Akira Kurosawa's Dreams

Just like real REM sleep this film takes you through a series of languid dreams, some breathtakingly beautiful, weird and atmospheric and others more like nightmares - bleak and chilling. This is pure visual escapism and definitely worth watching just for that.

This is a stunning movie; I was transfixed for the entire time it was on. The scenes are beautifully crafted, conveying the varying emotions of each 'dream' wonderfully. An absolute masterpiece. (but don't watch it if you're in the mood for something easy and light-hearted)

Definitely not for 'everyone', you really have to be in the zone for this. If you've just woken up from a strange dream confused, you'll appreciate this. Visuals are great and the conversion of the twisted connections present in dreams and nightmare have been reproduced fantastically, by which I mean that YOU have to fill in the blanks that cannot be recreated on film but are only ever present in your un-filtered consciousness.

It's not fair to give this a bad review because it is not the film which is at fault. I was looking for something to watch after 3am one night (/morning) and within minutes I had to find something else because I knew I wasn't in the right state to appreciate this film. So, I decided to return when I was ready for it. You really, really have to be tuned in for this.

For example, try watching this after you have seen/re-seen 'What Dreams May Come' starring Robin Williams and you'll get more from it. You have to watch this film from that dreamy, fantastical perspective which you experience when you drift between a dream state and waking-up state but are not completely present in either, or are fighting off consciousness to go back to the illogical and insane dream world you would rather be in.

An understanding of the Japanese perspective on life and morality will also help you appreciate this more and allow you to superimpose your own reality onto or underneath the presentation with the appropriate reference(s) from your life. I'm not surprised to see unfair criticism and rejection from the first dream, maybe the dreams are more readily understood if the 'English' viewer approaches it from an 'Alice In Wonderland' perspective. There is no hard and fast rule to this movie and the content, that is the point, like a dream, it is open to interpretation and the true relevance can only be digested by the individual who provides the source material from their vast archive of life experience.

Before you write it off, ask yourself this question: 'How would I convey and direct that amazing dream I had last week with my HD camera?'

It's far easier to criticise than create.

strange and pointless, really believe me I watched this wanting a bit of strange at 2. 30 in the morning and a bit of beauty but instead I got this. The stories are short that is the good side and OK acted even the little people (children). Do not think that the first story will have a ending at the end of the film as I did or I would have just turned it off after the 2nd film, I ended up turning it off at the 4th story just could not handle any more of the pointless stories.

This is one of the finest of all Kurosawa's films.

If you like dreams;you'll love 'Dreams'!

The film is pure beautiful art.

While watching this you'll either think you're asleep having the best (& worst)

of dreams or you're having a very strange day dream.

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