Ep. 102 Dersu Uzala

“You just like children. Have eyes but don't see. You try live in
taiga, soon dead.” We’re joined by illustrator and poster designer
Tony Stella to discuss what might be Akira Kurosawa’s most
neglected masterpiece, Dersu Uzala! The trio discusses where the
film, an unexpected Russian-Japanese co-production, fits into the
filmography of a filmmaker any reasonable cinephile would consider
to be among the greatest to ever do it. Coming shortly on the heels
of Kurosawa’s suicide attempt, Dersu represents a strange spiritual
transformation for the filmmaker but one that led directly to his
stunning creative rebirth with Kagemusha, Ran and Dreams. The film
follows a Russian army officer in the early 20th century on a
series missions exploring the far reaches of the taiga on the
border between Russia and China. On his initial trip into the
extreme and unforgiving wilderness, he meets the titular character,
a strange woodsman who yells at fire, shoots with supernatural
accuracy, and knows the landscape better than anyone who ever
lived. It’s the story of an unlikely friendship between impressive,
seemingly indomitable men. Tony Stella on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/studiotstella/ The Pink Smoke site:
www.thepinksmoke.com The Pink Smoke on Twitter:
twitter.com/thepinksmoke Christopher Funderburg on Twitter:
twitter.com/cfunderburg John Cribbs on Twitter:
twitter.com/TheLastMachine Intro music: Unleash the Bastards / “Tea
for Two” Outro music: Marcus Pinn / “Vegas"