AI Imagined The Lord of the Rings As If Akira Kurosawa Directed It
Akira Kurosawa’s style is surprisingly very fitting for The Lord of the Rings.
The Lord of the Rings is one the most iconic book adaptations ever made. It’s been quite some time since the last movie, so maybe it’s time for a remake? There are many directors who can do justice to the series. But what if someone from the past century directed it?
A YouTube channel Schrödinger's Film Club suggested the legendary Akira Kurosawa to take the reins. Using AI, they managed to envision what The Lord of the Rings would look like if the Japanese filmmaker directed it.
For those who might not know, Akira Kurosawa is the grandmaster of cinema. Born in 1910 and having worked his magic till 1998, Kurosawa revolutionized not just Japanese cinema but had an immense influence worldwide.
Ever heard of Seven Samurai, Rashomon, or Yojimbo? Yup, those masterpieces are all Kurosawa's babies. Even Quentin Tarantino took a lot of inspiration from these movies.
Kurosawa's movies usually have a set of strong moral lessons or themes, often touching on stuff like honor, courage, and the struggles of ordinary people.
Tolkien's masterpiece has all the ingredients that Kurosawa loves: epic quests, deep characters, and big life lessons. The black and white images, generated with Midjourney AI, manage to transport The Lord of the Rings into a Japanese setting, and it actually works.
We can spot most of the beloved characters and some popular places in the movie. All in black and white, accompanied by Japanese music.
One of the most exciting aspects would be the potential influence of Samurai culture. Maybe Aragorn would be more like a wandering Ronin, while the Elven archers could be reminiscent of Samurai archers. The sword fights would be a blend of Western medieval and Japanese martial arts.
Most of the YouTube users who watched the video and left their opinions in the comments section, agreed that Kurosawa would've done a phenomenal job adapting Tolkien's book. It’s a shame we’ll never see this dream come true.
But who knows. Maybe one day, AI will become so advanced that it can create a whole movie in the style of different directors. It would be a game-changer.