A Companion to Japanese Cinema

Go beyond Kurosawa and discover an up-to-date and rigorous examination of historical and modern Japanese cinema

InA Companion to Japanese Cinema, distinguished cinematic researcher David Desser deliversinsightfulnew material ona fascinating subject, ranging from the introduction and exploration of under-appreciated directors, like Uchida Tomu and Yoshimura Kozaburo, to an appreciation of the Golden Age of Japanese cinema from the point of view of little-known stars and genres of the 1950s.

ThisCompanionincludes new resources that deal in-depthwith the issue of gender in Japanese cinema, including a sustained analysis of Kawase Naomi, arguably the most important female director in Japanese film history.

Readers will appreciate the astute material on the connections and relationships that tie together Japanese television and cinema, with implications for understanding the modern state of Japanese film.TheCompanionconcludes with a discussion of the Japanese media’s response to the 3/11earthquake and tsunami that devastated the nation.The book also includes:

• A thorough introduction to the History, Ideology, and Aesthetics of Japanese cinema, including discussions of Kyoto as thecinematic center of Japan and the Pure Film Movement and modern Japanese film style
• An exploration ofthe background to the famous story ofTaki noShiraitoand thesignificant and underappreciated contributions of directorsUchidaTomu, as well as YoshimuraKozaburo
• A rigorous comparison of old and new Japanese cinema, including treatments of Ainu in documentary filmsand modernity in film exhibition
• Practical discussions of intermediality, includingtreatments of scriptwriting in the 1930sand the influence of film on Japanese television

Perfect forupper-level undergraduateand graduate students studying Japanese and Asian cinema,A Companion to Japanese Cinemais a must-read reference foranyone seeking an insightful and contemporary discussion of modern scholarshipin Japanese cinemain the 20th and 21st centuries.

Keywords:

Japanese movies, Japanese film, Japanese cinema reference, Japanese cinema guide, Japanese film reference, Asian cinema,  Japanese tv, Japanese television, Japanese video, historical Japanese cinema, modern Japanese cinema,  anime, kurosawa