Akira Kurosawa painting on set of Dodes’ka-den (1970)

Akira Kurosawa painting on set of Dodes’ka-den (1970). Unknown photographer. Thank you Tarun Neo for your contribution.

Daisaku Kimura, first assistant cameraman on Dodes’ka-den: I thought he would be demanding about getting the colors he wanted, but he said nothing about that. On Dodes’ka-den, what he did was to use color without relying on the film stock itself. He painted every object to be filmed. He didn’t trust the film stock. He painted everything. The sunset in the film was created on a soundstage. He told us to paint it however we liked, so I joined in. But when Kurosawa tells you to paint, it makes you nervous. He was an artist himself, so everyone was nervous. But he said not to worry, to be like kids painting picture books, so we went ahead.

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