Close Up (Mar-Dec 1933)

Record Details:

Title:
Close Up
Date:
Mar-Dec 1933
Publisher:
[London, etc., Pool]
Volume:
Close up ... devoted to the art of films
Leaf #:
000380
Language:
English
Subjects:
motion pictures, Motion pictures -- Periodicals
Collection:
Global Cinema, Switzerland, and Early Cinema
Format:
Periodicals
Contributor:
Library of Congress, MBRS, Moving Image Section
Sponsor:
Library of Congress, Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division
Coordinator:
Media History Digital Library
Description:
As an active film magazine, CLOSE UP lasted only a short time, from 1927 to 1933. Yet the legacy of this English-language periodical, which was published in Switzerland, continues to matter. Edited by Bryher and her husband Kenneth Macpherson, CLOSE UP became THE magazine for energetic debates about the nature of cinema and manifestos imagining new forms of filmmaking and spectatorship. The magazine published articles by filmmakers, such as Sergei Eisenstein, and female literary modernists, such as H.D. and Gertrude Stein. As film scholar Anne Friedberg explains in the anthology CLOSE-UP, 1927-1933: CINEMA & MODERNISM, 'CLOSE UP became the model for a certain type of writing about film -- writing that was theoretically astute, politically incisive, critical of films that were simply 'entertainment.' For six and a half years, CLOSE UP maintained a forum for a broad variety of ideas about the cinema; it never advocated a single direction of development, but rather posed alternatives to existing modes of production, consumption, and film style.' Like Friedberg's own writing, CLOSE UP continues to be essential reading for anyone interested in the history of film and media theory. -- Eric Hoyt, 2014
Date Added:
November 07, 2023
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356 CLOSE UP to despoil a sword and be revenged upon his sweetheart who has been wife to another man. The first part Samimaru, is nothing more than a mere swordplay that has nothing to do with the Japanese culture in the Tenpyo age (an artistic period in 710-780) in which milieu Samimaru is unfolded. In connection with Torch, I am sure that spiritual life of such inferiority is an exception, a very rare instance even in the age of Tokugawa Government (1603-1867). I do question : has our past been filled in the world with such misconduct and coldbloodness, instead of justice and morality ? " As regards A Great City, it offers no great city, in spite of the title, but a steam engine of old mechanism and an engine driver, as principal roles instead. A ' bad ' engineer thieves the plan of an electric engine designed by the engine driver in the principal role and expresses it as his own invention. Many workmen, comrades with the driver, know which side is wrong and carry out a direct action ; the ' bad ' but fragile engineer confesses his crime at once. Nippon is such trash ! These three parts which constitute Nippon are sure to cause foreigners to arrive at the conclusion that the Japanese through all ages is egoistic, of impetuous temper, uncapable of understanding reason and virtue and very fond of man-killing." Kiyohiko Ushiwara, director of A Great City, wrote in answer to the above Homma's patriotic protest in the same newspaper. After affirming that a proJapanese attitude underlines the production of Nippon by Karl Koch and other foreign co-operators, Ushiwara says : " It is inevitable that the three originals have been shortened by Koch. As regards, for instance, A Great City, my film, it is completely deprived of the scenes of peace and affection ; the original has scenes showing affectionate relations between father and son, a nucleus point of the film, and others of the beautiful love of a poor girl and a good engine-driver ; instead of these peaceful depiction, the matter of conflict between the driver and the engineer was substituted and as a result, the plan became the focus of the film development." Another sensation of this year in relation with the problem of " Japan as seen in films " was Madam Butterfly, in which Silvia Sydney played as ChoCho San and Carey Grant, Pinkerton, a Paramount production directed by Marion Gerling, who has gained some reputation in Japan by his success in 24 Hours. As far as the workmanship is concerned, Madam Butterfly is above the common level ; all the players, especially Silvia Sydney, give good performances, settings and decors are extravagant, beautiful and well-designed ; furthermore, the famous music by Puccini is fascinating. However, in spite of these superior attributes, Madam Butterfly was a box office flop in Japan, or at least in Tokyo, because the psychological developments expressed by Cho-Cho San were not accepted by the general Japanese audience. Her manner by falling in love with Pinkerton is very singular and what is worse, their marriage that is not bound with love, but other incomprehensible feelings, is utterly ridiculous. A few days pass and Pinkerton returns to America, leaving ChoCho San alone in Japan. After three years he comes to Japan again with a