Kurosawa

* Ironically, I had just watched one of Akira Kurosawa’s last films, “Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams,” a pictorial essay on death and redemption, when I heard about his death (obituary, Sept. 6).

The last segment was about a visitor to a small, idyllic village who meets an elderly man there. He tells the visitor about the “simple” life they enjoy in the village, which has no electricity or modern appliances. When a villager dies at an old age, they have a ceremony to celebrate the person’s life and accomplishments. Finally, he leaves the visitor to join a festive procession for an old woman who recently passed away.

Kurosawa has certainly left us with much to celebrate.

ALAN COLES

Long Beach