Post by Aj_June on Jul 7, 2018 9:32:25 GMT
Despite being regarded as one of the great masters of Japanese cinema his films are mostly little known. Uchida directed his first film in 1922, and he soon became known for directing keiko eiga (leftist “tendency” films), films that have social critique and a progressive tone. Decades later he made an acclaimed widely recognized work, one of his last films, the outstanding crime drama, Kiga Kaikyo , A Fugitive from the Past (1965)
Tsuchi Uchida's best known pre-war film is widely regarded a masterpiece of cinematic realism. the stunning film however transcends the boundaries of reality, a virtuosic stylist Uchida masterly composed a richly textured humanist drama of profound dimension. Translated as Earth the film is an epic compelling portrait .Shot against austere landscapes it tells of the lives of peasant farmers in northern Japan's rugged and remote Tohoku region , and in particular the story closely follows the plight of one poor family. Interwoven are scenes of traditional cultural ritual, juxtaposed against the backdrop of heartbreaking hardship sublimely beautiful scenes capture life toiling the fields, workers planting and harvesting rice, a mesmerizing shot of tall grains in the wind no doubt inspired Shindo... Uchida's detailed chronicle of peasant life was somewhat tempered than his original intention it nevertheless remains a graphic provoking portrait. The ambitious project was to be a film critique of capitalism, he wanted to show how the poor struggle to live, in order to demonstrate for progressive change. But censorship issues complicated production, any openly leftist analysis of the class system was out of the question at this time in Japan, and against the studios wishes the film was secretly completed on location using each weekend over the course of a year.
Viewed was a seriously compromised print which was discovered in Germany in 1968. It is such a travesty that Tsuchi had been lost damaged and neglected , with striking imagery in every frame, a pristine print would undoubtedly be hailed as a masterpiece of Classic World Cinema . But what a thrill of discovery classic film can be , absorbed by the sheer beauty during one particular scene, the music the motion, I suddenly found myself overcome with emotion, tears of wondrous joy ran down my cheeks ..
Highly Recommended the films of Japanese Master, Tomu Uchida his chosen stage name "Tomu" translates .. "To spit out dreams".