Cinema Year Book of Japan 1938 (1938)

In this fashion, the rivalry of the Shochiku and the Toho reached its climax in 1937, having become the greatest determining factor in the future procedures of the Japanese film industry. III. THE SINO-JAPANESE CONFLICT AND THE SCREEN The Sino-Japanese Conflict which broke out in August, 1937, ar*d is still going on has brought about radical changes in every phase of Japanese life and thought: government, economic life and cultural expressions, etc. The screen is no exception : it has tried, in its way, to adapt itself to the present critical times. As soon as the Conflict broke out, newspaper companies and news agents dispatched dozens of st iff cameramen to China. There has been a keen competition among the companies for the speediest public show of the pictures of war scenes. Scenes of severe engagements, carnage of war, field-hospitals, wounded soldiers — these pictures of sordid reality have left a deep impressen upon the minds of the people. News-reels were sought after more eagerly than newspaper reports and wireless announcements ; with the eyes and the ears of the population thus tensely stimulated, the news-reel stood at the height of its popularity. At the same time producers all seized the opportunity of preparing dramatic films with the current warfare as the theme. Among many such productions, one might mention Hokushi no Soi'a o Tsukn (Piloting in North China Skies, P.C.L.Y Shingun no Uta (A March Song, Shochiku}, Jugo no Sekisei (Devotion on the Home P'ront, Nikkatsu} and Kaigun Bakugeki-tai (Naval Air Corps, Shinko}. These, however, being no more than cheap sensational films of poor quality, with hardly any artistic value, they failed to arouse any lasting reaction and sympathy in the audience. In their realism, too, they fell far short of news-films, simple, unartificial and true to facts. Thus they turned out to be box-office disappointments as well. Of course, we must admit in all fairness that some film artists did entertain a sincere ambition to make realistic pictures of the war. A good example of conscientious production is Gonin no Sekko-hei (The P'ive Scouts, Nikkatsu} produced toward the end of 1937 (released in January, 1938}, a few months after the outbreak of the Conflict. Tomotaka Tasaka, the director, has won for himself a high reputation for the successful work in this Gonin no Sekko-hei , which deals with a day in the life of a Japanese infantry detachment, presented naturally and realistically, though with bits of sentimentalism here and there, but without the usual exaggerated gestures and expressions of heroism. It is by no means a masterpiece as a war picture, but it is true that it is the best of its kind ever produced in the history of the Japanese cinema. The Sino-Japanese Conflict has had another effect upon the activities of the Japanese motion-picture industry in that some of the most able artists have been called to arms. The most outstanding are Yasujiro Ozu (Shochiku} and Sadao Yamanaka (Toho}, both prominent directors, who have been in active service on the Shanghai front for the past half-year or so. Owing to their absence, the Japanese screen has missed several good films which one would have expected of them in ordinary times. A third important upshot of the Conflict is the import embargo on foreign films, a measure taken in view of the necessity of foreign-exchange control by the Department of Finance in conformity with the war-time economic system. Since September, 1937, doors have been closed virtually against the incoming of foreign films, except news-reels. As the progress of the Japanese motion-picture during the past thirty years has depended largely on the lessons and inspiration as well as competition of American and European films, it is very unfortunate that this constructive rivalry should have been so suddenly terminated. It is the sincere hope of all interested people that the necessity for continuing the present situation will soon pass. IV. ARTISTS AND WORKS The two significant developments of 1937, the marked trend towards trust-formation and the Sino-Japanese Conflict, were generally believed to be far from conducive to the production of good motion-pictures. There was felt, in addition, a fear that the quality of productions would be lowered in some degree during 1937. As a matter of fact, however, the Japanese cinema was able to maintain its previous standard, despite these unfavourable circumstances. The explanation for this must be sought in the growing demand, on the part of theatre-goers, for artistic productions, and also in the increasing aesthetic quality of cinema artists, that is, 15