PennTags /tag/film_history+chushingura+kabuki

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Samurai and Supermen: Nationalist Socialist Views of Japan

Maltarich, Bill. Samurai and Supermen: Nationalist Socialist Views of Japan. Bern: Peter Lang, 2005.

This book examines the history of German-Japanese relations and the traditional image of Japan in the eyes of Nazi Germany. It disucusses the role of the story of the forty seven ronin in the image of Japan and how if at all, did it portray a nationalist message.

The book reinforces the message that the story of the 47 ronin did little to encourage Japanese nationalism and instead preached the traditional values of the samurai code. So it was not only Mizouchi's film that failed, but the original story was never a source of Japanese nationalism but more of a honorary tale of the the bravery and loyalty of the forty seven ronin.

belongs to CINE 101: The Loyal Forty Seven Ronin(1941) project
tagged chushingura film_history japanese_film kabuki loyal_forty-seven_ronin by brane ...on 01-DEC-08

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Traditional Theater and the Film in Japan

Richie, Donald and Joseph L. Anderson. "Traditional Theater and the Film in Japan." Film Quarterly. 12.1 (1958): 2-9.

This article discusses the influence Japanese theatre had on the country's film industry. However, it singles out The Last Forty Seven Ronin as one of the rare films to have the Kabuki theatre influence. Although they come from the same story, Mizoguchi's film version is much more realisitic than the original Kabuki plays.

The fact that this article describes the influence of Kabuki theater on Mizoguchi's film shows that there was no intent to change the story to conform to the nationalistic feelings of World War II Japan. Even when it differs in its portrayal of reality, the film is much more a historical epic than a war propaganda effort. The realistic movements of the actors break away from traditional Kabuki theater and give a much more modern feel to Mizoguchi's picture.

belongs to CINE 101: The Loyal Forty Seven Ronin(1941) project
tagged chushingura film_history japanese_film kabuki loyal_forty-seven_ronin by brane ...on 01-DEC-08