Director Akira Kurosawa is known for his epics, and this Russian-Japanese co-production was one of the most sweeping of his long and brilliant career. Metaphorically, the story of the crafty, stodgy hunter who teaches a Russian about the land and its animals evokes the bankruptcy of colonialism. Physically, it is one of the most impressive filmed testaments to the majesty of nature. Breathtaking cinematography makes the Siberia-Mongolian frontier the real star of this slow-moving, proud, and unconventional buddy film. Kurosawa has made more accessible films in plot and structure, but the rugged beauty of this work is unsurpassed in his canon.