What are all of Kurosawa’s innovations?

[u/Alcatrazepam]

*Akira, to be clear, not Kyoshi who I also love deeply (whom?)

For example , I understand he is credited with the invention of the “buddy cop” film with “Stray Dog.” Many people also credit him with the invention of the “action film” with Seven Samurai. Perhaps the most famous and undisputed example is the story structure used in Rashomon (and maybe the most overtly referenced in popular culture). The man was clearly a genius and is still ahead of his time so I feel there must be other examples of innovations. Do any come to mind for you? Which are your favorites?

[u/Necessary_Monsters]

In terms of technique, two things he at least popularized were wipes to transition between scenes and using a series of jump cuts where another filmmaker would use a track in or track out.

Was he the very first filmmaker to ever use these techniques? I'm not sure, but they became visual signatures for him.

Many people also credit him with the invention of the “action film” with Seven Samurai.

Honestly, I'd push back against this. I'm really not sure you could say that Seven Samurai is definitely more of an action movie than, say, any number of pre-1954 Hollywood war or western movies. I've seen the argument that The Great Train Robbery (1903) represents the beginning of action cinema.

[u/michaelavolio → u/Necessary_Monsters]

I don't think I've ever seen Seven Samurai called the first action movie, but rather the first "putting a team together to go on a mission" movie. There are direct remakes like The Magnificent Seven, quasi-remakes like A Bug's Life, and countless stuff that has a similar premise, like The Dirty Dozen.

[u/Necessary_Monsters → u/michaelavolio]

OP claimed that it's generally credited as the first action movie.

I don't think I've ever seen Seven Samurai called the first action movie, but rather the first "putting a team together to go on a mission" movie. 

To be fair, you have heist movies like The Asphalt Jungle that predate it; that movie is definitely about assembling a team of people with the right skills for the mission.

[u/michaelavolio → u/Necessary_Monsters]

I meant I've never seen anyone before this post claim Seven Samurai was the first action movie. I did read the post before reading your comment on it. ;)

Good point about heist movies, that's true. I love the way The Asphalt Jungle structures all those introductions - we meet one character, through whom we meet another, and then we meet another one or two through one of them, and maybe another through one of the first couple, and another through the fourth or fifth, etc. It's a lot of characters to meet in the first act of the film - the corrupt cop, his boss, all the guys involved in the heist, including the guys supposedly working on the funding, plus the rich guy's mistress... which is a total of what, like ten characters? Something like that. All in probably ten or fifteen minutes.

[u/Alcatrazepam → u/michaelavolio]

Just to be clear I did not claim it was the first action film, but have heard some have accredit it as such. I tried to imply that other examples could be disputed when I mentioned Rashomon. Several people seem to be under the impression that I am making the claims but I’m only asking about them. I most likely didn’t communicate that well enough, so my apologies on that one.

I love your comment, and all of the others. I just love film so much it makes me happy to see such thoughtful conversation between other enthusiasts. It helps remind me of why I actually like the internet sometimes but I am digressing. Thank you

[u/michaelavolio → u/Alcatrazepam]

Oh, thanks so much - that's very kind of you to say!

I understood you were saying you had heard someone else say it was the first action movie, I'd just never heard anyone claim that before, as far as I can remember, haha.