Japanese Filmmaking

Interested in the history of Japanese Filmmaking? You should be. Some of the most timeless films have come from Japan, and filmmakers from around the world have cited many Japanese Filmmakers and their films as major influences. Here’s a snapshot of filmmakers that you should be thinking of next time you are browsing the rental list.

Akira Kurosawa (1910 – 1998): Japanese Filmmaking is almost entirely synonymous with this man. His films have influenced everyone from Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and countless others. His most famous films have all been remade (sometimes shot for shot) for Western audiences – Seven Samurai (1954) remade into The Magnificent Seven, Yojimbo (1961) remade into A Fist Full of Dollars, The Hidden Fortress (1958) inspired Star Wars! – and you’ll quickly see why.

Yasujiro Ozu (1903 – 1963): Ozu is often cited as the most ‘Japanese’ of Japanese directors. While Kurosawa’s films were very ‘western’, using a lot of camera movement, Ozu’s films are very still, understated, and precious. His films also entirely focused on the day to day life of the Japanese – if you’re going to pick one to start with, then Tokyo Story (1953), about an elderly couple visiting their grown children in Tokyo, is as insightful as any film you’ll see about the parent-child relationships. Wim Wenders (Wings of Desire) loved Ozu so much he made a documentary about him called Tokyo-ga.

Kenji Mizoguchi (1898 – 1956): Mizoguchi’s most memorable films were his ‘jidai-geki’, a genre of Japanese filmmaking that basically dealt with Feudal Japan (the equivalent of our ‘period pieces’). His most elegant masterpieces were the films The Life of Oharu (1952) and Ugetsu Monogatari (1953) both of which garnered international acclaim by winning awards at the Venice Film Festival. If you’re looking for period films that are not about samurai, these films are a sure bet.

The best way to learn about Japanese filmmaking is to watch films. Don’t just leave it up to the Tarantino’s of the world to filter it through to you. You’ll find it incredibly fulfilling to see some great films, and perhaps even see its influence on contemporary films as well. Obviously, we’ve barely scratched the surface. Next time, we’ll delve into more recent Japanese films that would be worth your while to see.