This is the first comprehensive history of a nation's cinema which has had an extraordinary international influence. In this major new study of a century of Japanese narrative film-making, Isolde Standish provides an in-depth chronological survey of a huge range of films. The book draws upon a great deal of Japanese film scholarship that has never been published outside of Japan, and sheds light on films and directors that are not so famous on the international stage, as well as on those who are (Ozu, Mizoguchi and Kurosawa). The book also features extensive appendices, including a full filmography and biographical information on prominent people in the Japanese film industry.
Isolde Standish is Convenor of the Cinemas of Asia and Africa, at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.
List of Illustrations; Preface and Acknowledgements; Notes on Translations; Introduction; 1. Cinema, Modernity and the Shochiku Tokyo Studios; 2. Cinema and Nationalism; 3. Cinema and the State; 4. Cinema and Humanism; 5. Cinema and Transgression; 6. Genres and Gender; Reflections.
"full of helpful historical information...both readable and persuasive...includes an extensive bibliography, filmography, and endnotes. It will be valuable to those pursuing film studies, cultural studies, and Japanese studies...Highly recommended"--- Choice, R. Ducharme, Mount Saint Mary's University