Dersu Uzala

A wonderful film. It showcases the natural beauty of the Taiga and presents a contrast between the technological and the pastoral. Dersu is one with the forest. He knows its ways and its moods. The Russians scoff at his ways and his 'primitive' belief system, but eventually come to rely on him, and even love him. It is a beautiful story that takes place in an world that very few of us in the West have had a chance to see. I thought the fact that the film was set in the pre-revolutionary period gave it a peculiar sort of charm - Russia before the Great War and the Russian Revolution was innocent and even naive, the same way the Russian soldiers were innocent of the wonders and the dangers of the Taiga. One of the things I loved most about this film was the cinematography - there are long, lingering shots of the landscape, the endless steppe, the forest, the rivers, the mountains. We believe ourselves to be powerful because we have been moderately successful in our attempts to harness nature for our own uses, but the film shows us that we are deluding ourselves, that nature cannot be controlled or resisted, and the truly powerful are those, like Dersu, who co-exist in harmony with nature and learn what the wilderness teaches.

It's 1902. Russian army explorer Captain Arseniev leads an expedition into the Siberian wilderness. They encounter local native hunter Dersu Uzala and recruit him as their guide.

It's a Soviet film made by the legendary Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. I'm not sure how that happened. Quite frankly, I watched the first hour without knowing about Kurosawa and was going to write that this is the best filmmaking out of the Soviet Union. The movie is over two hours and it does need to find a road map for their journey. I'm not saying that it lacks direction. It has an emotional direction. It's about the two men's relationship. I would like for more scenes of the two of them alone. They should have more heart to heart dialogue. Dersu is a great character. For example, I love the grass shelter and the two men are alone in survival mode. I'm also surprised by the tiger. The second half holds some interesting surprises. This is an interesting page in a legend's work. It won an Oscar.

In 1902, a Russian army expedition is assigned to explore Siberia under the command of Captain Vladimir Arseniev (Yuri Solomin). He befriends the Goldi (Nanai) hunter Dersu Uzala (Maksim Munzuk) and invites him to guide the explorers through the stark forest up to Khanka Lake. Along their journey, Arseniev discovers that Dersu Uzala is a man with a beautiful soul and they become close friends. When his assignment ends, Dersu Uzala says goodbye to Arseniev. In 1907, Captain Arseniev is assigned for another expedition to the Ussuri River; when he meets Dersu Uzala in the forest, the lonely hunter joins his team and guides the group. However, he is older and has problems with his vision and Captain Arseniev invites Dersu Uzala to live with his family in Khabarovsk City. But the old man does not adapt to the urban lifestyle and decides to return to the forest. In 1910, Captain Arseniev is called to Korfovskaïa to identify the body of a man that has his calling card and might be Dersu Uzala.

"Derzu Uzala" is a simple and unforgettable tale of friendship between a Russian Captain and a lonely hunter with a beautiful soul. This wonderful movie has one of the most beautiful cinematographies I have ever seen and the camera work is impressive, with awesome angle and locations that seems to be of pictures in movement. I had watched most of Akira Kurosawa movies and I do not know how I could forget to see this magnificent must-see movie of his amazing cinematography. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Dersu Uzala"

On the face of it, Dersu Uzala would not seem like a candidate for a great film. The story is about a young Russian (Imperial Russia) officer is sent to the far east of Siberia to explore. He meets with a native of the region and they form a bond together. The territory in question is the wild, rugged eastern Siberia (north of Valdivostok). I would say that you have not lived until you have seen what Kurosawa can do filming nature in its raw splendor and magnificence. The scenes in this film like the wind rushing through the tall reeds, or the mist draping the forested hills, are images of haunting beauty.

Kurosawa, one of the greatest film directors of the 20th century, made his final masterpiece with film. The characters are well drawn, the sub-text of the story (the clash of civilization vs. nature) is nuanced, but most of all it is the wild beauty of nature which is the focus of this film. Once you see it, I don't think you will forget it, I know I never have.

I own many of Akira Kurosawa's films. I have Ran, Throne of blood, Seven Samarai, Roshomon, Dreams, Hidden Fortress, Jojimbo, Snajuro, Red Beard, and even "Kurosawa" the documentary. I guess you can say that I like his work. The "Kurosawa" documentary narrated by Sam Shepard and produced by thirteen / WNET I recommend for anyone at all interested in Kurosawa's films as it will really wet your appetite.

Of all of his films, Dersu Uzala is my favorite. It is also one of my favorite films by anybody. It was done shortly after Akira had went through a very dark time in his life and had attempted suicide. It was his first film afterwards and the content of the film appears to reflect more than a little of his mindset at the time. Dersu Uazla is both a feel good film and also a sad film. It touches the way that people as they grow older have a more and more difficult time adapting to life as it changes and has its affect on them. The end of the film can certainly show light on the inhumanity that appears to be growing more prevalent in our society. But, I think what you remember from the film is the love between two individuals, and that is what feels good.

Many of Kurosawa's films have a great deal of spectacle, and he is perhaps known best for his Samarai films. There is none of that in this movie. Dersu Uzala is a statement by Akira of life. Akira was fighting to keep making films and was not having an easy time of it. If Akira Kurosawa could not make films, he could not feel that he was living. As a result, he attempted suicide. He survived to make this film plus many others that we all enjoy today. Dersu Uzala may be the most important of his films and the one that shows the great director's true personality. Just perhaps, it shows more about humanity than any of his other films. Again, it is my favorite.