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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Why did Akira choose to leave the Proletariat Artists League?
(a) It didn't pay enough.
(b) He did not agree with its politics.
(c) He was more talented than his colleagues.
(d) It though he was a government agent.

2. In what year did Kurosawa begin shooting Sugata Sanshiro?
(a) 1954.
(b) 1949.
(c) 1933.
(d) 1942.

3. Which Kurosawa film is not discussed in SOMETHING LIKE AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY?
(a) One Wonderful Sunday.
(b) Sugata Sanshiro.
(c) Ran.
(d) Drunken Angel.

4. Why was Akira angered the first time he saw Rashomon on television?
(a) Its widescreen was cut down.
(b) It was not as good as he remembered.
(c) It was editted for time.
(d) His name was left off the credits.

5. What settled the debate regarding the cutting of the scene?
(a) A drinking contest.
(b) A treat of firing.
(c) An actors' strike.
(d) A court order.

6. What did Naruse Mikio use to build a scene?
(a) A single, extended shot.
(b) One establishing shot, and some closeups.
(c) Many short shots.
(d) Voiceover.

7. Where did Kurosawa choose to shoot the fight scene from Sugata Sanshiro?
(a) On a mountain.
(b) On a soundstage.
(c) On the roof of his house.
(d) In a thick forested area.

8. At the beginning of this section, what does Kurosawa has been a struggle for him?
(a) Maintaining a diet.
(b) Staying on good terms with his actors.
(c) Controlling his temper.
(d) Getting funding.

9. Who became terrified when they happened upon the shoot of Sugata Sanshiro, Part II?
(a) A group of skiers.
(b) A group of elders.
(c) A group of campers.
(d) A women's society.

10. What is the primary memory Kuosawa has of a Yamamoto Kajiro set?
(a) Fear of firing.
(b) Sleeplessness.
(c) Serenity.
(d) Chaos.

11. In An Alleyway in the Floating World, what bothered Akira about his brother's tenement?
(a) It is in a Korean area of town,
(b) It is barely ventilated.
(c) It is incredibly overpriced.
(d) It is riddled with crime.

12. What happened to Akira and his wife's first house?
(a) It burned in a brush fire.
(b) It collapsed in an earthquake.
(c) It was condemned by the state.
(d) It was bombed.

13. When does Kurosawa traditionally use the song The Cuckoo Waltz in his films?
(a) When a character is falling asleep.
(b) When a character is distraught.
(c) When a character is elated.
(d) When a character is killed.

14. Which on-set worker was moved to tears while filming the final scene of The Quiet Duel?
(a) The makeup girl.
(b) The script supervisor.
(c) The assistant director.
(d) The cameraman.

15. What was Yaguchi Yoko's job on The Most Beautiful?
(a) Actress.
(b) Art director.
(c) Head of makeup.
(d) Assistant director.

Short Answer Questions

1. How old was Kurosawa when he got married?

2. What terrifying job did Yamamoto Kajiro give Akira as chief assistant?

3. According to Kurosawa at the end of this section, what is the key to getting good work from actors?

4. What is the PCL?

5. Akira Kurosawa cannot recall the name of which of these influential people?

(see the answer keys)

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