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dual aspect of the Japanese cinema, namely, that on the one hand it has as its central factor the constructive method as above indicated, and that, on the other hand, it is conceived along lyrical and suggestive lines, is fostered by the principle of reciprocal causality. Moreover, they are both characteristics which cling tenaciously to the core of the film plays of this country, and whether our directors will in future attempt to elevate the quality of their pictures by cutting loose from these fetters, or whether they will strive all the more to develop these features and attain a higher level in this direc¬ tion — this, indeed, is a serious problem which is pregnant with interest.
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I shall now attempt to demonstrate the points described in the foregoing by refer¬ ring to Dr. Arnold Fanck’s picture “The New Earth” which was recently shown in Japan. When we compare the Japanese and German versions of the same production, we find that the former, in the filming of which a Japanese director participated, displays far more extended moments of a lyrical nature. Again, the Japanese leading lady in both versions does not openly express herself in a realistic fashion, limiting her acting to the less effective, suggestive method. Moreover, in view of the fact that the subject is laid in Japan, we can particularly observe from the German version that Dr. Fanck’s creative attitude, when compared to the general run of Japanese cinemas, goes far beyond provid¬ ing some sort of animated illustrations to a literary narrative; that it is a good deal more constructive in a positive way, namely, that it strives to bring together one thing and another from the Japanese cultural and geographic phenomena and proceeds with the finished workmanship of the bricklayer to build a magnificent air-castle. Such a con¬ structive attitude, however, has been regarded rather as a weakness by the film directors of this country.
Of course, it is not my intention here to name Dr. Fanck’s production as an ex¬ ample of a successful, artistic creation. For it gives the impression, especially to the Japanese people, of being rather a flimsy piece of work. This is due to the fact that Dr. Fanck’s view of Japan is not quite so penetratingly realistic as to take in all the actualities of her social order, and consequently his film play has not been built upon a firm founda¬ tion of objectivity. His is merely the imaginative work of a foreigner, and it was inevi¬ table that the Japanese people should become aware of its lack of reality. Herein lies the question of constructive reality in art. However, I am not concerned with the adduc¬ tion or criticism of such questions in this article. The point which I wanted to stress here is simply that the appearance of Dr. Fanck’s picture has been the cause for a good deal of reflection of an objective nature concerning the un-constructive attitude displayed in the generality of Japanese film plays.
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