This set of short films are undeniably beautiful, meant, I am sure, to leave aesthetic impressions rather than to narrate: a boy's sense of treading on the forbidden and mystical; of the sadness and yearning in trying to rescue the lovely spirit of a single surviving, pink- blossomed sapling of a destroyed peach orchard; of survival from a sleeping death at the hands of an icy spirit in a mountain blizzard; of the haunted guilt of a commander of a decimated platoon; of the thrill of delving into the brilliant-hued world of Vincent Van Gogh; of the horror, despair, and guilt of humanity suffering catastrophe from its own technological hubris; of the hell that results from a nuclear holocaust; and the gentle delight of encountering a tranquil community living in harmony with nature. Kurosawa is a master at conveying these feelings. I must say, though, an artist's less than expert commentary on major issues like war and harmony with nature only appeal at an aesthetic level, but are unfortunately a bit dissatisfying and even a little irksome due to a shallow understanding of the issues. It is a rather common artist's theme to criticize technological hubris without offering better insights into how society can otherwise solve its complex problems of economics, social inequality, and governance at large scales. Kurosawa's last dream of the watermill village is a indeed a dream: a static little community in a congenial climate where the simple mechanical technology of the watermills (what are they used for?) is acceptable but not anything more complex than that. When the old man criticizes "scientists" for coming up with things that people don't need, this reveals Kurosawa's unfortunate ignorance about what science is, which is the study of nature, and that scientists are involved in inquiry and discovery, not in inventing things. It is a bit contradictory to talk about living in harmony with nature and then to criticize scientists. Scientists are constantly advancing our understanding of nature and the universe: what is the nature of particles versus gravity? how does carbon cycle through the Earth system? how do ecosystems sustain themselves? how did the planets originate? It is the engineers and businessmen (and politicians) who then try to take the discoveries of scientists to make applications that may or may not be for the good of humanity, like turning understanding of particle physics into nuclear bombs, rather than into understanding of the origins of the universe. Kurosawa's lack of distinction between scientists and engineers is a misconception held by a lot of people, even engineers, who sometimes think they are doing "science." So, let's clarify the distinction. Also, the old man's simplistic assessment of humans' minimal physical needs denies that there are also human intellectual needs that more advanced technologies often fulfill, like making films in color with good cameras and lenses and projecting them for full visual glory. These complaints aside, Kurosawa's dream films are master aesthetic impressions, but when artists seek to comment on scientific and political issues, it would be better if they focused on the personal and emotional, unless they can first gain enough expertise to address the technical.
