The Martin Scorcese ..... /JAPAN episode
Sharp Tongue
> Contact the ABC, although I seriously doubt it will be. It looks like it
> will be a long series, and it may turn out that the US component was the
> most intersting. (The Japanese component was disappointing
I'd say, by turns, bewildering, confusing, fascinating, promising much and
delivering something entirely different. Rather like the Japanese
themselves........
>, ignoring
> both anime and, to my amazement, Akira Kurosawa
AK wasn't ignored (clips from 7 Samurai and another I can't recall were
shown), but he certainly wasn't given in-depth coverage.
But don't forget, AK is not highly regarded in Japan, even by other
directors.
chacmul
Sorry about the delayed response to this, I only just discovered this
was a response to me!
On 10 Sep 1997 14:21:17 GMT, "Sharp Tongue" <and...@adl.auslink.net>
demonstrated remarkable alacrity by actually posting the following:
>> Contact the ABC, although I seriously doubt it will be. It looks like it
>> will be a long series, and it may turn out that the US component was the
>> most intersting. (The Japanese component was disappointing
>I'd say, by turns, bewildering, confusing, fascinating, promising much and
>delivering something entirely different. Rather like the Japanese
>themselves........
IMO, the Japanese director whose personal journey the documentary became
was just a tad self-obsessed. He showed virtually everything he had a
hand in and covered a lot of the "new wave" of Japanese films from the
sixties onward (which he had a leading role in, apparently) but, sadly
for me, not much of what I know (ie Kurosawa).
After a while, I started getting fed up with his coverage of himself and
was wishing he would cover a little more of the range of film his
country did. I gathered that he was not all that fond of "traditional"
Japanese cinema and was much more enthusiastic about modernistic,
westernised films.
>>, ignoring
>> both anime and, to my amazement, Akira Kurosawa
>AK wasn't ignored (clips from 7 Samurai and another I can't recall were
>shown), but he certainly wasn't given in-depth coverage.
I recall Seven Samurai having a still shown on screen, but I don't
remember any others being shown. Unfortunately, he really didn't have
anything to say about the film. I was hoping to here a bit about Judo
Saga or Yojimbo (which Sergio Leone refilmed as A Fistful of Dollars) or
Rashomon (brilliant film) or Throne of Blood or any of the other
seminal, brilliant films Kurosawa did.
>But don't forget, AK is not highly regarded in Japan, even by other
>directors.
As I realised. Hard to understand, really.
Anime is popular in Japan, however, and many of the films are quite well
made. The director's lack of coverage represents one of two things - a
general lack of respect for animation amongst film directors in Japan or
(more likely IMO) a total lack of interest in the topic by the director
who was apparently doing a documentary with himself as the primary
focus.
...W
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Warren Tully Chacmul <kla...@connexus.apana.org.au%DELETE_THIS>
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chacmul (kla...@connexus.apana.org.au%DELETE_THIS) wrote:
:
: Sorry about the delayed response to this, I only just discovered this
: was a response to me!
This isn't addressed to me, but I'm going to jump in anyway.
: IMO, the Japanese director whose personal journey the documentary became
: was just a tad self-obsessed. He showed virtually everything he had a
: hand in and covered a lot of the "new wave" of Japanese films from the
: sixties onward (which he had a leading role in, apparently) but, sadly
: for me, not much of what I know (ie Kurosawa).
I didn't realise this also was a "personal" view, since I missed the
beginning, but in hindsight, it seemed to be in keeping with the Scorcese
part of the series.
: After a while, I started getting fed up with his coverage of himself and
: was wishing he would cover a little more of the range of film his
: country did. I gathered that he was not all that fond of "traditional"
: Japanese cinema and was much more enthusiastic about modernistic,
: westernised films.
I disagree here. What is traditional Japanese cinema anyway? To most
people in the West, traditional Japanese cinema IS Kurosawa. I found it
personally refreshing to discover there were other filmakers making
vastly different films.
IMO Kurosawa is the most "western" of the Japanese filmakers, and I
believe he has been criticised at home for being such. His
films have been based on Shakespeare (Ran, Throne of Blood) and an Ed
McBain novel (Only the bad sleep well).
: I recall Seven Samurai having a still shown on screen, but I don't
: remember any others being shown. Unfortunately, he really didn't have
: anything to say about the film. I was hoping to here a bit about Judo
: Saga or Yojimbo (which Sergio Leone refilmed as A Fistful of Dollars) or
: Rashomon (brilliant film) or Throne of Blood or any of the other
: seminal, brilliant films Kurosawa did.
Watch SBS more. They have shown _most_ of his oeuvre. Besides which,
anything that needs saying about Kurosawa, I'm sure, has already been
said. As I've said before, I found it fascinating to discover Japanese
film goes a LOT deeper than it's most famous personage.
: >But don't forget, AK is not highly regarded in Japan, even by other
: >directors.
:
: As I realised. Hard to understand, really.
Well, if Jane Campion just made Hollywood style flicks, and even if they
won loads of awards, I'm sure she'd still be attacked for not being
Australian (or New Zealander) enough. Let's face it, Rashomon is firmly
Italian neo-realism (IMO of course), and the others are basically
Hollywood westerns. Popular? Yes. Good? Of course. But nothing to
differentiate Japanese cinema as an indiviual entity in the way Jane
Campion (again as an example) does for Australia and New Zealand.
: Anime is popular in Japan, however, and many of the films are quite well
: made. The director's lack of coverage represents one of two things - a
: general lack of respect for animation amongst film directors in Japan or
: (more likely IMO) a total lack of interest in the topic by the director
: who was apparently doing a documentary with himself as the primary
: focus.
:
In the same way Scorcese didn't mention Disney or Warner Brothers in his
bit. Let's face it- the whole series was about personal observations and
opinions. The only reason some of us ;) are complaining is that we
_like_ Martin and _liked_ the films he showed us, but can't say the same
for the other guy.
This doesn't make the latter's episode any better or worse, it's just a
matter of taste. I personally would have preferred seeing a program about
a number of different (if not particularly good) films than a Kurosawa
Akira tribute special.
ts