Akira Kurosawa's Dreams
My disappointment with many takes on this film must be addressed, first and foremost. The most common complaint I've seen regarding this gorgeous bit of cinema is that from an Anglican standpoint, the folk tales and history touched upon isn't accessible. Where a Japanese audience would be familiar with the folklore concerning foxes and ghosts, these stories aren't ingrained in our particular society.
I disagree with this. Within the film, there are 8 "dreams" (3 of which are nightmares) explored through film, all having taken places at different times in Kurosawa's life. If one were willing to, for the duration of the film, simply suspend their disbelief, I feel that it's a work which can stand on its own, with or without previously held knowledge about Japanese society; I personally know little to nothing about Japanese society and still greatly appreciated the effort as a whole.
There are some shots which particularly take ones' breath away. See for example the cover, a still from the first dream segment, Sunshine Through the Rain. In this shot, the young boy has gone to find the foxes (kitsune) who live beneath a rainbow. I won't spoil how this came about for anyone interested in the film, but shots of that nature, and certain bits of each individual piece shine as a total aesthetic treat.
This movie is pretty, in addition to having moments of surreal fantasy, intense sadness, terror, futility, and a whole gamut of the human experience. Some have argued previously that using ones' own dreams in art is self-indulgent. Maybe so, and maybe not - I do believe, however, that in this film it was just as enjoyable for the viewer as it was cathartic and special for the director.