused me to shed tears and I give her my Oscar for best actress. Grandma lives simply. Yet her simplicity has been corroded, possessed by the ghosts of war, specifically the bombing of Nagasaki. She suffers loss, flashbacks, and mutation. She takes solace in Buddhism and non-violence, but "the eyes of the flash" always watch her. The "eyes of the flash" make it difficult for Grandma to live in the present moment. Grandma, like a brave samurai, battles her own children to preserve her family's history and heritage. She utilizes not sword, bullet, or bomb, rather she leads by example and teaches via oral histories. Her children bow to the altar of American capitalism and the grandchildren idolitize American culture (daily clothing themselves in American t-shirts: M.I.T., New York Mets, USC Trojans, SMU, Brooklyn). Grandma assures that we viewers also not forget the horrors of the bombing of Nagasaki or the beauty of rural Japan. Grandma displays shinigurai, before the eyes of family and filmviewers. Grandma has awareness of only "the eyes of the flash". Shinigurai means "being crazy to die", and Grandma leaps into the jaws of death, with no hesitation, as she battles the fierce eyes in the sky.
Rating:
Summary: Does anybody know about the music?
Review: In this movie there is one scene (if I^m not mistaken it is the visit to the place where they commemorate the victims of bombing) where you have either a requiem or a Stabat Mater.
Does anyone know about the composer?? Thank you.
Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece
Review: Nothing minor about this film. Slow and talky in Hollywood-speak, this is a leisurely, intelligent exploration of the impact of war on one family fifty years later. And that leisurely pace leads up to one of the most stunning and unforgettable conclusions in the history of film.
Rating: 
Summary: A reconciliation story that never lives up to its ambition
Review: RHAPSODY IN AUGUST is an Akira Kurosawa film approached from three different angles, all couched around the anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. The film's central character, Kane, is visited by her grandchildren in Nagasaki; Kane's husband was killed by the bomb. The generational gap between her and the children is achingly apparent. The bombing will forever be a part of her psyche, but the kids are initially unaffected by the history. They're thoroughly modern down to their clothes with American logos. In effect, the film's theme is about keeping the memory and indeed, the warning of Nagasaki alive. Later on, we hear of a rich Japanese-American son-in-law from Hawaii, played by Richard Gere (speaking in Japanese!), whose purpose inadvertently points out that American and Japanese perceptions of the atomic bombings may never be reconciled. By using Gere's character as somehow an apologist for the Nagasaki anniversary, I think Kurosawa makes a mistake by seeking simple answers for the bombing and the war, when there are none. The story threads have enormous potential, but never reach a real emotional impact. The film feels restless, and never achieves the kind of sensitivity and patience it really requires to let the theme resonate. One of the dichotomies of the film is that the theme is largely approached from the children's perspective, which makes a lot of sense, although it never allows us close enough to their grandmother's story to carry enough weight. I was also disappointed by the fact that Kane, who begins the story with a great deal of dignity, becomes increasingly delusional over the course of the film and comes to resemble a Kurosawa character from a decade earlier. The film ends with that unfortunate image of her, and it undermines the very message of the film itself. There are two signature Kurosawa moments which make the film worth seeing by themselves. One is a symbolic shot as Gere's attention diverts to watch a trail of ants climbing a lovely rose. The second shot is of the children as they look in a window at their grandmother and her friend as they sit completely silent, highlighting the distance between the generations. I will not attempt to justify this film as greater than it is just because of the master's cinematic history. This is far from a five-star film, and it easily ranks in the lower third of Kurosawa's portfolio. It is an interesting movie, with a few memorable scenes, but no one should mistake this for any of his classics. Two-and-a-half stars.
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