The Best Films I Watched in 2023

I got into a bit of a routine in 2023 where I would watch a film most nights before bed. I didn't read as much as I normally do but I hit a real stride with movies and ended up watching 180 films. Here are the 25 best ones I watched.

Can You Ever Forgive Me directed by Marielle Heller (2018)
I love seeing actors play against type, or do work that accentuates their talents in such a way as to surprise the viewer. This describes both Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant in this film, which is based on a really interesting true story about a writing hoax. Both actors are known for quirky or humorous roles and, whilst they bring this to these characters, they also add a certain dramatic weight to an unlikely partnership. Grant in particular has been an undervalued character actor for decades, so it's wonderful to see him given such a perfect part here - he went viral in early 2019 for his excited reaction video to getting nominated for an Oscar for this film. 

Decision to Leave directed by Park Chan-wook (2022). 
A Korean psychological thriller with compelling characters and heart-stopping twists. The meticulous narrative pulls you in and doesn't let go, not even after the film is done. An outstanding, beautiful crime-romance from the director of Old Boy.  

Diary of a Country Priest directed by Robert Bresson (1951). 

A young priest is assigned to a hostile village and finds himself caught between his beliefs and the nature of the job. Bresson's films don't usually gel with me but this one resonated as a haunting and thoughtful character study with a powerful ending. 

Lady Bird directed by Greta Gerwig (2017)
Gerwig's directorial debut is a coming-of-age tale buoyed by a powerful lead performance from Saoirse Ronan and a strong, witty script. Acid-sharp and a great addition to the bildungsroman genre.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem directed by Jeff Rowe (2023)
I grew up loving TMNT and I think this new animated feature has done a brilliant job of capturing and reimagining the more anarchic qualities of the original comics. As many critics have noted, the turtles actually seem like real teenagers in this - and the rapport of the young actors successfully translates from their voicework to the film's distinctive animation style. Very entertaining and lots of fun. 

An Actor's Revenge directed by Kon Ichikawa (1963)

I'm a sucker for older Japanese cinema and stories of revenge. As a 1960s film focused on a sympathetic transgender hero in Edo period Japan, Ichikawa's film is such an unusual outlier that it demands to be seen. The unusual style memorably blends minimalist Kabuki theatre aesthetics with the more realistic staging of a film. A really interesting film that isn't like anything else in terms of its look or content. 

The Square directed by Ruben Ostlund (2017)

A razor-sharp satire of the modern art world. Subtle and clever, The Square has a dangerous edge to it and takes no prisoners. Between this and his more recent film, Triangle of Sadness, Ostlund is a filmmaker that I'm keen to see more of. 

Killers of the Flower Moon directed by Martin Scorsese (2023)
What a film. It's heartening to see that Scorsese, now 81 years old, still has such sharp and complex things to say through his chosen art form. Killers of the Flower Moon shines a light on a shameful facet of American history and features a compelling scene-stealing performance from Lily Gladstone.  

The Enigma of Kasper Hauser directed by Werner Herzog (1974)

The Enigma of Kasper Hauser was inspired by the real life mystery of a person who appeared in a 19th century German village and claimed to have grown up in isolation. Herzog's early film remains an intense and equally mysterious piece of cinema. At its centre is a bizarrely magnetic, hilarious, and downright unsettling performance by non-actor Bruno S., who breathes memorable life into the confused creature of the film's title.

Biutiful directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (2010)

Javier Bardem truly is one of the greatest living actors in the world - in Biutiful he gives an effortlessly moving and understatedly humane performance as a flawed man struggling to survive and do the right thing. A film of feelings and senses, Inarritu beautifully photographs and brings to life Barcelona's underside. 

Where is the Friends Home? directed by Abbas Kiarostami (1987)

An eight-year-old boy undertakes a journey to a nearby village so that he can save a classmate from punishment. At heart it's quite simple and straightforward but the appeal of this film remains difficult to explain in words. I've read others describe it as 'poetic and gentle' and I think that's rather apt.

Barbie directed by Greta Gerwig (2023)

There's not much to say about Barbie that hasn't been said elsewhere. Barbie was a zeitgeist-defining moment for 2023 and, as far as I'm concerned, it was the film of the year. It did new things, had great and hilarious performances, and managed to be hugely popular and astoundingly weird for a mainstream film. 

Dogtooth directed by Yorgos Lanthimos (2009)

Dogtooth... where do I begin? This film carefully constructs a world of mesmerising family dynamics and strange rituals; it's left a lot of people scratching their heads but it's also very difficult to look away from. Lanthimos is now more famous for films like The Favourite, Lobster, and the recently released Poor Things. This Greek film, Dogtooth, was his breakthrough moment and it has the same frightening absurdism that has since made Lanthimos such a creative and unique voice in cinema. 

The Exterminating Angel directed by Luis Bunuel (1966)

A dinner party turns into a nightmare when the guests realise that they inexplicably can't leave the room. I'd seen a few early Bunuel films several years ago but The Exterminating Angel was something else - dark, twistedly funny, and thoughtfully subversive. I think what I enjoyed most about this film is the way that it starts quite normally and then very gradually becomes more and more insane. 

Past Lives directed by Celine Song (2023)

A modern fairy tale of unrequited love that deserves to sit on the shelf alongside other romance classics like Brief Encounter and In the Mood for Love. This film slyly suggests that our increased connectivity (created by social media) is having a profound impact on humanity in ways that we might not have considered. For example, the 'ones that got away' in our past are now forever within reach thanks to the internet. Past Lives ponders the question of whether that's a good thing or not. Greta Lee is wonderful in the lead role and deserves an Oscar nomination. 

Bottoms directed by Emma Seligman (2023)

Teen comedies are such well-trodden territory now that you'd be forgiven for thinking it's all been done. Bottoms successfully challenges this with a fresh new perspective from the creative team of director-writer Emma Seligman and actress-writer Rachel Sennott. Hilarious, subversive, and darkly-absurd. 

L'Avventura directed by Michael Antonioni (1960)

A woman goes missing on a day trip to a barren Mediterranean island and her partner falls in love with her friend while they search. Beautifully shot, tragically enigmatic, and bold in its rejection of traditional narratives. Like a lot of the films on this list, this one stayed with me for a long time after I watched it. If you've seen the second season of the TV series White Lotus, you'll recognise this as the inspiration for the creepy scene in which Aubrey Plaza realises all the men in the town are staring at her. 

Nope directed by Jordan Peele (2022)

I can't stop thinking about this film and everything it says. Nope combines themes related to filmmaking, exploitation, historical erasure, and the relationship between humans and animals. It also packs a few shocks and some unique imagery. Of Peele's three films so far (Get Out, Us, Nope) this is my favourite.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood directed by Marielle Heller (2019)

I wept like a baby from start to finish. Tom Hanks is absolutely beautiful as Mr Rogers. Such a powerful and genuine film that challenged the way I think about things.  

Babylon directed by Damien Chazelle (2022)

This film was majorly snubbed at the Oscars last year so I thought it must have been a swing-and-a-miss. I was very much mistaken; Babylon creates a rich tapestry of the final hedonistic days of the silent film era, with memorable performances from Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt, and yes, even Tobey Maguire. Chazelle stages some really big, complicated scenes in Babylon that get the viewer inside the scope and chaos of 1920s Hollywood. A brilliant piece of cinema about cinema - the more I reflect on it, the more great moments I remember.  

Incendies directed by Denis Villeneuve (2010)

Someone put up an image from Incendies on Twitter in response to a thread that talked about film twists. It thankfully didn't give away what the twist was but the high number of positive responses piqued my interest. Incendies plays like a cross between a quest and journalistic procedural, and packs a powerful punch in its traumatic investigation of a family's past.

Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley (2023)

I went into this with zero expectations. The last time they tried to make a cinema-released Dungeons and Dragons film it was awful; probably one of the worst films I've ever seen. Thanks to a hilarious ensemble cast with great chemistry, Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is actually an absolute hoot. 

Asteroid City directed by Wes Anderson (2023)

Possibly my favourite Anderson film. Asteroid City has been described as an 'elaborate cinematic diorama' and I've never heard a more apt metaphor... I'd love to watch this a few times so I can better appreciate each of its moving parts and the recursive interaction between the plotlines. Love him or hate him, Anderson's style is completely and utterly his own. There's something to be admired about that. Obviously, I love him. 

Booksmart directed by Olivia Wilde (2019)

Much like Bottoms, this teen comedy manages to breathe life into the genre by offering a different perspective of familiar material. The two leads, Feldstein and Dever, have a great chemistry and I think it's fair to say that the entire film lives on the strength of their rapport. I laughed a lot.

Silence directed by Martin Scorsese (2016)

This is a historical film about the challenges faced by Jesuit priests proselytizing in the religiously-hostile environment of feudal Japan. It's brutal and finely observed and Scorsese, as befitting his talent, presents a mature meditation on deeper themes of faith rather than just presenting an interesting historical period. I wasn't sure about this film at first but two scenes (the final one and the moment when Andrew Garfield meets Liam Neeson) really drove it home for me. 

Reflecting on 2023 - Books and Things

As I sit down to write this, I'm looking back on this blog and how long I've had it. Next year will be the 10th year of The Amber of the Moment but it really doesn't feel like it's been that long. When I started this blog I was continuing a neverending compulsion to write... I've been blogging online since 1999 with various different (now defunct) blogs, but this current blog is now the longest-running one I've ever had. Unbelievably, I've managed to keep it (mostly!) focused on just one or two things (predominantly, the teaching of English and History) with only a few digressions here and there.  

So here we are and 2023 is now coming to a close. I've just finished my first full year working as a Learning and Support Teacher, and it's honestly been one of my most rewarding years as an educator. I didn't get to read as much this year (just over 40 books I think) but I did watch a whole bunch of great films. I've kept my film list mostly to my Instagram and I might put together a top films list on here in a bit. Depends how much time I get over the Summer. 

Below are my 11 favourite books that I read this year, in no particular order. 

1. Cinema Speculation by Quentin Tarantino

With Tarantino's announcement that his next film will be his last, it's nice to know that he still plans to stay immersed in the world of the cinema, albeit as a critic. This collection of essays mixes memoir with recommendations of the director's favourite 1970s films. The combination of Tarantino's cinematic knowledge and his behind-the-scenes connections means that he can offer a unique perspective on film analysis that few can rival. Case in point, Tarantino writes about Steve McQueen (pictured on the cover) whilst offering up information about the screen legend gleaned from his personal conversations with those who knew him. Tarantino's direct access to actual film legends means that his expertise has that edge over many other film fans, making this a must-read for anyone who's a fan of cinema. It also introduced me to some films I'd never seen that I've since watched and loved.

2. The Promise by Damon Galgut

This sprawling epic of a post-Apartheid South Africa presents four decades in the life of an Afrikaner family. As members of the family navigate a shifting socio-political landscape from 1986 to 2018, they fail by varying degrees to make the moral leap into 21st century South Africa. Haunting and hypnotic, Galgut's prose hovers just above the characters' perspectives and effortlessly pulls the reader across a literary landscape both large and intimate. I found myself particularly fascinated by Anton, a truly memorable and oddly charismatic character who sits at the centre of the narrative like a repellent magnet. 

3. Sombrero Fallout by Richard Brautigan

I only discovered Brautigan about 3 years ago, and I'm grateful that this has happened later in my life as I'm almost finished reading all of Kurt Vonnegut's books and needed someone else hilarious and crazy to replace him. It's difficult to describe what makes Brautigan so brilliant, I think you really just have to experience his work firsthand. I read this one in a single walk - it presents two (very loosely) connected narratives; one about a writer who has just lost his girlfriend, the other about a sombrero that randomly falls out of the sky and causes a chain reaction of exponential chaos in a border town. A bizarre and one-of-a-kind book.

4. The Lost Man by Jane Harper

This is my fourth foray into Harper's crime fiction. I think The Lost Man rivals her popular debut The Dry in terms of being tightly constructed, surprising, and unputdownable. Harper is able to evoke the bone-dry hell of the remote outback whilst dipping in and out of several interconnected plotlines. The characters are finely-observed and ring true, and the thematic core of the book resonates beyond the trappings of the murder mystery genre.

5. Around the World in 80 Trees by Jonathan Drori

I picked this up after finishing the magnificent Pulitzer-prize winning tree-themed novel The Overstory. I simply hadn't had enough trees. I wanted more trees, and this delivered on that front. I don't know how you'd even classify this book - it's not quite scientific, though it is written by a scientist, and it's not quite mythology, though it is replete with fascinating sociological and folkloric miscellanea. I read this while walking underneath beautiful trees in the Blue Mountains, and I learned lots about amazing trees from around our planet. 

6. The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan

I'm hesitant to put this in my list because it left me feeling depressed and experiencing an existential crisis of sorts. I have included it on my list because the quote on the front, 'Devastatingly beautiful', is such an apt description for this powerful WWII novel. Dorrigo Evans, a womanising doctor from remote Tasmania, wrestles with the twin demons of a pre-war affair and his time as a POW on Japan's ill-fated Burma-Siam railway project. Flanagan's novel is kaleidoscopic and incisive, funny and tragic, and relentlessly brutal. It's a book that has sat heavy in my consciousness in the months since I finished it. 

7. Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

Kuang takes a hot topic - cultural appropriation - and skewers it in the biggest possible way with an outrageous racial satire for our times. I won't say too much about Yellowface as it would spoil its many twists and unexpected developments. I'll just say that I read this super quickly and was both highly amused and more than occasionally shocked. My only quibble is that I think the ending could have gone further!

8. Ocean Pools by Chris Chen

I saw this at the start of the year while in a Kiama bookstore, flicked through it, and then put it back down again. It's a coffee table book filled with magnificent photographs of ocean pools, and in the following weeks after I let it go I couldn't get the idea of it out of my head. It became a romantic dream that obsessed me, and I began checking bookstores everywhere back in Western Sydney. Eventually I found it in a Big W in Richmond and I took it home to digest slowly, staring at one or two pools a night. I'm not even that much of a swimmer, there's just something idyllic and old world about these semi-wild pools that sit on the edge of the continent, facing the elements and holding little fragments of history from their coastal communities. I found 'reading' this book to be weirdly therapeutic. 

9. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

I read a non-fiction book called The Bookshop Book where its author visited amazing bookstores all over the world. In the course of her travels, various people recommend to her The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, a charming and arresting tale about a retiree who does exactly what the title says. The endorsements intrigued me so I sought the novel out. In it, hapless Harold goes to mail a letter to a long-lost friend and decides on a whim to hand-deliver it instead, walking over 600 miles from one end of England to the other. It's a journey that takes the reader along too, and its hard not to fall in love with poor Harold as he begins to transform and heal. 

10. Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

I can't quite put my finger on why I liked this. It's been a smash-hit all over the world and it's such a quirky, strange, disjointed novel. Imagine if you could visit a cafe that allowed you to time travel but, and this is a big 'but', there are several rules in place that heavily restrict the parameters of this travel. I won't tell you what these rules are as part of the joy of this book is the revelation of each of the ridiculous strictures and the ways in which they shape the individual stories of those who would time travel. As I said, it's all a bit strange. 

11. Acting Class by Nick Drnaso

Drnaso's highly-anticipated follow-up to the astonishing Booker Prize-nominated Sabrina is an equally mesmerising look at modern disaffection. Enigmatic and unsettling, Acting Class is Drnaso's most ambitious graphic novel yet, pulling together multiple characters as they're taken through a series of amateur acting lessons. The way this text builds tension through its exploration of the lost and the lonely leads to a burbling sense of terror that's both visceral and thought-provoking. Don't be fooled by Drnaso's deliberately bland drawing style - it fosters a sense of disorientation in the reader that's hard to shake and helps to create a strikingly memorable tone that feels like our feared tomorrows are already here.

Akira Kurosawa: Filmography

Akira Kurosawa with Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas, two American filmmakers who were both heavily influenced by Kurosawa. 

This blog generally focuses on the teaching of English and History but, as I look at Twitter and attempt to calculate exactly how long it might take collapse in on itself, I thought I would also use this space to preserve a retrospective I'd posted there. This filmography reflects my longstanding interest in the masters of the medium, which is something I previously explored in a past life as a part-time film reviewer. It also links into my ongoing interest in the film canon, as previously seen with overviews of 'Best Films' at the Academy Awards and the wider Film Canon.

Below is a chronological filmography of the great Japanese director Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998), one of the most acclaimed and influential cinematic artists of the 20th century.

Sanshiro Sugata (1943). It's quite amazing that this sport/martial-arts underdog story is really Kurosawa's first film as director. From the ambitious opening tracking shot to the use of vertical wipes and revolutionary slow motion, he creates a dynamic and memorable classic that still holds up today. Parts of the film feel quite modern - such as an inventive transition in which a sudden dramatic wipe jumps to a scene in which a man crashes through a wall. Definitely a must-see in Kurosawa's body of work. 

The Most Beautiful (1944). Kurosawa resisted requests from the Japanese navy to make propaganda about fighter planes during WWII. As a compromise, he instead made this semi-documentary film about the efforts of the country's female factory workers. As a State-funded war film it's quite historically interesting. It's also, from a modern viewpoint, evidently problematic as it presents several falsehoods about a society that was under a lot of strain. 

Sanshiro Sugata Part II (1945). Despite popular cineaste wisdom often claiming The Godfather Part II (1972) to be the first major film with a 'II' in the title, or that the British sci-fi/horror film Quatermass 2 to be the first numbered sequel, it is most likely Akira Kurosawa's Sanshiro Sugata sequel that is the first film to have 'Part II' in the title (one of its Japanese titles literally translates to Judo Saga 2). Like many sequels, this isn't as good as the first one. And as a government-sanctioned sequel intended to demonstrate Japanese superiority to white foreigners, it doesn't quite hold the same integrity as most other Kurosawa films - indeed, Kurosawa didn't particularly want to make this film but, being in the final year of the war, it was his only chance to make a film and was also one of the few movies actually made in Japan at all in this time. 

One point of interest... the presence of about twenty 'American' characters/extras in a Japanese WWII-era film raises certain uncomfortable (and unanswered) questions from historians, namely whether or not these are POWs who had been captured and brought back to Japan. Some film historians have suggested that these are most likely not POWs but it has always seemed odd that so many white actors were able to be assembled for a Japanese film at this point in history. At least two actors have been confirmed as Turkish-Russian, but the rest? No one is yet to definitively provide this information.   

The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tale (1945). Like the first Sanshiro Sugata film, this is a standout amongst Kurosawa's earliest work. It's also the first of many samurai films made by Kurosawa. This film was initially banned by the U.S. occupation forces in 1940s Japan due to its depiction of a feudal society, with the fear being that it might encourage warlike values. Eventually released in 1952, the film itself is a terrifically tense adventure about a fugitive commander and his six loyal samurai. Kurosawa crafts some great characters (specifically the comedic Porter, who provides a low class counterpoint to the noble samurai) and memorably suspenseful set pieces. 

No Regrets For Our Youth (1946). A romance that focuses on the true story of radical anti-military activists in the 1930s. This is the sort of film that could never have been made in WWII-era Japan and was a sign of a new filmmaking atmosphere in postwar Japanese society, revealing Kurosawa's true humanist leanings (which were politically at odds with the previous Imperial government) No Regrets For Our Youth is also one of the few Kurosawa films to have a female protagonist. Like Sanshiro Sugata Part II, but for completely different reasons, this is another historically-fascinating film.

Those Who Make Tomorrow (1946). Kurosawa's 'lost' film remains largely unseen and unreleased. It was a union-promoting propaganda piece that the occupying U.S. forces encouraged the director to make, with the hope that it would help push postwar Japan towards democracy. Kurosawa felt that he had little input and used his growing influence to have the film quickly buried. Subsequently, it's the only film on this list that I haven't seen. 

One Wonderful Sunday (1947). A young couple attempts to make the most of their day together with only 35 yen to their name. Another underrated gem within the director's early output, this is the first Kurosawa film to take a more unvarnished look at postwar Japan, with the couple's misadventures acting as a tour of a society in quiet trauma. 

Drunken Angel (1948). An alcoholic doctor (Takashi Shimura) becomes embroiled in the life of a yakuza gangster (Toshiro Mifune) in this tortured film noir classic. Great performances from Kurosawa's frequent collaborators Shimura and Mifune make this crime drama very watchable. This is the first of several famous Mifune roles directed by Kurosawa, and the young Mifune creates a complex character that holds his own against an experienced and unforgettable performance from Shimura. This is also the first of Kurosawa's many memorable forays into the crime genre. 

The Quiet Duel (1949). Kurosawa looks at another compromised doctor in a very different scenario, with Mifune playing an idealistic young GP who harbours a secret burden that twists the path of his life Kurosawa's exploration of postwar Japan's troubled psychological landscape features a lot of devastatingly effective symbolism, and also allows Mifune to demonstrate his incredible range as an actor. A fantastic film. 

Stray Dog (1949). The director takes a small scenario (a cop loses his gun and attempts to track it down before anyone can find out) and opens it up to reveal the trauma and suffering of postwar Japan in this heatwave-imbued film noir. It's also a powerful crime drama that shines a light on a devastated economy and the desperation and shame this bred throughout Japanese society.

Scandal (1950). An artist and an actress are ensnared in a fabricated news story by Japan's new American-influenced tabloid culture. On one level, it's a melodrama that entertains through the stakes felt by its characters, but, on another level, it's a thoughtful indictment of Japan's cultural and social degradation under U.S. occupation. It also features some powerful performances from its leads (Toshiro Mifune, Shirley Yamaguchi, Takashi Shimura).

Rashomon (1950). A murder involving a samurai, his wife, a bandit, and a woodcutter is shown to the audience from multiple conflicting perspectives. This film caused such a stir that it became the first Japanese film seen by many people around the world, and it catapulted Kurosawa onto the international stage as a director to watch. Rashomon is truly one of the greatest and most groundbreaking films of all time, influencing everything from The Usual Suspects to Star Trek. 

The Idiot (1951). Kurosawa's three-hour adaptation of the Dostoevsky novel of the same name. I found it a little hard to get invested in this one - I possibly would have appreciated it more if I'd read the source material! I don't know, I just found it a little meandering and patience-testing.

Ikiru (1952). Recently remade in 2022 as Living (in which Bill Nighy gave an Oscar-nominated performance), this is one of Kurosawa's many acclaimed social dramas. Takashi Shimura gives one of the greatest performances in cinema as a bland, no-nonsense businessman suddenly faced with terminal cancer. Ikiru is a thought-provoking look at the meaning of life, priorities, and Japanese society.

Seven Samurai (1954). What can be said about this iconic and wildly entertaining adventure classic that hasn't already been said? Even if you haven't seen it, you've seen its children in many permutations across film and TV and literature. This samurai action movie still holds up and features another great lead performance from Toshiro Mifune. 

I Live in Fear (1955). Toshiro Mifune once again demonstrates his versatility as he plays an elderly patriarch suffering from a form of PTSD that resulted from the dropping of the A-bombs on Japan in 1945. One of only three films in Kurosawa's body of work (the other two he would not make until the 1990s) to deal directly with the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings. I Live in Fear is a biting satire of modern priorities in post-bomb Japan.

Throne of Blood (1957). This samurai-retelling of Macbeth is the first of three Shakespeare plays that Kurosawa would adapt (Hamlet and King Lear being the other two). Mifune seems born for the role of the paranoid general-turned-king, named here as Washizu. It's possibly my favourite screen version of Macbeth; the supernatural elements feel extra creepy and the feudal setting is very effective. 

The Lower Depths (1957). An adaptation of Maxim Gorky's 1902 play of the same name, Kurosawa's static look at the desperate dregs of society is slow and lacks the energy of French director Jean Renoir's superior 1936 version. The Lower Depths has some good performances and a memorable ending but it's ultimately just a little too plodding and insular. 

The Hidden Fortress (1958). A key influence on the first Star Wars film (feisty princess, story told from the point of view of two lowly characters, a samurai 'knight' character) and also a great action-adventure film in its own right. 

The Bad Sleep Well (1960). Kurosawa transposes Hamlet into the ruthless world of postwar corporate Japan, creating a memorable thriller and taut character study. The opening wedding scene served as inspiration for Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather. Kurosawa's film has a weak ending but is overall a mesmerising modern reinterpretation of Shakespeare's classic tragedy.

Yojimbo (1961). A wry samurai retelling of Dashiell Hammett's classic 1930s American gangster novel Red Harvest. Kurosawa's use of Western tropes and Mifune's humorous anti-hero characterisation served as inspiration for the 1964 star-making Clint Eastwood remake A Fistful of Dollars. 

Sanjuro (1962). Such was the popularity of Kurosawa's previous film that this samurai adventure was hastily rewritten to act as a sequel to Yojimbo, with Mifune reprising his role as the laconic and streetwise swordsman. Not as great as Yojimbo but still a good film.

High and Low (1963). Starting as a devastatingly cynical commentary on class, this kidnap-and-ransom thriller segues into a highly-engaging police procedural drama. One of the first films of its kind, and another influential cinematic classic. Its power can be felt decades later in meticulous police procedurals such as the Bong Joon-ho's Memories of Murder and David Fincher's Zodiac.

Kurosawa's source material for High and Low was an American pulp crime novel by Ed McBain. As you may have noticed from his filmography, Kurosawa was quite happy to draw upon European sources - often taking the core of a narrative (and its universal drama) and using this to explore Japanese society and themes. 

Red Beard (1965). An arrogant young 19th century doctor is upset at being placed in a highly disadvantaged community and finds himself clashing with his mentor, 'Red Beard' (Toshiro Mifune). Kurosawa worked so hard at achieving a certain kind of historical authenticity in this epic drama that it permanently broke his relationship with lead actor Mifune and they would never work together again. Red Beard is a fine film that has attained critical acclaim in the years since but, at the time, it demonstrated a faltering step in Kurosawa's career. It would be his last black and white film. 

Dodes'kaden(1970). Kurosawa offsets his vibrant first-time use of colour with a depressing/hopeful ensemble story about the poor and the desperate trying to survive in their garbage dump community. The film features some indelible imagery but can feel a little unfocused at times. The title is an onomatopoeic Japanese representation of the sound of a train (say it aloud a couple of times in a row).

Sadly, even though Dodes'kaden has come to be critically re-appraised as a worthy film, its lack of success in 1970 led Kurosawa to almost give up on cinema altogether. The critical and commercial failure of Dodes'kaden (and his unsuccessful attempt to collaborate on the international war film Tora! Tora! Tora!) was so devastating to the director that he attempted to take his own life. He would only make one other film over the next 10 years.

Dersu Uzala (1975). This is a grand yet delicate examination of an unlikely true life friendship between a Russian explorer and an indigenous Nanai hunter from northern China. It was evidently the soothing nature-centric balm for the soul that Kurosawa needed. Dersu Uzala is a beautiful film that brims with genuine wisdom.  

Kagemusha (1980). A petty criminal is set up as a look-alike stand-in for a dying feudal lord. It's a sweet deal for the thief... until war comes calling! Kagemusha is a visually spectacular epic that helped to rejuvenate Kurosawa's career on the international stage. As if paying Kurosawa back for his stylistic influence on Star Wars, George Lucas helped finance this film alongside Francis Ford Coppola (who had also drawn upon the work of Kurosawa for his own hit films). Kagemusha was a triumphant comeback for the Japanese director. This film and its distinctive use of the colour red would go on to influence Star Wars again, with director Rian Johnson borrowing its visuals for Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017). 

Ran (1985). For some this samurai retelling of King Lear is Kurosawa's last true masterpiece. Epic in every sense, perfectly performed, and a nuanced statement from a master director at the height of his powers - Ran (meaning 'chaos') is one of the greatest Shakespeare adaptations.

Akira Kurosawa's Dreams (1990). It might be the most indulgent film in Kurosawa's oeuvre but this collection of short films is well-earned and feels essential to his filmography. Dreams is full of memorable images and moments that could only exist in the fantasy realm of the dreamscape. Look out for Martin Scorsese in a rare acting role as Vincent Van Gogh (pictured above).

Rhapsody in August (1991). An elderly matriarch is begged by her grandchildren to travel overseas to see her dying brother one last time. For me, this is probably the only Kurosawa film that feels contemporary to my own lifetime - it's a mature and introspective work that reflects on the legacy of the Nagasaki bombing but also features characters who very much reflect the early '90s. It's also the only Kurosawa film to feature an American movie star, with Richard Gere appearing in a supporting role. 

Madadayo (1993). Translating as 'not yet', the resounding cry of 'madadayo' is heard numerous times throughout this tale of an ageing teacher who forges a new identity for himself during retirement. Art imitates life for Kurosawa in his irreverent and reflective final film. 

Akira Kurosawa worked right up until his death - his dream was to die while directing a film but this wasn't to be. He had an accident in 1995 that left him in a wheelchair, which made it too difficult for him to direct again. Undaunted by this, he still kept working and wrote two more screenplays before his death in 1998. 

He was a true giant of cinema. 

Everything Old is New Again

An image from The Bad Sleep Well

Are remakes a new phenomenon? The short answer is 'no'. There is a fallacy in pop culture that cinema is becoming increasingly unoriginal - that we are awash in an endless sea of remakes, reimaginings, sequels, prequels, adaptations, and franchises. Perhaps top of this list is the idea that superhero films are ruining cinema. 

I'm not here to venture an opinion on the quality of said superhero films, I tend to believe that their quality varies depending on a range of factors, however, I would argue that any perceived lack of variety could find its parallels in other eras of fiction.

• Martial Arts films of the '70s and '80s.
• Spy novels of the '60s.
• Action films of the '80s and '90s.
• Western films of the '30s, '40s, and '50s.
• Penny Dreadfuls of the 19th century.
• Spaghetti Westerns of the '60s.
• Teen comedy films of the '00s.
• Vampire/Supernatural novels of the late '00s. 

And so on.

A generic formula responds to the desires of the market as much now as in previous eras, and the quality in such genres was as variable then as it is now. 

Something that I find quite fascinating about cinema in particular is the way in which even the most celebrated 'original' films are the culmination of a long echo chamber of ideas that are borrowed and refracted over time. Here is one example:

1. Revenge of the Sith (2005) includes a scene in which Palpatine formally establishes the beginning of the Empire. During this scene, the speech he makes is intercut with shots of Anakin murdering Palpatine's enemies. This pays direct homage to the baptism scene in The Godfather, in which Micheal Corleone consolidates his place at the head of the family while his underlings orchestrate the murder of rival mob bosses. Both films deal with the rise and establishment of a corrupt power.
   
2. The Godfather (1972) begins with a big wedding reception where a mafia don's daughter has just gotten married to a young man who has worked his way into this shady family. Journalists are parked just outside the main action, photographing the various high profile figures in attendance. This scene deliberately replicates a similar scene at the beginning of Akira Kurosawa's The Bad Sleep Well, in which a company kingpin's daughter has just gotten married and journalists watch from outside while discussing the various high profile figures in attendance. Both films deal with a Machiavellian patriarch whose legacy is steeped in violence and crime.
   
3. The Bad Sleep Well (1960) is a modern Japanese adaptation of Hamlet. Instead of a medieval Danish court of intrigue and murder, the action is set in the corporate boardrooms of corrupt Japanese businessmen. Like Hamlet with his wavering quest for revenge, Nishi is a young company man who hides his identity while working to expose the men who killed his father. 
4. Hamlet (1599) is one of the most well-known stories of all time and perhaps Shakespeare's greatest tragedy. It is not, however, a story entirely of Shakespeare's creation. Shakespeare is thought to have directly remade a now-lost play that also featured a Danish prince named Hamlet who is urged by a ghost to pursue revenge.
   
5. Hamlet (c. 1580s) is the suspected name of a play by Thomas Kyd, a highly influential figure in Elizabethan theatre. Referred to as Ur-Hamlet by scholars, this play likely leaned on the 'hero-as-fool' trope, which flows back into the untraceable realms of ancient storytelling. It is also thought to be a loose retelling of a Scandinavian folk tale about a prince named Amleth. 
6. Amleth (c. 1100s) is a folk tale in which a prince dresses himself in rags and pretends to be insane as a means to disguise his quest for revenge against his uncle. This uncle, Fengo, murdered Amleth's father so he could marry his mother Gerutha. Fengo eventually sends Amleth to England with two escorts carrying a letter instructing the English king to kill the prince. Amleth, however, switches this letter so that the escorts get killed instead, and he returns to Denmark to watch his own funeral and then finally take revenge on is uncle. Like Hamlet, The Bad Sleep Well, The Godfather, and Star Wars: The Revenge of the Sith, this story deals with the theme of corruption and the extreme behaviours that surround it. 

So, as we can see, even Shakespeare isn't immune from this 'unoriginality' problem. Here are some other examples of great films that can be traced to earlier texts that explore the same themes.

• A Fistful of Dollars (1964) - a spaghetti western remake of the 1961 samurai film Yojimbo, which was an adaptation of the hardboiled detective novel Red Harvest (1929). Thematic core: an outsider takes on a lawless community.
• A Bug's Life (1998), an animated film about a misfit putting together a group of warriors to save an ant colony from an evil grasshopper, which sounds a lot like the Western classic The Magnificent Seven (1960), which is a direct remake of Seven Samurai (1954). Thematic core: the value of community and team-work.
• The Searchers (1956) is a famous Western based on a 1954 novel of the same name. 1970s films as varied as the seedy crime dramas Taxi Driver (1976) and Hardcore (1979), and the sci-fi epic Star Wars (1977), and the more recent television series Breaking Bad (2000s) and the film Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) all draw upon plot elements or iconic shots from The Searchers. Thematic core: the anti-hero's journey. 

And here are some films that challenge the notion that 'original' stories in cinema have ever been common.

• Gladiator (2001) is recognisable to most as a throwback to the sword-and-sandals epics of the 1950s and 1960s. Dig a little deeper and you'll find The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), which tells the same story. 
• The most famous cinematic versions of Ben-Hur (1959), The Wizard of Oz (1939), and The Ten Commandments (1956) are not the first film versions of these stories. All were made as silent films in the mid-1920s first. 
• Star Wars (1977) used the 1958 samurai epic The Hidden Fortress as both a narrative and stylistic influence. George Lucas replicated the idea of a kidnapped princess and a grizzled samurai, as well as the narrative choice of telling his story from the point of view of two comical and lowly characters. He also 'borrowed' Akira Kurosawa's way of using vertical wipes to transition from one scene to another. The Japanese director's influence is so keenly felt in the Star Wars trilogy that Rian Johnson would borrow stylistically from Kurosawa's 1980s samurai epics Ran and Kagemusha much later in The Last Jedi (2017).
  

Some of the above are more obvious than others but what's interesting is that none of the famed directors responsible for the above classic films would even try to hide their influences if asked. There's a tendency in pop criticism to reject texts that aren't original or to bemoan the replication of ideas. But, like the great painters who obsessively toiled on a singular topic or style, or playfully subverted each other's works to add new meaning to common themes, should storytellers not also be lauded for mining common material in new ways? These directors and writers are combining old ideas with new genres, or diving deeper into a particular story to explore a new context.

There are, after all, only 3, 6, 7, or 36 types of stories (depending on which writer you trust).

History and Film

Before I was a teacher, and certainly before I had this blog, I did some work as a film reviewer for a now-defunct online blogging network. It mostly involved getting sent screeners for small-release films that no one cared about but in-between these obligations I still managed to watch and review over a thousand films of my own choice. 

My cinematic self-education is by no means complete, I still have quite a list of 'canon' films that I'm working my way through, but I do have a fairly confident awareness of what the history of cinema looks like. Here are some posts I've previously made about how the history of cinema can be utilised as a resource for the classroom:

• The Close-Up
• The 180 Degree Rule
• Early Editing
  

Today, however, I want to move away from looking at the history of cinema and look instead at how the medium of film is used to represent history itself. The previous blog posts are intended for use in an English or Film Studies classroom, whereas the following will be more relevant for the subject of History.

It's fair to say that the average History teacher has little curriculum-based used for a discussion on the history of cinema (a subject that focuses as much on storytelling techniques as it does on context) so this blog post will inevitably be focused on content and perspective instead. Here we will look at a few examples of history-focused films that I've specifically liked as a History teacher, and I'll highlight how they fit with our current secondary school History syllabuses in NSW. There are, of course, some things to be aware of:

• Some of these films are appropriate for students to watch.
• Some of these films are not appropriate for students to watch.
• Some of these films may be useful in other KLAs because the content connects to a relevant area of study.

Where a film fits in regard to the above will be up to a teacher's professional and informed judgment. The films that are not appropriate for students to watch have been included for a couple of reasons:

1. They are useful in broadening or deepening the teacher's understanding of a topic, and this in itself can be a powerful tool as it helps us look in particular directions with our lesson planning or research.
2. It may be negotiated to watch one of these films with some senior cohorts through the use of principal, head teacher, and parental permission. This can depend on classification and community context.
   
3. The teacher might select appropriate scenes for use rather than showing the entire film.

So, with all that out of the way, here are ten great History-based films that I think are useful:

Haxan (directed by Benjamin Christensen, Denmark, 1922)

Haxan is an unusual history of witchcraft that defies our modern view of what a documentary should look like. A 100 minute documentary in 7 parts, Haxan provides a narrative overview of witchcraft through the ages - presenting pagan rituals (with dramatised appearances from the Devil!) alongside more rational sequences that suggest medieval torture and mental illness explain why innocent people would have confessed to being witches in the face of superstition. As such, Haxan exists as a fascinating piece of historiography that charts changing beliefs while blurring the lines between reality and fantasy. The film itself perhaps demonstrates the conflicted beliefs of the 1920s in the way that it confidently places the rational and irrational side by side. The body of critical literature analysing Haxan is perhaps just as valuable as the film itself. 

Would work well for: 

• History 7-10 - Stage 4 Medieval Europe (Teacher)
  
• Year 12 History Extension - Witch Hunts and Witch Trials (Teacher, Students)

Battleship Potemkin (directed by Sergei Eisenstein, Soviet Union, 1925)

This innovative film (the infamous Odessa steps montage remains highly influential for many great directors) is an invaluable historical resource in the sense that it was made under the Soviet regime in its pre-Stalin days. Focusing on the Potemkin mutiny that formed part of the fabric of the 1905 Russian Revolution under Tsar Nicholas Romanov II, Eisenstein's meticulous drama reconstructs historical events in a fairly truthful manner despite its function as 1920s Soviet propaganda. From a teacher's point of view, the film works as either a way of examining developing rebellion against the Romanovs or as an exercise in looking at the film's use as propaganda (the textual history of Battleship Potemkin is just as historically fascinating as the film itself - pre-, during, and post-Stalin versions all serve to demonstrate the changing political landscape of Russia over time).

Would work well for:

• Year 11 Modern History - The Decline and Fall of the Romanovs (Teacher, Students)
• Year 12 Modern History - Russia and the Soviet Union (Teacher, Students)
  

Burn! (directed by Gillo Pontecorvo, Italy, 1969)

At first glance Burn! (or Quemada) might seem a murky choice owing to its generalised nature. Whilst its focus is on a fictional Caribbean island in the 19th century, the themes and main beats of Burn! are still very much in keeping with a common pattern of imperialism, colonialism, slavery, and commercial exploitation. Made at the height of the decolonisation period, the film also stands out (alongside Pontecorvo's more famous film The Battle of Algiers) as one of the more authentic cinematic depictions of modern historical forces. From a curriculum standpoint, it helps to visually illuminate the motivations behind European colonialism and the significance of imperialism and its impact on the modern world.

Would work well for:

• Year 12 Modern History - The Shaping of the Modern World: The Age of Imperialism (Teacher)
  

Newsfront (directed by Phillip Noyce, Australia, 1978)

Newsfront is such a broad yet rich text for any History teacher. A classic of Australian cinema, it focuses on the era of 1948-1956, a period in which the advent of television was shaping the way in which news was collected and delivered. Noyce's script mixes archival footage with a wrap-around narrative to insert its newsreel cameramen characters into Australian history. If your knowledge of this period in our history is a little shaky, this film provides a relatively quick overview of the key events (the referendum to ban the Communist Party in Australia, Robert Menzies' big comeback as Prime Minister, postwar migration to Australia, and the arrival of television). For senior students, it provides a chance to examine the role of cinema in representing our history in a certain way.

Would work well for:

• History 7-10 - Stage 5 The Globalising World: Popular Culture (Teacher)
• History 7-10 - Stage 5 The Globalising World: Migration Experiences (Teacher)
• History 7-10 - Stage 5 School Developed Topic: The Cold War (Teacher) 
• Year 11 Modern History - The Representation and Commemoration of the Past (Teacher, Students)
• Year 11 Modern History - Case Study: Australia and the Rise of Communism (Teacher)
• Year 12 History Extension - An Australian Primer Minister: Robert Menzies (Teacher, Students)

Cry Freedom (directed by Richard Attenborough, United Kingdom, 1987)

A politically-charged depiction of Apartheid South Africa made while Apartheid was still happening. As a British film made in the 1980s, it's no surprise that Cry Freedom functions as a perfect example of the 'white saviour' narrative. It's a little disappointing that the focus shifts from Steve Biko around the halfway mark but, that said, it's a fairly accessible and engaging piece of cinema and the Biko half features a fantastic performance from a young Denzel Washington. If you're looking for something that your students will be able to easily follow (perhaps it might even make a few things clearer for them - some students benefit immensely from perceiving history through the lens of a cinematic narrative) then Cry Freedom will definitely do the job.

Would work well for:

• Year 12 Modern History - Change in the Modern World: Apartheid in South Africa. (Teacher, Students)
  

Kundun (directed by Martin Scorsese, USA, 1997)

Scorsese's biopic of the Dalai Lama is a high quality production that goes some way towards realistically depicting the Chinese occupation of Tibet in 1950 and the ideological/religious tensions surrounding it. I've personally used this one with a Modern History class but I did cut it down to about half its length so that we could focus on the sections relevant to our topic. Kundun as a film in its own right is probably a little too slow for the average teenager, however, the scenes in which the Dalai Lama meets with Chairman Mao are an essential window into the relations between Communist China and bordering territories. Scorsese's film is generally quite historically accurate - albeit quite toned down in terms of the violence that came alongside the Invasion of Tibet (no doubt owing to Hollywood's sensitivity to potential commercial markets in Asia). 

Would work well for:

• Year 11 Modern History - Case Study: Tibet in the Modern World. (Teacher, Students)
• Year 12 Modern History - Change in the Modern World: The Cultural Revolution to Tiananmen Square. (Teacher, Students)
  

Five Broken Cameras (directed by Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi, Palestine, 2011)

A story of non-violent resistance to the Israeli settlement of the last pockets of Palestinian territory, as recorded by Palestinian documentarian Emad Burnat on five cameras that got destroyed by Israelis one-by-one. In a topic that's so politically fraught and volatile, Burnat is able to provide an irrefutable record that helps to illuminate what's currently happening in Israel and the methods currently being used to eradicate Palestinians from their territory. In terms of the history syllabus, the parameters for the Arab-Israeli Conflict option might be 1948-1996 but the dot point that pertains to the rise and significance of the Israeli settler movement echoes through to the modern day. This documentary does an excellent job of bringing clarity to motivations, actions, and impacts of this movement that don't need to necessarily be tethered directly to any particular time period - the situation remains unresolved and this film still assists in coming to an understanding of the complexities involved.

Would work well for:

• Year 12 Modern History - Peace and Conflict: The Arab-Israeli Conflict. (Teacher)
  

The Act of Killing and The Look of Silence (directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, joint international production, 2012 and 2014)

The Act of Killing is an astounding and unusual documentary in which the director asks surviving Indonesian death squad members to re-enact the murders they committed in the 1960s. The Look of Silence is an electrifying and intense companion piece in which the surviving relative of one of the victims confronts his brother's killer. These documentaries unpack and go some way toward explaining why the tragedy of Indonesia's recent history is unlikely to ever find a true sense of closure. When the government allowed and encouraged such widespread civil murder yet also distanced itself officially, thus making it a 'people's issue', what can be done? When thousands killed millions, and the resultant regime remains in power 50 years later, what can be done? It essentially means the killers have no problem speaking openly about the violence they wreaked upon so many because the issue is too widely embedded in Indonesia's society and recent history. Anyway, I would not recommend showing these films to students - the frank discussion of the acts committed by these men is too disturbing. I would, however, recommend them to any teacher looking to teach Indonesia for the National Study in Modern History.

Would work well for:

• Year 12 Modern History - National Study: Indonesia (Teacher)

Bridge of Spies (directed by Steven Spielberg, USA, 2015)

There have been lots of films made about the Cold War but most of these were made during the Cold War itself. As such they often fall into the category of spy-fantasies that existed as a pressure valve for the anxieties of the time. In this film, Spielberg gives the Cold War the same grand treatment he gave WWI, WWII and 19th century America in some of his earlier 'serious' films. It struck me while watching Bridge of Spies just how perfectly tailor-made this film was as an entry-point for younger generations with no experience of this unique and protracted conflict. Spielberg crams in as many aspects of the 'war' as possible to create a highly visual narrative, finding success in illuminating a difficult slice of history that often resists direct engagement. 

Would work well for:

• History 7-10 - Stage 5 School-Developed Topic: The Cold War (Teacher, Students)
  
• Year 12 Modern History - Peace and Conflict: The Cold War (Teacher, Students)

 

The Woman King (directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, USA, 2022)

Contrary to the wave of Americentric online trolls who sought to challenge The Woman King's value, the historical accuracy of this film holds up just as much as most of the other entries on this list. It only takes minimal online searching to find some reliable discussions of how this films deals with an under-represented area of history and, as such, The Woman King will remain highly useful as an educational resource until further directors and writers begin to visit early modern African history from an African perspective. Some elements might push the boundaries of what can be shown in a classroom (it's rated M in Australia but screening it will always be a matter of context and school discretion) but, this said, I think some excerpts could still be used and teachers looking to broaden their personal understanding will find it useful too.

Would work well for:

• Year 11 Modern History - The Construction of Modern Histories (Teacher)
• Year 11 Modern History - Case Study: The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade (Teacher)
• Year 11 Modern History - The Shaping of the Modern World: The Age of Imperialism (Teacher)