By Owen Glancy Arts & Features Editor Of all the great Japanese filmmakers throughout history, there are none as well known or influential as Akira Kurosawa. His output of films during the ’50s and ’60s is nothing short of legendary as he made masterpiece after masterpiece. Though names like Yasujiro Ozu and Kenji Mizoguchi are definitely worth mentioning when discussing the masters of Japanese cinema, it cannot be understated just how “in his own league” Kurosawa was. That was, until the late 1960s. Around this time the landscape of film in Japan was changing, and in a way Kurosawa could not keep up with. Studios began moving away from the period piece dramas Kurosawa specialized in and the advent of more adventurous filmmakers like Seijun Suzuki led to the popularity of his films declining. However, Kurosawa did not let this discourage him for long as he made a big comeback late into his career with “Dersu Uzala,” a film he made in the USSR. This put him back on the map, and it proved that he still had that Kurosawa magic late in his career. Of all his later films, “Dreams” would be the one that proved Kurosawa was still capable of reinventing his iconic style of filmmaking. A co-production between the U.S. and Japan, “Dreams” would prove to be the most audacious and ambitious film Kurosawa would ever make, as well as his third-to-last. The film is in an anthology format, with eight different segments each based on a recurring dream Kurosawa himself had. With or without this knowledge, it is immediately apparent from the first few shots that these stories are from the subconscious mind. Every shot has this ethereal feel to it. From the vibrant colors, to the strange weather patterns like fog on a sunny day, to the absolutely masterful blocking, every single frame of this film is gorgeous. It’s not just the look of the film that’s stunning either, it’s also the depth of each individual story being told. Though they are based on dreams, and can feel a little incoherent because of that, each segment tells their own beautiful and fully realized stories. From the “Sunshine through the rain” segment, to “The village of the water mills” segment, each story is filled with excellent performances and beautiful ruminations on the nature of life itself. Partially due to the assistance of American film legends George Lucas and Steven Speilberg, the film’s budget allowed Kurosawa to hire the best Japanese and western actors for each role. This splurging on the casting allows these individual segments to be populated by such well realized characters, the most memorable of which being Martin Scorsese’s performance as Vincent van Gogh. However, the part of the film that keeps me and so many others coming back to it is the themes and messages of each individual segment. Kurosawa was 80 years old at the time of the film’s release, and had made 27 feature-length films before “Dreams,” with his previous work, “Ran,” being second in scope and ambition only to “Dreams.” Kurosawa had already long secured his place in the annals of film history. Despite that, he still chose to make such a personal and reflective film so late into his life. He still had so much to say, so many stories to tell, and so many worlds to take us to. The eight segments featured in this film weren’t even going to be all of them, with three being cut as they would have put the film over budget. One can only imagine how staggering Kurosawa’s imagination was, especially for being 80 years old. Kurosawa’s final film would be released three years later. Titled, “Madadayo,” the film was a critical and commercial failure. Ironically, the translated title means “Not Yet” and though it would end up being his final film, it’s a testament to Kurosawa’s endless imagination and love for filmmaking that he made such a boldly titled film so late into his life. Through his dreams, we got to see such an intimate and personal side of one of cinema’s greatest masters. If that alone doesn’t make the film worthy of at least one watch, I don’t know what does. You can find “Dreams” streaming on Amazon Prime.