South Africa had very poor repertory distribution. I didn't find out about Akira Kurosawa and Tarkovsky and Werner Herzog until I got to the U.K.

Richard Stanley

I think Kurosawa was one of the first storytelling geniuses who began to change the narrative structure of films.

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu

The expected vertical line of Ikiru's narrative breaks when Kurosawa does a flash-forward in the middle of the film.

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu

I am inspired by both Japanese Samurai films, in particular the films of Kurosawa, and how they share the spirit of American Westerns, with the influences running in both directions, and including the 'Spaghetti Westerns' and films of Sam Peckinpah.

Ann Nocenti

I'm a huge lover of 'Seven Samurai' and anything Kurosawa ever did. The comedic work out of Japan in terms of martial arts movies, some of them are hilarious.

Ann Nocenti

You see an absolutely brilliant film later, as an adult, and you walk out thinking about what to have for dinner. Whereas something like Jaws winds up having a huge effect on me. If only my parents had been taking me to Kurosawa films when I was eight, but no.

Ann Patchett

Being a kid growing up with Kurosawa films and watching Sergio Leone movies just made me love what it could do to you, and how it could influence you - make you dream.

Antoine Fuqua

Kurosawa is the sensei, the Shakespeare, of filmmaking.

Antoine Fuqua

My favorite Tyler Perry movie? Ugh, how can you decide? For me, it's basically like: Kurosawa, Tyler Perry, Martin Scorsese, in that order.

Billy Eichner

In Kurosawa's films, the tragedy is that this strong man was crushed by corruption or mistrust at the end.

Claire Denis

Akira Kurosawa, David Lean and Alfred Hitchcock were the main inspirations for 'Samurai Jack,' along with a lot of '70s cinema.

Genndy Tartakovsky

My love of visual sequences stems from live-action films like Sergio Leone westerns, Kurosawa, some '70s action films, Tex Avery, and my general love of animated movement.

Genndy Tartakovsky

For many years, my favorite director has been the Japanese giant Akira Kurosawa.

Henry Rollins

I was influenced by Ray Harryhausen and Lotte Reiniger, with her twitchy, cutout animation, which I happened to see at a very young age, but also by the Warner Bros. cartoons, 'Tom and Jerry,' and of course Disney. And also by Fellini's 'Giulietta of the Spirits' and Kurosawa's 'Ran.' And by other American illustrators and painters.

Henry Selick

Now I want to make it plain that 'The Virgin Spring' must be regarded as an aberration. It's touristic, a lousy imitation of Kurosawa.

Ingmar Bergman

I'm a huge fan of Akira Kurosawa, a big Hitchcock fan.

Jennifer Lynch

I was in Japan, and my assistant director had worked with Kurosawa. I used quite of number of Kurosawa's crew.

John Boorman

There's this guy: his name, Sedik Ali. He's like the African Kurosawa. You know how Kurosawa does stuff from feudal Japan? This guy does the feudal system of Africa.

John Singleton

There's something very simple and contemplative about 'John Wick' - what is interesting is that it looks like it was based on an Akira Kurosawa movie.

Keegan-Michael Key

The movies that made me want to make movies were action movies, and thrillers, and Kurosawa films, you know, where you have an opportunity every day to shoot it in an unusual way. I was looking for something like that.

Lawrence Kasdan

The term 'giant' is used too often to describe artists. But in the case of Akira Kurosawa, we have one of the rare instances where the term fits.

Martin Scorsese