Japanese Cinema in the 1970s

[zedz]

Spinning out of an Off-Topic discussion in the 50s List Suggestions Thread about the glories of Japanese Cinema in the 1960s, and spurred by my ignorance:

It may partly be ignorance on my part, but there seems to be a really stark contrast with the 1970s, when so many of these filmmakers were drastically less active (or deceased). Actually, did any of the filmmakers mentioned maintain the same level and quality of output in the following decade?

This thread is about all the great Japanese films of the 1970s that have been overlooked, or about What Went Wrong (if Anything Did).

To start off, my jaundiced view depends partly on the passing of grand masters (no more Ozu and Naruse), partly on the production / funding difficulties of major auteurs (Kurosawa most obviously, who only manages to complete two films in the decade, but Suzuki also spends the decade in the wilderness), and partly on the marginalisation of key New Wavers (ATG runs out of steam, Imamura rtereats into television after the comparative failure of Profound Desire of the Gods, Teshigahara goes back to flower arranging).

Most of the great 70s films I can think off are 'last gasp' Japanese New Wave titles: the tail end of Oshima's dream run (The Man Who Left His Will on Film, The Ceremony - I see a drastic falling off of quality when he comes back with In the Realm of the Senses), Mujo, and several unseen films I have to take on trust (Yoshida's Heroic Purgatory and Coup d'Etat, Shinoda's Silence). And of course, Imamura comes back with a bang at the end of the seventies with Vengeance Is Mine.

Otherwise, my 70s viewing has been pretty sparse. Neither Kurosawa is a particular favourite, and Shinoda's Demon Pond, though colourful, was rather pallid alongside his best 60s work.

[Michael Kerpan]

Kei Kumai seems to have been a major figure in the 70s -- I am not very impressed with his talent, however. Yoshitaro Nomura also did lots of work in the 70s -- and I've liked what I've seen by him. Yoji Yamada really began to come into his own -- and did some of his best work in this decade (Kazoku, Home From the Sea, Yellow Handkerchief, etc.). The 70s also was probably Fukasaku's most important decade.

Terayama did much of his work in the 70s, including the famed (notorious) "Throw Away Your Books, Rally in the Streets".

Shinoda was still turning out nice work -- Buraikan, Silence, Ballad of Orin, Under the Blossoming Cherry Trees. Yoshida was active during the beginning of the decade. Masumura was still at work. Ichikawa turned out relatively minor work. Kobayashi did a few films -- but I know little about these.

The 70s was when Japanese animation began to grow important -- with both major series (Heidi) and feature films (Belladonna, Castle of Cagliostro).

Series films were important (Tora-san, Zatoichi, Hanzo, etc.). Television tie-ins (like Kamen Rider. Ultraman) also proliferated. Hasebe was making exploitation films (Stray Cat Rock, Female Prisoner Scorpion)

[colinr0380]

This is an area I'm not that familiar with, but would it be right to suggest that the major Japanese studios retreated from more artistic fare? For example Nikkatsu completely devoting its resources to 'Roman Porno' films from 1971 to 1988? Or the Tora-san movies by Yôji Yamada on the family side of things? Add to that the passing of some of the great masters, the blacklisting of Seijun Suzuki, and the failure of the company Kurosawa started with Kinoshita, Kobayashi and Ichikawa after Do-Des'Ka-Den and there seems to have been a huge shake up of Japanese cinema. Oshima seems to have continued (although I haven't seen many of his films at all yet) working in television it seems.

Kinji Fukasaku also seemed to get through the decade, with the first half taken up by his Battles Without Honour And Humanity series and Under The Flag Of The Rising Sun in 1972.

In the 80s Juzo Itami appeared and of course that decade introduced Shinya Tsukamoto.

I'd be interested in finding out whether the above was an accurate representation of Japanese cinema in the 70s - it should only be seen as the impression I currently have of it!

A Midnight Eye article on the Art Theatre Guild seems to chart the decline:

After 1970 however, the end of the 'season of politics' was declared, and many filmmakers involved in the joint struggle were forced into a difficult position. Oshima stopped making films about the present after Dear Summer Sister (Natsu no Imoto, 1972), Yoshida became distanced from the film world after Coup d'Etat (1973), and although Wakamatsu continued to shoot pink films, his films were never the same again after Adachi left for Palestine after writing his last scenario, Ecstacy of the Angels.

In 1970 after the surfacing of underground culture that went along with the Osaka International Exposition's extolling of progress and development, many went their separate ways-some became active in commercial films, those opposed went abroad to make films, others relegated themselves to experiments in conceptual art and experimental film, some tried to carve out a path in television, and others quit film altogether. From the late 1970s many withdrew into a vacuous postmodern theory of media away from the theory of information, the successor of the theory of landscape.

At the same time, around 1972, ATG itself was forced to change direction and began making films with the masters and directors of the five large film companies: Music (Ongaku, 1972) with Daiei's Yasuzo Masumura, Aesthetics of a Bullet (Teppodama no Bigaku, 1973) with Toei's Sadao Nakajima, The Wanderers (Matatabi, 1973) with Kon Ichikawa and Tsugaru Folk Song (Tsugaru Jongara-Bushi, 1973) with Shochiku's Koichi Saito. The films were recognized not for their experimental nature but for their predictability, entertainment value and mass appeal. Pastoral: To Die in the Country (Den'en ni Shisu, 1974) marked the end of the era of the Shinjuku Bunka Theater directly managed by ATG, after which Kinshiro Kuzui quit Sanwa Kogyo and continued making films as a freelance producer.

Underground films continued on a different horizon from this point on with Masato Hara's Cinema Expressway, the dawn of PIA, and in a commercial vein with Tatsumi Kumashiro and Chusei Sone's Nikkatsu Roman Porno, and Toei's post-yakuza films by Kinji Fukasaku and Shunya Ito. However, with the appearance of Kazuhiko Hasegawa's Young Murderer (Seishun no Satsujinsha) and Sogo Ishii's Panic High School (Koko Dai Panikku) in 1976, art itself-including cinema-reached a certain maturity and the underground cinema, which had up until this point enjoyed a close relationship with ATG, entered a completely different phase.

I guess that is why it is interesting to look at the Roman Porno films such as the Angel Guts series (based on manga by Takashi Ishii, later to direct films from the late 80s) or the independent pink films, where directors could experiment as long as they included the required amount of nudity and sex scenes.

[the dancing kid]

Terayama did much of his work in the 70s, including the famed (notorious) "Throw Away Your Books, Rally in the Streets".

I love 'Throw out your books', but I don't think it's considered particularly famous or notorious (just delightfully angsty). 'Emperor Tomato Ketchup' is the really infamous Terayama film, due to the way in which he uses children in it. There have been a few versions of varying duration floating around over the years, although I think it was recently restored to the full length.

[In Heaven]

Terayama did much of his work in the 70s, including the famed (notorious) "Throw Away Your Books, Rally in the Streets".

I just read about this on imdb and it sounds amazing. Where can I see this flick?

[Steven H]

I'm just going to go through a quick mental run through of what little I've seen of the decade, and then sift out my favorites (if you don't like long, annoying, "listy" posts... run). Starting off you have the last of the great, revolutionary, New Wave films, such as Jissouji Akio's Mujo and Uta, Oshima's The Man Who Left His Will On Film and The Ceremony, Yoshida Yoshishige's Eros Plus Massacre and Coup de'tat, Adachi Masao's AKA Serial Killer, Adachi & Wakamatsu Koji's Red Army PFLP, Shinoda Masahiro's Silence and Buraikan, Kuroki Kazuo's Evil Spirits of Japan, Preperations for the Festival, and Assassination of Ryoma, Terayama Shuji's Pastoral: To Die In Country and Throw Away Your Books and Go Out In The Streets, and finally Imamura Shohei's documentary cycle: History of Japan as Told By A Bar Hostess, Mohomatsu Returns Home, & Karayuki-san, The Making of a Prostitute. You can probably throw Hara Kazuo's Sayonara CP and Extreme Private Eros Love Song on the pile as well, even though he wasn't really related to the New Wave. I didn't care for any of Hani's work after Inferno of First Love (though I'd love to see his Aido: Slave of Love one day), and I have, but haven't watched, some Kanai Katsu and Saito Koichi's Tsugaru Folk Song.

As for dramas (a loose category, this go around), I haven't seen much, but I'd probably say Yoshida Yoshishige's Confessions Among Actresses, Kumai Kei's The Long Darkness and Sandakhan Brothel No. 8, Nomura Yoshitaro's The Incident, The Demon, and Castle of Sand, Teshigahara Hiroshi's Summer Soldiers, Ichikawa Kon's The Inugami Family, Yamada Yoji's Home From The Sea, Imamura Shohei's Vengeance is Mine (a drama?), Higashi Yoichi's Sado: A Boy Called Third Base, and Suzuki Seijun's Story of Sorrow and Sadness.

My favorite yakuza films from this era are pretty much anything Fukasaku Kinji did, especially the Battles Without Honor and Humanity series (and the sequels, New Battles Without Honor and Humanity), Ichikawa Kon's The Wanderers, Gosha Hideo's Violent Streets and The Wolves (just watched this one the other day, it's amazing and coming out later this year on DVD from Animeigo), Masumura Yasuzo's Tough Guy: Turf Wars (the final entry in the Katsu Tough Guy series), Hasegawa Kazuhiko's Young Murderer (I hesitate putting this in the yakuza category), and Kobayashi Masaki's Devil's Inn but maybe this is a samurai film? Speaking of samurai films (though my favorites of his genre were in the 60s): Misumi Kenji's The Last Samurai, Uchida Tomu's Swords of Death, Shinoda's Under The Blossoming Cherry Trees (I'm sure this is categorized horribly here, but ah well), Inagaki Hiroshi's Incident at Blood Pass (if only for the cinematography), and Ito Daisuke's Bakumatsu.

Also, I enjoyed Yamamoto Eiichi's Belladonna of Sadness and Takahata Isao's Anne of Green Gables TV series, but not much else from animation in that decade.

Hopefully I'll be able to add more to this list soon.

[Cold Bishop]

These threads already have discussion on areas that certainly involve the Japan 70s....

Japanese Avant-Garde: Matsumoto, Terayama & Others

Japanese Exploitation Films of the 70s

And always the champion of the films, I must always mention the exploitation films are always worthwhile. It's interesting to see what happens when such "low-brow" subject is forced upon, by the shift in the industry at the time to capitalize on the "sex and violence" not available by the TV competition, directors who otherwise may have been making A-List studio movies just a decade earlier. (Hell, while watching these films, I can't help but wonder what these filmmakers could of done taking there craft to more serious fare, but alas, the times had changed)

The Lone Wolf and Cub series, Lady Snowblood, and the first two Female Prisoner Scorpions are the stand-outs to me. The first two I fell transcending the "exploitation" title to me; While they're certainly filled with violence and sex, I always felt the director in those films tried to reign them into the story as opposed to making them feel gratuitous. The Lone Wolf and Cub films, especially, Ive always felt uncomfortable including with exploitation films. The violence in the Lone Wolf and Cub films especially, while graphic, are much more akin to lets say a Peckinpah (for the lack of a better analogy) than an AIP flick or something of that exploitative ilk, with the extreme violence used to punctuate the slow path to hell that leads are taking in their quest of revenge, and I recall the sex being used rather tastefully in contrast to the other films seen at the type. The underrated Kenji Misumi creates what is to me one of the finest example of the samurai genre with these 6 film, and I cant recommend the whole series enough.

Lady Snowblood, while I dont feel is as always as "serious" as the Lone Wolf films, certainly feels like what a Samurai counterpart to the Leone films might be (think the pop samurai films started by Yojimbo taken to their logical end). A story of revenge that while isn't quite the stuff of art films, which is raised to that level by the complete masterfulness in the storytelling, style, and craft, just as the plot of the "Dollars" trilogy may not be the most meaningful story-wise, but Leone creates a piece of art by directing the hell out of them. While I dont necessarily want to set someone up thinking they're walking into The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of samurai movies, I think as a piece of pop/genre/whatever-title-you-like cinema, there are few films better. And 'tis a shame Toshiya Fujita never made another film as good.

The first Female Scorpion film certainly falls into exploitation - there are still the unnecessary nudity and sex scenes and it still follows the conventions of the Women-in-Prison genre- but as was stated above, meeting of this requirement allows Shunya Ito to inject the film with very experimental and surreal images (I cant help but think he was influenced by Seijun Suzuki). Not to mention that entire film is shot beautifully and with more style than a dozen lesser-films of the genre.

The second Scorpion however is the real gem. Ito has grown comfortable enough with filmmaking, and working within the genre conventions, that he no longer just injects the movie with amazingly surreal and beautiful (and almost campy) moments at certain intervals in spurts, he weaves these throughout the entire film. No, it's not the "Ballet of the Red Shoes" or Suspiria of WIP films, but its the closest you'll get, with the use of cinematography, set design, and color being some of the best I've seen. While the film may not the be a masterpiece of cinema, I'd say it is a masterpiece of visuals and style.

The fact I have a minor love affair with Meiko Kaji doesn't help.

I also can't recommend the Shuji Terayama films enough, though I still pray a company will give his films a proper DVD treatment.

[putney]

It seems rarely mentioned when speaking of him, but Shinoda's (75 or so i believe) "Petrified Forest" is my favorite film of his...

putney

[tryavna]

The Lone Wolf and Cub series, Lady Snowblood, and the first two Female Prisoner Scorpions are the stand-outs to me. The first two I fell transcending the "exploitation" title to me; While they're certainly filled with violence and sex, I always felt the director in those films tried to reign them into the story as opposed to making them feel gratuitous.

I think this is a good point. The Lone Wolf and Cub series, while certainly not Ozu, is still one hell of a fun group of popcorn movies. As Cold Bishop notes, there's also some quality that elevates these films above other series of similar ilk (like Zatoichi); I'm not sure Peckinpah is the best point of comparison, but I definitely see what Cold Bishop is getting at.

Similarly, there are a number of Sonny Chiba films that, while not as good as the Lone Wolf series, are lots of fun. Of course, his best films were probably done with Fukasaku, who's already been named here. But Chiba is an actor who has enough charisma to make even most his weakest films worth watching once (Karate Bear Fighter, anyone?).

[Cold Bishop]

The Lone Wolf and Cub series, while certainly not Ozu, is still one hell of a fun group of popcorn movies. As Cold Bishop notes, there's also some quality that elevates these films above other series of similar ilk (like Zatoichi); I'm not sure Peckinpah is the best point of comparison, but I definitely see what Cold Bishop is getting at.

Similarly, there are a number of Sonny Chiba films that, while not as good as the Lone Wolf series, are lots of fun. Of course, his best films were probably done with Fukasaku, who's already been named here. But Chiba is an actor who has enough charisma to make even most his weakest films worth watching once (Karate Bear Fighter, anyone?).

I agree... it was a terrible analogy... but in keeping with the comparison to westerns, it was the best I could think of at that moment. Maybe it would better to state that the film is much closer to the use of violence at the end of Sanjuro, where it was used to punctuate the brutality and death always present in the Samurai life (especially bookending what was an incredibly light film up to that point), than most of the movies that famous "spurt of blood" spawned, where violence is used as visual stimulation just as much as in any American ultra-violent action film or splatter horror film. But instead of being left as an exclamation point at the end of the film as in Sanjuro, the Lone Wolf films show the brutality throughout. No doubt there's a deal of exploitation present, since the Studio required the violence as a prerequisite to the films, but Misumi and crew, with a good deal of help from the source material, do the best they can to give the violence purpose and significance.

As for the Fukasaku-Chiba films.... Like them both, but the threat of cheesy and inappropriate synth scores (and bad DVD transfers) have always kept me away from their Samurai films. Any recommendations in particular?

[tryavna]

As for the Fukasaku-Chiba films.... Like them both, but the threat of cheesy and inappropriate synth scores (and bad DVD transfers) have always kept me away from their Samurai films. Any recommendations in particular?

Ha ha! I know what you mean about those awful music scores for many of Fukasaku's films (and most of Chiba's). Fortunately, Fukasaku seemed to know when he had a really bad score on his hands and cut it down to little more than just the opening credits (as in his take on the 47 Ronin story).

If you're interested in DVDs of some of Chiba's films with and without Fukasaku's direction, you sould definitely investigate the collections that ADNESS have overseen. In particular, I like The Shogun Collection, though I guess those films actually have less Chiba than some of the others.