Rhapsody in August 1991

Vincent Canby, New York Times: Mr. Gere gives a good, self-effacing performance in a role that's a little unreal. He speaks his own Japanese dialogue easily and is at the center of one of Mr. Kurosawa's most breathtaking moments. Read more

Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader: A beautiful reminder from octogenarian Akira Kurosawa that he's still the master. Read more

Michael Sragow, New Yorker: These days, people are more interested in Kurosawa than he is in being Kurosawa. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: It is not one of his great films, but shows him thoughtfully trying to come to peace with the central event of his times. Read more

Geoff Andrew, Time Out: There's more narrative movement here than in Dreams, but the pedagogic humanism still gets bogged down in facile simplification. Read more

Hal Hinson, Washington Post: A delicately nuanced film about remembrance -- so delicate, perhaps, that it's not terribly memorable itself. Read more

Desson Thomson, Washington Post: Plain and simple, Rhapsody is mediocre pap. It's nothing compared with his previous work. Read more