Review of Dersu Uzala (1961) by Rainer G — 22 May 2009

"How can man live in a box?" This question, which lies at the heart of the masterpiece that is Akira Kurosawa's Dersu Uzala, is voiced by the titular character in the final act of the film.

The question, of course, refers to a house, which to Dersu would seem like nothing more than a box. A house to him is like a coffin to us. Kurosawa, who was in exile from Japan when he made Dersu Uzala in Russia in 1975, made the film to not only express his own feelings of estrangement, and loss, but also to ruminate on a theme that has been a part of art since the dawn of, well, art: the conflict between nature and civilization.

Dersu, the rugged Goldi man who lives in the forests of a part of Russia (at the turn of the 20th century) not specified, is somewhat of a Tarzan, but by choice. He lives as hunter-gatherer, with only his clothes, his gun, and an incredible knowledge of the forest.

Dersu's world, however, is shrinking, and one of the great ironies of the film is that he becomes, by chance, the guide for a group of military surveyors, mapping the region surely for development.

The trancendance of the film comes in the relationship between Dersu and the captain of this unit, Captain Arseniev. It is a meaningful, and moving relationship between two men who should be enemies, and is always colored with a sort of meloncholy that Dersu, his way of life, and his home (which we would not define as a home) will soon be gone.

We never exactly see the forest destroyed, but there is never any doubt that this destruction is coming. Captain Arseniev, at the opening of the film, searches for Dersu's grave, but he cannot find it becuase the trees marking it have been cut down.

The simplicity of their relationship is profound, as well as its complx implications. Both men are highly knowledgeable, and highly imperfect. Their humanity is one of the films greatest triumphs. Earlier in this review I called Dersu Uzala a masterpiece.

It is, but saying that of a Kurosawa film is rather redundant. His brilliance as a director has produced masterpieces into the double digits. This films showcases his talent as well as any other film of his, and should be seen by anyone who claims to love Kurosawa, and film in general.

It is pretty damn near perfect.