User Reviews

After the box office failure of Dodes'ka-Den, Kurosawa was extremely depressed and attempted to commit suicide. After his recovery, he got over his depressive state and directed the Japanese/Russian co-production, Dersu Uzala.

Set in the forests of Siberia in the 19th century, Dersu Uzala is one of the most important films about friendship ever made. It tells the story of Captain Vladimir Arseniev (Yuri Solomine) as he leads an expedition through the woods. While his group is camping one night, a small mountain man named Dersu Uzala (Maxim Munzuk) comes across the men and agrees to act as their guide. The friendship between Dersu and Vladimir grows over the years and Vladimir urges Dersu to return to the city with him but the latter always refuses. Finally Dersu agrees to go, but finds that it is a very difficult adjustment to make.

This was the first Kurosawa film that I ever saw and it amazed me in so many ways. The beautiful landscapes, the well-developed characters, and most importantly, the great friendship between Dersu and Vladimir make this one of my favorite films.

Dersu Uzala is not just the quintessence of pristine cinema or a landmark in art cinema, but is also a living proof that brilliance can be achieved with absolute simplicity. Storytelling is undoubtedly one of the most potent tools known to man: from the Illiad and Odyssey of Homer to the tales of Jataka, to the 1001 nights of Arabia, to the tales of Panchatantra, to the plays of Shakespeare, man has always found ways to amuse himself by spinning the yarn of his imagination. These tales, though picturesque, fantastic and resplendent, mostly overlooked the potency of austerity vis-à-vis grandeur as an element of revelation powerful enough to transcend the effects of all other affects know to man. Only a handful of storytellers like Akira Kurosawa and Satyajit Ray have shown the grit and perspicacity to use simplicity as the weapon to incite and hence portray the deepest of the human emotions on the celluloid. Kurosawa demonstrated the might of simplicity as an element that can pack a punch for the first time in Ikiru and followed it up with an unending list of pristine cinematic masterpieces including Seven Samurai. But, even Kurosawa's greatest critic would not find it hard to concede that cinema does not get any purer than Dersu Uzala.

Dersu Uzala is a poignant tale of human bonding of trust, friendship and adoration between two contrasting individuals: a nomadic hunter and an army explorer. Captain Arseniev and his troops are on a topographic expedition and while camping during a night, they come across Dersu, who happens to be an aboriginal (Goldi) tribesman. Being fully aware of the handicap of being in a remote and tricky territory and of the indispensability of having an indigene in the ranks, Arseniev asks Dersu to be their guide. Dersu being humbled by Arseniev's courtesy obliges his offer almost immediately. We soon witness a great sense of camaraderie developing between the two of them as Dersu rises in status from being a comrade to a stalwart and a friend in the eyes of the captain. The long years of experience had equipped Dersu with a great sense of intuition and psychic-like abilities to anticipate change and danger. Dersu uses his skills to good effect as he maneuvers captain and his troops through the harsh Siberian terrain, sheltering and guarding them from the cruelties and wilderness of the Tundra. Behind the façade of a rugged hunter, we see a man of profound intellect and deep compassion in Dersu which is most conspicuous in his respect for the old Chinese and his selflessness in rescuing Captain Arseniev and one of his men. After the expedition is over, Arseniev embraces Dersu and bids him farewell as Dersu returns to the wilderness. Few years later, when Arseniev returns to Siberia on another expedition, he once again encounters Dersu, who again proves to be handy, only this time round he appears to be aging really fast as time, which can be a great healer as well as a great leveler, had begun to take a toll on the Goldi. His eyesight deteriorates under the superstitious effect of a self-imposed curse after having killed a Siberian tiger, which the Goldis worship, in an act of self-defence. Arseniev, in his pitied adoration for Dersu, takes him to the city to live with his family. Arseniev's son gets greatly attached to Dersu and his story-telling abilities, but Dersu finds it difficult to adapt to the relatively restricted and significantly tamed urban life and soon realizes that his life has been reduced to that of a captive. He implores the captain to let him return to the wilderness of the woods. With great reluctance, Arseniev grants him the permission to leave, but not before presenting his savior with a brand new rifle as a parting gift and a souvenir. Few months later, Arseniev receives a letter informing him that a dead body of a Goldi has been found with no identification on it barring Arseniev's visiting card. As Arseniev pays a visit to the place of burial, he identifies the dead Goldi to be none other than Dersu Uzala. The investigating officer speculates the Goldi's brand new rifle might have lured someone into killing him.

Dersu Uzala is not just a movie, but is an experience of a lifetime. Dersu Uzala is the only movie that Akira Kurosawa shot in a language other than Japanese and he proved it once and for all that cinema at its most pristine, knows no bounds or barriers. Kurosawa uses his auteurist mastery to bring the memoirs of Russian explorer, Vladimir Arsenyev to life as he inexplicably metamorphoses cinema to new levels of poignancy and pristineness. The cinematography is breathtakingly picturesque and it evokes a sense of melancholy that makes the majestic Siberian wilderness appear hypnotic and at times, surreal. The panoramic shot of Dersu and Arseniev looking at the horizon caparisoned with the juxtaposition of the setting sun and the rising moon is also indicative of their respective lives: Dersu is long past his prime and there is no hope for revival, but Arsieniev's is still in his prime and has a promising career ahead. Dersu Uzala is strongly suggestive of the sole consistency in human life: change. It also demonstrates the might of nature as an unforgiving force, strong enough to humble even the most savage of the creatures. Dersu Uzala can also be termed as an allegorical account of the environmental imbalance that unrestrained human intervention is causing.

Dersu Uzala, besides being one of Kurosawa's greatest masterpieces is one of those rare cinematic gems which can be relished again and again, each time with a completely different perspective. It's a must watch for everyone who loves and understands cinema. 10/10

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Another Kurosawa film about the friendship between two men, with a crucial difference - this is a Russian film with a mostly Russian cast, the only movie that Kurosawa made outside of his home country. It's glacially paced but beautifully shot, the red-tinted landscapes a character all of their own, and the performances are subdued and naturalistic. Not one for those looking for pomp, energy and splendour, but if you're in the right languid mood, it does the trick.

i have watched thousands of films and some are truly magnificent. this is the best film i have ever seen. i would have said that back in 1975 if IMDb had been around then. and no, i wasn't around during Tesla's time. this is a story of a man who didn't care if his good deeds were ever known, a man one with our mother earth. he was a simple, gifted, altruistic, spiritual man with grace and magnificence, and a human being that we can all aspire to be. this is an unforgettable film that all film buffs can try to see. the cinematography, art direction, acting, theme, score, screen play and direction are superlative and beyond description. Dersu is a man that any creator can be proud of. if we are space dust, then he is the shining star. thank you Mr Kurosawa. you are missed.

The difference between New World and, let's say, Cannon, is that New World has more movies that are in the Criterion Collection or considered high art, because Roger Corman distributed a lot of films from high end directors while staying hands-off on the final product.

Directed and co-written by Akira Kurosawa, this was both his only non-Japanese-language film and his only 70mm film. Based on the 1923 memoir of the same name by Russian explorer Vladimir Arsenyev, Dersu Uzala won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and was a big hit in the USSR, Europe and even the U. S.

This is a story told by Captain Arsenyev (Yury Solomin), who years ago hired a named Dersu Uzala (Maxim Munzuk) and was amazed by the way the man may have been uneducated, yet could deduce nearly anything and knew instinctively how to survive in the harsh world of winter that he lived in. Yet he was also capable of great kindness, as at one point he builds a hut and stocks it not for himself but for those who will come after him.

In 1971, Kurosawa attempted suicide, questioning his creative ability after the commercial failure of Dodes'ka-den and his inability to get another film funded. He had to have seen himself in Uzala, a man growing older whose once incredible powers are reduced to having to live in normal society and afraid when he can no longer see enough to hunt for himself.

He had wanted to make this movie since the 50s, but couldn't figure out how to make it in Japan. Imagine his surprise when a member of the Russian embassy reached out. He asked him to make a Russian film for Russians. They needed him as their country lacked the talent to make a quality film. It was as if two different dreams could come true and reason to remain alive. The Russians were shocked when he asked if he could film Vladimir Arsenev's book, because at that time it was little known outside their country.