By APA Staff

On the occasion of Tokyo Sonata's win at the Asian Film Awards, APA recounts the top ten Kiyoshi Kurosawa film scenes.

Kiyoshi Kurosawa has created some of the defining scenes of Japanese cinema of the past 10 years. Some are funny, others touching. Most border on the horrific. APA recounts 10 of the most memorable Kurosawa moments, in chronological order.

Cure (1997)

Efficient visual storytelling at its finest: a cold psychiatrist office, a pipe, a killing. When the cop and the opening credits arrive, you almost want to laugh at how good it is.

Serpent's Path (1998)

Kurosawa's scenes from a kidnapping are surreal, comical, and deadly critical of the allure of vengeance.

Charisma (1999)

Koji Yakusho's disenchanted cop fells the "special" tree with one gunshot, but his monologue which follows, one of the greatest in all of Kurosawa's films, portends that while he probably has saved the forest, he might have doomed mankind.

Barren Illusions (1999)

We can't find stills or video from this early Kurosawa, but rest assured Kurosawa does wonders with balloons.

Seance (2000)

Every shot in this diner scene is perfectly placed: a reverse angle here, a tracking shot there, a girl in red floating up behind you.

Pulse (2001)

Don't take down that red tape. Please.

Bright Future (2003)

The Black Horn + Che Guevara + bored teenagers = the future, brightly.

Doppelganger (2003)

Kurosawa's split-screens in Doppelganger refract the character double into its wicked absurdity.

Retribution (2006)

Stillness, reflection, a woman dropping from the sky.

Tokyo Sonata (2008)

The closing moments of Tokyo Sonata bring the film's roller coaster highs and lows to a sentimental drone that can only mean one thing: redemption.

Compiled by Bryan Harzheim, Brian Hu, and Rowena Aquino

Published: Friday, April 3, 2009