<P> Kurosawa now turned to a more conventional story with Rhapsody in August--the director's first film fully produced in Japan since Dodeskaden over twenty years before--which explored the scars of the nuclear bombing which destroyed Nagasaki at the very end of World War II . It was adapted from a Kiyoko Murata novel, but the film's references to the Nagasaki bombing came from the director rather than from the book . This was his only movie to include a role for an American movie star: Richard Gere, who plays a small role as the nephew of the elderly heroine . Shooting took place in early 1991, with the film opening on 25 May that year to a largely negative critical reaction, especially in the United States, where the director was accused of promulgating naïvely anti-American sentiments, though Kurosawa rejected these accusations . </P> <P> Kurosawa wasted no time moving onto his next project: Madadayo, or Not Yet . Based on autobiographical essays by Hyakken Uchida, the film follows the life of a Japanese professor of German through the Second World War and beyond . The narrative centers on yearly birthday celebrations with his former students, during which the protagonist declares his unwillingness to die just yet--a theme that was becoming increasingly relevant for the film's 81 - year - old creator . Filming began in February 1992 and wrapped by the end of September . Its release on April 17, 1993, was greeted by an even more disappointed reaction than had been the case with his two preceding works . </P> <P> Kurosawa nevertheless continued to work . He wrote the original screenplays The Sea is Watching in 1993 and After the Rain in 1995 . While putting finishing touches on the latter work in 1995, Kurosawa slipped and broke the base of his spine . Following the accident, he would use a wheelchair for the rest of his life, putting an end to any hopes of him directing another film . His longtime wish--to die on the set while shooting a movie--was never to be fulfilled . </P> <P> After his accident, Kurosawa's health began to deteriorate . While his mind remained sharp and lively, his body was giving up, and for the last half - year of his life, the director was largely confined to bed, listening to music and watching television at home . On September 6, 1998, Kurosawa died of a stroke in Setagaya, Tokyo, at the age of 88 . At the time of his death, Kurosawa had two children, his son Hisao Kurosawa who married Hiroko Hayashi and his daughter Kazuko Kurosawa who married Harayuki Kato, along with several grandchildren . One of his grandchildren, the actor Takayuki Kato and grandson by Kazuko, became a supporting actor in two films posthumously developed from screenplays written by Kurosawa which remained unproduced during his own lifetime, Takashi Koizumi's After the Rain (1999) and Kei Kumai's The Sea is Watching (2002). </P>

The western is one of the youngest film genres