Classic Japanese Cinema Discussion Thread
Jul 20, 2018 1:28:56 GMT
spiderwort, petrolino, and 1 more like this
Post by manfromplanetx on Jul 20, 2018 1:28:56 GMT
Nagisa Oshima had a unique and original cinematic vision, drawing his inspiration almost entirely from within the modern setting. Towards the late 60s he produced three extraordinary films produced by the independent production company The Art Theatre Guild. Kou Shikei , Death by Hanging , Shonen , Boy and Tokyo Senso Sengo Hiwa , The Man Who Left His Will on Film.
Shonen , Boy (1969)
Inspired by a notorious news headline from 1966, Boy tells the story of an itinerant, struggling Japanese couple who subsist by carefully executing traffic accidents, which enable them to extort money from alarmed & anxious drivers. Realizing the profitable benefits of using their young son, they train him up to fake injury also by jumping in front of moving cars.
An absorbing tale of modern Japanese desperation, Oshima paints an intricate canvas , masterly composed with superb cinematography, a pensive screenplay, amazing location shooting, and outstanding characterizations.
The film has a remarkable multi layered dimension, it is a brilliant reflective social and psychological insight of the times, of the family unit.
Carrying the emotional burden of the film with an astonishing performance is 10 year old Tetsuo Abe . Absolutely perfectly cast. Oshima's crew went to great lengths to find the right boy. At first they began interviewing young actors but soon took their search to the streets, and into children’s homes where Abe was eventually found.
Due to his own personal experience & situation, he himself was an orphan who had been abandoned by his stepmother, young Abe was able to express like no other, a worldly, street wise wisdom way beyond his years.
A wonderful aspect is joining along with families road trip which travels the length of Japan, highlighted for me, with a stunning wintery visit to the Northern tip of Hokkaido , looking out over the Sea of Okhotsk.
The transient lifestyle of the family was endured by the film crew, they travel and live the family’s vagabond life, filming in the most unlikely of situations and in all manner of environmental extremes. Highly Recommended !!
Shonen , Boy (1969)
Inspired by a notorious news headline from 1966, Boy tells the story of an itinerant, struggling Japanese couple who subsist by carefully executing traffic accidents, which enable them to extort money from alarmed & anxious drivers. Realizing the profitable benefits of using their young son, they train him up to fake injury also by jumping in front of moving cars.
An absorbing tale of modern Japanese desperation, Oshima paints an intricate canvas , masterly composed with superb cinematography, a pensive screenplay, amazing location shooting, and outstanding characterizations.
The film has a remarkable multi layered dimension, it is a brilliant reflective social and psychological insight of the times, of the family unit.
Carrying the emotional burden of the film with an astonishing performance is 10 year old Tetsuo Abe . Absolutely perfectly cast. Oshima's crew went to great lengths to find the right boy. At first they began interviewing young actors but soon took their search to the streets, and into children’s homes where Abe was eventually found.
Due to his own personal experience & situation, he himself was an orphan who had been abandoned by his stepmother, young Abe was able to express like no other, a worldly, street wise wisdom way beyond his years.
A wonderful aspect is joining along with families road trip which travels the length of Japan, highlighted for me, with a stunning wintery visit to the Northern tip of Hokkaido , looking out over the Sea of Okhotsk.
The transient lifestyle of the family was endured by the film crew, they travel and live the family’s vagabond life, filming in the most unlikely of situations and in all manner of environmental extremes. Highly Recommended !!