All The Emperor's Men: Kurosawa's Pearl Harbor

by Hiroshi Tasogawa

When 20th Century Fox planned its blockbuster portrayal of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, it looked to Akira Kurosawa – a man whose mastery of the cinema led to his nickname “the Emperor” – to direct the Japanese sequences. Yet a matter of three weeks after he began shooting the film in December 1968, Kurosawa was summarily dismissed and expelled from the studio. The tabloids trumpeted Kurosawa had himself gone mad; his associates had betrayed him; Hollywood was engaged in a conspiracy.

Now, for the first time, the truth behind the downfall and humiliation of one of cinema's greatest perfectionists is revealed in All the Emperor's Men. Journalist Hiroshi Tasogawa probes the most sensitive questions about Kurosawa's thwarted ambition and the demons that drove him. His is a tale of a great clash of personalities, of differences in the ways of making movies, and ultimately of a clash between Japanese and American cultures.

337 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2011

Reviews

[Marcy Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although some parts end up repetitive or elaborating in too much detail, I can't help but crack up when I hear of Kurosawa's inexplicable fear of yakuzas, his drunken escapades and obsessive attention to detail. (I've still not seen 'Tora! Tora! Tora!' or much of Kurosawa's filmography either)

[M.R. Dowsing · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of Akira Kurosawa's involvement in the production of the American film Tora! Tora! Tora! about the attack on Pearl Harbour. Kurosawa was to direct the Japanese sequences but was fired three weeks into the shoot. The author, Tasogawa, was closely involved in the film's pre-production, working as he did as translator of the many screenplay drafts. His work was finished before production began and this book is the result of a personal quest to find out the truth of what happened which led to Kurosawa's replacement. It's well-written and meticulously researched, Tasogawa having managed to gain access to an impressive array of sources. Despite a few minor niggles (e.g. some unnecessary explanations of common film terms such as credits; a tendency to over-dramatise), for the most part this is a fascinating read and an unusually reliable account of a famous movie-making fiasco.

[Dave Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

While it's not the best film about WWII, "Tora! Tora! Tora!" broke ground in the war film genre by conveying both the Japanese and American experience leading up to the infamous Dec 7, 1941 Japanese attack on the US Navy fleet in Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii. What most viewers don't realize is that the great Japanese auteur Akira Kurosawa was originally hired to write the Japanese scenes and direct the Japanese sequences, including the attack itself.

American producer Elmo Williams (who worked directly with both Daryl Zanuck and his son Richard Zanuck) expected a worker bee behind the camera, though, and Kurosawa's approach to filmmaking was a terrible mismatch. The pressure was enormous on Kurosawa and he reacted by drinking copiously and becoming a tyrant on set. So much so that more than once the crew refused to proceed in response to his yelling and criticism. Did he suffer from an illness that impacted his behavior? That's one of the questions that author Hiroshi Tasogawa explores in the latter part of this fascinating book.

Ultimately, Kurosawa was fired from the film production with the Japanese segments assigned to Toshio Masuda and Kinji Fukasaku. Richard Fleischer directed the American segments (and there's no ambiguity about the fact that Kurosawa thought Fleischer was a hack and second-rate director).

As a big fan of Akira Kurosawa, I was a bit disappointed to learn that he was moody, very critical of people, and had demons that he wrestled with constantly. He was an artist, though, more focused on making films than managing Kurosawa Studios or even his personal finances. Still, a very insightful book that is a must-read for fans of "Tora! Tora! Tora!" and Kurosawa, or just those seeking to learn more about the complexity of a multi-national movie production.

Den Tasogawa-san, yoku shirabete kaite kudasaimashita!

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heartfelt near the end yet slow and factually draining account of Akira Kurasawa and his dismissal from the film Tora! Tora! Tora!. While I was drawn into the story, the factual information was presented sometimes so unemotionally intent on being non judgemental but ultimately not emotional enough. More for the ardent Kurosawa fan than a regular film buff.