Cinema Year Book of Japan 1938 (1938)

CRITICISM ON PICTURES OF JAPANESE MADE IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES Several pictures with their plots based on Japan and Japanese life have been produced in foreign countries. We can enumerate, for instance, two silent French films “ La Bataille ” (The Battle) and “ Cheat,” in which Sessue Hayakawa performs main roles, and among recent sound films, “ Madam Butterfly ” of America, “Port Arthur”, “La Bataille”, and “ Yoshiwara ” of France. The latter two have neither been imported nor exhibited as yet in Japan. Unfortunately, those pictures were not received favourably by general spectators here. We should think of the reasons that lie behind this. Cinema critics in Japan remark as follows regarding this question. * * * * SETSUIGHI AOKI — General Secretary o( Kokusai Bunka Shinkokai (The Society for International Cultural Relations). As for “ Yoshiwara ” and “ Port Arthur”, these two have not brought bad results for Japan, though the stories were rather awkwardly constructed. As in many other similar pictures in the past, it can be said that in the above pictures, there was little accuracy regarding setting and costumes. But we note with pleasure the tendency of foreign producers when making pictures of Japanese to stress on Japanese virtues such as Yamato-Damashn (Nippon Spirit), Bushido, Sacrifice, Loyalty, etc. * * * * TSUGUJI FUJITA — Painter. Their fatal mistake is to confuse Japan with China, as they do in producing operas. This shows that foreigners are ignorant of the Japanese and their life, and that they must be given correct knowledge of costumes, setting, backgrounds, etc., as they seem to produce things Japanese as they conceive them. We cannot say that these pictures are disgrace to the national honour of Japan. * * * * TATSUO HOSHINO— Journalist, The Tokyo Asahi. The misunderstanding of foreigners about Japan means that we have failed in making them recognize our true nature. Therefore, for instance, when “ Madam Butterfly ” is produced on the stage or in films, we should instruct them as to the manners and customs of the period and improve their conceptions towards Japanese culture. * * * * TADASI IIZIMA — Cinema critic. A picture made by the Americans with its subject on French matters may appear unnatural to the eyes of the French people. So likewise a picture of the Japanese produced by foreigners may naturally be ridiculous to us. Only one little part of Japan or Japanese culture have been introduced to a small section or part of the world. So there is no exaggeration in saying that the world public know practically nothing about Japan. This is one of the fundamental defects for producing pictures of such kind as “ Port Arthur”, “ Yoshiwara”, etc., even though we have some authorities or students of Japanese culture abroad. TAKAO ITAGAKI — Cinema critic. “Yoshiwara” impressed me as follows: — Defects of Japan’s propaganda to foreign countries are the result of its ineffective method, and the governmental supervision upon those Japanese residing abroad is quite necessary. * * * * HIKOTARO ICHIKAWA— Chief of the Third Section, Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Department of Foreign Affairs. Foreign people neither consider nor observe the life and culture of modern Japan with sincerity and true sympathy. The common faults of those pictures may be found in this point. * * * * TARO TAJIMA — Censor of the Department of Home Affairs. In all of those pictures, they have treated the Japanese as extremely primitive people, mentally as well as materially. This was the most unpleasant thing I felt on seeing “ Yoshiwara ” or “ La Bataille. * * * * YOSHIHIKO TAMURA — Assistant-Manager of Paramount Films, LTD. Costumes and habits of Japanese which appear in foreign films are quite ridiculous. It cannot be overlooked that the producers make no attempt to differentiate things Japanese and Chinese, especially in the matter of setting, and that they make actors speak disagreeable broken English to perform Japanese roles. This may be due partly to the fact that they do not have good advisers to consult regarding those maters. * * * * SHUGO TSUMURA— Cinema critic. To correct the defects found in those pictures, the Japanese government must actively introduce abroad the life of presentday Japan through Japanese embassies and consulates in foreign countries, and cease propagandizing so much the culture of classical Japan. If we should have the opportunity to show classical Japan to foreigners, we must be very careful in the way we present it to them. IMPORTERS AND DISTRIBUTORS OF FOREIGN FILMS A. Companies for Importation and Distribution. C0CC0-T0BIS FILM CO., LTD. Sunamoto Bldg., Yuraku-Cho Kojimachi-Ku, Tokyo PRESIDENT Takeo Ogasawara DAIDO-SHOJI EIGA CO., LTD. Osaka Bldg., Uchisaiwai-Cho Kojimachi-Ku, Tokyo PRESIDENT Danjiro Ota BRANCH OFFICE Osaka 66