Review of Dersu Uzala (1961) by Guido P — 19 Jun 2007
A flawed, but still great, film. Two men from vastly different cultures form a bond based on their shared love for nature. That said, main-character Dersu is ultimately too tired a convention: He's the saintly guy who nay-says modernity and lives in relative seclusion.
What he represents is nothing if not condescending; if you don't follow his lifestyle - implies this movie - you're a lesser man. This sort strictness (is there only one way to live life well, then?), is accompanied by a massive plot-hole: would it not have made more sense for our lonely Mongolian frontiersman to receive, rather than a rifle built for the sight-impaired, a freaking pair of glasses? Nevertheless, Kurosawa communicates, via sweeping vistas and gorgeous compositions, all he wants to say about nature, its beauty, and the way this nature separates these two diverse individuals from the careless drones around them.
This review of Dersu Uzala (1961) was written by Guido P on 19 Jun 2007.
Dersu Uzala has generally received very positive reviews.
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