Study On The Zen Aesthetic In Films Of Akira Kurosawa

Since being imported from China, “Zen”(Dhyana sect) has now infiltrated into every part of Japan, especially in the area of artistic and aesthetic consciousness.Japanese director Akira Kurosawa is known as "the Japanese Movie Emperor". In his work, many kinds of influences from Zen can be observed. This thesis is a research on these influences. In this study, his movies are unscrambled from the view of the conception of nature and life in Zen. Also the modernity of this works and their effect to the global movies are well analyzed.In the first chapter, the history of Zen has been overviewed. By the spread of Buddhism from India to China, Dhyana sect became a unique religious culture—Zen.Then, from east part of China, Zen was brought to Japan. After being mixed together with many local cultures, a particular branch of Buddhism named “Zen” was generated.In the second chapter, the relationship of Zen culture and the aesthetic standard in Kurosawa’s work are explained, so as the effect of Zen literature in his produce life.In the third chapter, the object which containing specially meaning in Zen such as flower, moon, rain and forest are studied in the conception of nature and life in Zen.The idea of “sex is nature, everything obeys nature” is also discussed in this chapter.In the third chapter, the view of life in Zen is studied by the ways of effect to the Bushido’s dead conception, Jisho own degree and “impermanence”. The role shaping and affection distillation are also being affected by the idea of “alive equals dead, life and death are all impermanence” in his movies.Lastly, the influences which Kurosawa brought to the world have been studied.The dissection on humanity and the fall of our society in his movies are explained according to the modernity which showed in his works. In addition, the introspection and cultivation he brought to all the film artists are well discussed.In summary, the Kurosawa’s movies have been studied from the view of Zen aesthetics. Some of the blank in the study of Kurosawa’s movies was filled. A new view in the study of study of Kurosawa’s movies was announced. In this thesis, somespecial elements such as Japanese culture, philosophy, Japanese literature, and bushido were put in to the study of movies and Zen aesthetics. This would be very helpful in the religious consciousness to the creation of Japanese film art.