Since 2010 marks Akira Kurosawa’s centennial (100th birthday), we should be reminded of the things this man saw and endured during his lifetime which played a role in his filmmaking. The notorious atom bombs being the top of the list and, as such, a reoccurring theme throughout his career. Rhapsody In August is just such an example of the effect this horrific event had on the lives of the people who suffered through it. It seems only fitting that my final Kurosawa review will be of a later piece in his career.

For a history lesson and tour guide of the area, visit Jacob’s blog: Japan Travel Guide: Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The emotional effects of the bombings, and the physical sickness that followed, are more readily accessible for others to experience in Rhapsoy In August. Kurosawa’s evocative drama is an intimate portrait of what could possibly be his own feelings on the event, and it’s likely a shared sentiment throughout the country.

While their parents take a trip to Hawaii to visit an ailing relative, four children stay with their grandmother in a rural area on the other side of the hill from Nagasaki. The children begin to learn what their grandmother endured, having survived the bomb but losing her husband in Nagasaki. After hearing that their grandfather died at his school protecting the students, the children decide to take a trip into the city to visit the memorials and learn more about what transpired. Once the parents return, they must confront their fears and anger towards falsely-presumed American sentiment.

Kurosawa effectively conveys the horror of the bombs, but also the healing and growth of the survivors. One of Kurosawa’s most breathtaking moments is near the end when a Caucasian American relative apologizes to the grandmother for the tragedy of the bombs and she replies with love and forgiveness. Deeply emotional, poignant, and humbling, Rhapsody In August inspires everyone to take a look inside to realize the massive errors of nuclear war and hatred.

Rhapsody In August is so powerful that I’ve been an emotional mess since watching it a few days ago. In fact, it’s difficult to write about, and I find myself feeling a lot of guilt and anger that I never realized I harbored because of the bombs. Strangely enough, in the days since my mind has been wracked with emotions and images, references to the bombs have been popping up in the most unlikely of places. Last night it was the topic on my favorite radio show, Coast to Coast AM, and today at church during a presentation on emergency preparedness was a photo of a mushroom cloud.

The effects of the bombs are wide-spread and have permeated history for the course of generations, so much so that it is still relevant today. It’s clear to see why Kurosawa was able to so easily convey the true emotions of the WWII Japanese survivors in Rhapsody In August.