{"id":61700,"date":"2015-09-09T12:43:00","date_gmt":"2015-09-09T17:43:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=61700"},"modified":"2015-09-12T23:58:42","modified_gmt":"2015-09-13T04:58:42","slug":"japans-influence-on-cinema-after-wwii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/japans-influence-on-cinema-after-wwii\/","title":{"rendered":"From Godzilla to R2D2: Japan’s Influence on Modern Cinema"},"content":{"rendered":"

World War II forever changed history around the globe. The American influence during the occupation of post-war Japan forever changed cinema worldwide.<\/h2>\n

70 years ago, on September 2, 1945, Japan officially surrendered to the United States of America. The Japanese Instrument of Surrender<\/strong> effectively ended World War II. Thus began the American occupation and censorship of Japanese culture. Through reconstruction, Japan would become a leader in technology and art. The effects of which are still felt today.<\/p>\n

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Cinema in Japan Before\u00a0World War II<\/h3>\n

\"From
\nImage: Japanese Magic Lantern slides via Pink Tentacle<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Filmmaking in Japan<\/strong> dates back to 1897, when a cameraman working for the\u00a0Lumi\u00e8re brothers<\/a> filmed the sights of Tokyo. Though film was new to the Japanese culture, moving pictures date back much further. The Dutch had introduced the magic lantern<\/a>\u00a0to the Japanese in the 18th century. It became immensely popular throughout Japanese villages.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Japanese would use multiple magic lanterns to create\u00a0phantasmagoria<\/a>\u00a0theater. Using rear projection, they would use shadow puppets to show skeletons, ghosts, and demons. It should come as no surprise that the earliest Japanese films were centered around these ghostly tales.<\/p>\n

During the early 1900s, Japanese film theaters would screen pictures while storytellers would tell tales. These silent film narrators were called benshi<\/strong>. The benshi<\/strong> would either introduce a film or narrate the characters voices. Silent films would be phased out of the United States in the 1920s, replaced by the “talkie.” However, the silent film era in Japan lasted well into the 1930s<\/strong>, due in part to the popularity of the benshi<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"From
\nImage: Orochi<\/a> via Wikipedia<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Some of the most popular early films made were samurai films<\/strong>. These movies were period pieces, or jidaigeki<\/a>, featuring rebellious anti-heroes. Two key film directors central to pre-war Japan were Daisuke\u00a0It\u014d<\/a> and Masahiro Makino<\/a>. Their fast paced samurai films\u00a0<\/strong>were compared to rhythmic dancing. Their films were not only critically acclaimed, but also massive commercial successes.<\/p>\n

By the 1930s, the Japanese government became much more involved in cinema, insisting on the production of propaganda and promotional documentaries. These cultural films were called bunka eiga<\/strong>, a translation of the German kulturfilm<\/strong>. In Germany, these documentaries were incredibly influential and gave rise to the Nazi party.<\/p>\n

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World War II<\/h3>\n

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\nImage: Japanese forces in WWII via Journal Neo<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Though World War II is typically attributed to the 1939 German invasion of Poland, Japan had already been at war with the Republic of China since<\/strong> July of 1937<\/strong>. Japanese forces quickly captured Beijing, and by December of 1937 they would take the Chinese capital of Nanking.<\/p>\n

During this time, the Japanese government would demand an increase of propaganda in cinemas. Films were to show the glory and power of the Empire of Japan.\u00a0<\/strong>The Japanese Home Ministry<\/strong>\u00a0had total control over all domestic affairs. It controlled education, health, information, news, advertising, public events, and cinema.<\/p>\n

Film directors could not\u00a0ridicule the military or demoralize the nation. They were told not to “exaggerate the cruelties of war with overly realistic depictions.<\/a>” Any offending films were to be cut or banned.<\/p>\n

\"From
\nImage: Hiroshima aftermath via\u00a0University of Illinois<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

To continue with the history of cinema, it is only imperative to know that the Empire of Japan attacked the United States of America<\/strong> on December 7, 1941. The attack on Pearl Harbor<\/strong> triggered the USA’s entrance to WWII. This would ultimately end with the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945<\/strong>. On September 2, 1945, the Empire of Japan surrendered to the United States.<\/p>\n

During the war, Japan’s weak economy and skyrocketing unemployment rate caused the Japanese cinema to suffer. The majority of feature films made were focused on the war, like\u00a0Kajir\u00f4 Yamamoto<\/a>‘s\u00a0\u00a0Hawai Mar\u00ea oki kaisen<\/a>\u00a0–<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>The War at Sea from Hawaii to Malaya<\/em>. The film actually featured the attack on Pearl Harbor. The special effects were directed by\u00a0Eiji Tsuburaya<\/a>, who used a<\/span>\u00a0miniature scale model of Pearl Harbor. (More on Tsuburaya later.)<\/p>\n

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American Occupation of Japan<\/h3>\n

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\nImage: General Douglas MacArthur in Japan via History Net<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

In the years following the war, U.S. General Douglas MacArthur<\/a> was tasked with revising the Japanese constitution and demilitarizing the nation. Japan was ordered to abolish the Meiji Constitution, thus ending the Empire of Japan. On May 3, 1947, the country adopted the Constitution of Japan and formally became Japan<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

During the occupation, MacArthur sought a way to combat the propaganda of Japanese cinema. An enlightenment campaign was launched, in which Hollywood studios would screen American films throughout Japan. Over 600 films were distributed<\/a>, each showcasing the American way of life. The goal was to introduce America as a political, social, and cultural model for the Japanese population.<\/p>\n

\"Official<\/a>
\n<\/a>Image: War Department intro via Internet Archive<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The films were a box office success, essentially turning Japan into a key market. While American films were widely broadcast across the country, military authorities were strictly controlling and censoring Japanese films<\/strong>. The priority was to present American ideals, and all other views were suppressed.<\/p>\n

It’s also worth noting that General MacArthur requested the assistance of W. Edward Deming<\/a>\u00a0during the reconstruction efforts. Deming was originally involved with the 1951 Japanese Census, but would also help shares his expertise in quality control techniques. Deming trained engineers, managers, and scholars in statistical process control and concepts of quality. Among the trainees was Akio Morita<\/a>, the future cofounder of Sony.<\/p>\n

Deming insisted that improving quality would reduce expenses while increasing productivity and market share. Many Japanese manufacturers would apply his techniques, essentially creating the massive technological industry Japan has become known for.<\/p>\n

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Akira Kurosawa<\/h3>\n

\"From
\nImage: Akira Kurosawa via British Film Institute<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The most famous Japanese director of all time was very active during this time period. Born in 1910, Akira Kurosawa<\/strong> would go on to revolutionize not only Japanese cinema, but the entire filmmaking world.<\/p>\n

Akira was actually not the first Kurosawa<\/strong> in the film industry. His older brother, Heigo Kurosawa, was a noted benshi<\/strong> in Tokyo. As narrated films fell out of popularity in the 1930s, Heigo began to lose work. In July of 1933, Heigo committed suicide. His death had an everlasting impact on Akira Kurosawa<\/strong>‘s life. The director even talked\u00a0about the incident in his book,\u00a0Something Like an Autobiography<\/a>,\u00a0<\/em>in a chapter titled\u00a0“A Story I Don’t Want to Tell.”<\/span><\/p>\n

2\u00a0years after Heigo’s death, Akira Kurosawa<\/strong> left his job as a painter to enter the Japanese film industry. He applied for a job at a new studio called Photo Chemical Laboratories (PCL), which would become the major studio, Toho<\/a><\/strong>. It was there he would find his mentor,\u00a0Kajir\u014d Yamamoto<\/a>. Kurosawa<\/strong> quickly rose to be an assistant director on many of Yamamoto’s<\/strong> projects. It was there that he learned that a good director must master screenwriting. He would go on to co-write all of his own films.<\/p>\n

\"From
\nImage: Sanshiro Sugata via Criterion<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

In 1942, a judo novel was published by Tsuneo Tomita. Kurosawa read the book in one sitting and immediately asked for Toho<\/strong> to secure the film rights. His intuition prevailed, as soon other major studios were competing for the rights. Toho<\/strong> secured the deal and Kurosawa<\/strong> would go on to make his directorial\u00a0debut with the 1943 action film Sanshiro Sugata<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

The film’s release did face challenges, as the Japanese censorship board considered the film too Western<\/strong>. Director\u00a0Yasujir\u014d Ozu<\/a>\u00a0intervened, and with his help Sanshiro Sugata<\/em> was finally released. The movie was a huge success, and Kurosawa<\/strong> was immediately pressured for a sequel. He was forced to make Zoku Sugata Sanshir\u00f4<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em>The sequel was obviously a piece of propaganda, and it would be referred to as one of Kurosawa’s<\/strong> worst films.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"From
\nImage: Kurosawa & Mifune via The Red List<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

In 1945, Kurosawa<\/strong> aimed to make a film that was censor-friendly. He produced\u00a0Tora no o wo fumu otokotachi<\/a>\u00a0–\u00a0<\/span><\/em>The<\/span> Men Who Tread on the Tiger’s Tail<\/span><\/em>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0Based on the kabuki play\u00a0Kanjinch\u014d<\/em><\/a>, the film would not be completed until September of 1945. By this time, the United States had begun its occupation of Japan<\/strong>. The American censors declared the film was overly feudal, and the film was banned. The film would not be released until 1952. Ironically, during the film’s production, Japanese censors had deemed the film too Western.<\/p>\n

In 1948, Kurosawa<\/strong> cast unknown actor Toshiro Mifune<\/a><\/strong> in the film\u00a0Yoidore tensh<\/em>i –\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/span>Drunken Angel<\/a><\/em>. \u00a0Though the film went through forced censorship rewrites, Kurosawa<\/strong> felt this was his first film he was able to work on freely. Mifune’s<\/strong> incredible performance would lead to many more collaborations with Kurosawa<\/strong>. Japanese magazine Kinema Junpo<\/em>\u00a0declared the film to be the best film of the year.<\/p>\n

\"From
\n<\/a>Image: Rashomon\u00a0via\u00a0Criterion<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

In 1950, unknown to himself, Kurosawa<\/strong> would begin the Golden Age of Japanese Cinema<\/strong>. He would produce and release the film Rashomon<\/em><\/a>. When the film was initially released in Japan, it was only a moderate success. Kurosawa<\/strong> would turn to his next project, however the film was entered into the Venice Film Festival<\/a>. In September of 1951, Rashomon<\/em> was awarded the Golden Lion<\/a>, the Venice Film Festival’s most prestigious award.<\/p>\n

Rashomon<\/em> showcased Kurosawa’s<\/strong> skill as a director. He had embraced Western filmmaking, the works of Shakespeare, and American pulp novels. By combining those elements with traditional Eastern culture, Kurosawa’s<\/strong> films would break away from the traditional Japanese style of directors like Ozu<\/strong> and Mizoguchi<\/strong>. His work would find an international audience, cementing him as a legendary director.<\/p>\n

Kurosawa<\/strong> was\u00a0also a fantastic composer of movement, some say the best in history. In this video essay from Every Frame a Painting<\/a>,\u00a0take a look at how Kurosawa<\/strong> was able to create incredible composition.<\/p>\n