This is an original Japanese B2 poster printed in 1991 for Akira Kurosawa’s late-period drama Rhapsody in August—a reflective work about memory, family, and the long shadow of Nagasaki. Led by veteran actress Sachiko Murase, with a supporting turn by Richard Gere, the film extends Kurosawa’s humanist concerns into the Heisei era, pairing lyrical natural imagery with quiet, moral inquiry. Music by Shinichirō Ikebe.
Film background
Adapted from a contemporary Japanese novel, the story observes four grandchildren spending a summer with their grandmother, whose recollections of the atomic bombing ripple through the family—bridging Japan and relatives in the United States. Premiering in 1991, it stands as one of Kurosawa’s most tender, contemplative meditations on remembrance and reconciliation.
Poster design
There are two B2 styles of poster for this film, this is the much rarer one!
A serene, minimalist composition: the upper field reproduces Georgia O’Keeffe’s painting “New Mexican Landscape” (credit printed at the image border), its dune-like hills echoing the film’s elegiac calm. Beneath the picture window sits a solitary line of copy—「なんだか おわりな 夏でした……」 (“Somehow, it felt like the summer had ended…”). The expansive white ground leads the eye to the elegant, widely spaced Japanese title 「八月の狂詩曲（ラプソディー）」, with the English credits cluster at right listing General Producer: Toru Okuyama and Directed by AKIRA KUROSAWA. The restrained layout and art-historical reference signal the film’s contemplative tone rather than commercial spectacle.
Condition
Excellent condition. Please review the photos; they show the exact poster for sale.
This poster is an original Japanese theatrical B2 from the 1991 first-release campaign.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
It is over 34 years old!
Certificate of Authenticity included.
