Episode 159: DERSU UZALA (1975)

Content warning: This episode contains a brief discussion of attempted suicide. Coming later in Kurosawa’s career and after his storytelling was thought to have gone out of vogue, DERSU UZALA is a comment on man’s relationship with nature, himself, and the world around him. Based on a Russian memoir and shot on 70mm, it’s a beautiful example of the humanist narratives for which Kurosawa became known and a stunning exhibition of the world’s natural splendor – both within and without the people who seek to know it. Links: - Buy tickets to “Elegy for a Master: Late Kurosawa” (February 2022 at the Trylon Cinema): https://www.trylon.org/films/category/elegy-for-a-master-late-kurosawa/ - Buy tickets to “Anime’s Great Genius: Satoshi Kon” (March 2022 at the Trylon Cinema): https://www.trylon.org/films/category/animes-great-genius-satoshi-kon/ - Buy tickets to “Ishirô Honda’s Godzilla” (May 2022 at the Trylon Cinema): https://www.trylon.org/films/category/ishiro-hondas-godzilla/ Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/trylovepodcast and email us at [email protected] to get in touch! Buy tickets and support the Trylon at https://www.trylon.org/. Theme: "Raindrops" by Huma-Huma/"No Smoking" PSA by John Waters. Outro music: “The Eagle’s Song II” by Isaac Schwartz from the DERSU UZALA soundtrack. Timestamps 0:00 - Episode 159: DERSU UZALA (1975) 03:27 - The Patented Capitan Summary 5:52 - Jason’s thoughts 12:27 - Cody’s thoughts 18:51 - Harry’s thoughts 28:30 - Aaron’s thoughts 33:49 - The perspective we’re given as audience 38:33 - The Chinese man in the woods and the limits of empathy 49:46 - The effect of aging on self-determination 54:56 - The marriage of theme and form in DERSU UZALA 1:03:00 - Final thoughts 1:11:15 - Cody’s Noteys (Trylibs: Homies’ Adventure)