Cinema year book of Japan (1937)

A Biased View of the Japanese Cinema By Tsuguji Foujita The truth is that, having lived abroad for twenty-five years, my knowledge of the cinema world of Japan is practically nil. Once, when a Japanese film entitled “ Jujiro ” (Crossroads) reached France during my stay there, I gave a talk before a Parisian audience by way of introducing the Cinema of Japan. As a matter of fact, it was not until after I had delivered this lecture that I actually saw the picture. It showed every evidence of having adopted the latest techniques of European films, making liberal use of moving photography. But owing to the fact that it revealed many points of difference in manners and customs and that its interpretations of the moral outlook upon life were entirely in conflict with those of the people there, it was at best an enigma to them, producing no appreciable effect beyond arousing their sense of curiosity. Since returning to Japan I have spent three years here. The record of motion picture production in this country is second only to that of the United States, and the number of its movie-theatres in proportion to its growing population and its cities, towns and villages is simply amazing. Accordingly, an exceedingly large number of pictures must constantly be made to meet this demand, so that those engaged in the industry are always under pressure to concentrate their efforts on the quantity, rather than the quality, of their films. It is futile to hope that Japan will ever be able to emulate the ambition, or to achieve the realization, of Hollywood’s prodigious scale of production. Huge financial outlays must be considered. Though she has developed directors of real ability and cameramen of high technical proficiency, the necessary funds to match their talents are lacking. At this rate the building of large sets is impossible, and even lighting equipments are far from complete today. The Japanese Cinema is divided for the most part into the contemporary and historical plays. Aside from the preference of young students for modern plays, the interest of the generality of movie-theatre patrons is confined to historical tragedies. The principal scenes of the latter are characterized chiefly by sword-play, murder and suicide, interpreting the pride of self-sacrifice, such as is considered a beautiful quality in no¬ where else but Japan. Plays that draw the tears of the audience are regarded as good. Late¬ ly, however, with the appearance of comedy actors in these films, they have come to as¬ sume a somewhat amusing aspect; and through the aid of Western musical instruments, the plaintive, monotonous Japanese musical accompaniments have taken on a livelier tone, so that it seems to me that the Cinema of Japan is gradually making progress. Its 33