Eclipse Series 15: Travels with Hiroshi Shimizu

[Drucker]

I'm planning on going Saturday to Ornamental Hairpin. Would I be better off going to the Four Seasons films? I'm limited by mother's day/still having a baby at home quite frankly. Children of the Beehive is also playing at Japan society on May 16th and I may try to see that.

[Michael Kerpan]

Four Seasons is not available on DVD (except in the long-ago vol 2 of the Shochiku Shimizu sets). Children of the Beehive isn't available in any fashion (that I know of). I love Ornamental Hairpin, but it is included inthe Eclipse set (is this still in print).

[Drucker]

Okay, maybe I'll catch Beehive on Thursday at Japan society, then. There are so many films in this series, and I don't know where to start, or whether part 1 or part 2 is more worth my very limited time!

[Michael Kerpan]

I am too unfamiliar with most of the pt. 2 films to say what is best.

Beehive is pretty cinema verite-ish. Less "polished" than some of the other, earlier films (but fascinating).

[hearthesilence]

I don't know how many he's seen, but Fred Camper recommended Mr. Thank You, Beehive and The Masseurs and a Woman. Two of those are on the Eclipse set though.

[zedz]

Four Seasons of Children is an absolute masterpiece. Don't miss it if you have a chance.

[hearthesilence]

Posted today by Japan Society Film, has a bit more info about their screenings:

"I can't shoot films like Shimizu"— Yasujiro Ozu

"Hiroshi Shimizu - Part II: The Postwar and Independent Films" opens in one week with CHILDREN OF THE BEEHIVE on Thursday, May 16th! Of the 23 celluloid prints imported from Japan for "Hiroshi Shimizu", 13 have no English subtitles, so we'll be live-titling a substantial amount of these prints across Museum of the Moving Image and our screenings. In addition, Japan Society has made new subtitles from scratch for five films—including one lost for 70 years! "Hiroshi Shimizu" couldn't be possible without our collaboration with Museum of the Moving Image, the National Film Archive of Japan and Japan Foundation, New York—Shimizu's films remain unrestored, so celluloid imports from Japanese film archives are the only way to screen even his most famous productions.

Most of the films can only screen ONCE and likely won't ever play the country again, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rediscover the work of one of Japan's greatest masters: japansoc.org/Shimizu

[Michael Kerpan]

Most of the films can only screen ONCE and likely won't ever play the country again, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rediscover the work of one of Japan's greatest masters

Weeping....

[Matt]

One of the problems of the stranglehold the “pristine 4K restoration” has on home video right now is that these films will probably never be restored to that standard and thus will never be made available. Meanwhile, I’m in the boondocks, starved for Shimizu, and would settle for a decent iPhone video of a projected print. A Grapevine Video VHS tape. A Tai Seng VCD. Anything!

[Michael Kerpan]

Matt -- Even here in Boston, I am in the same boat.

[esl]

I have seen all but three of the films in part 1.

As for the films in part 2, Dancing Girl and Mr. Shosuke Ohara are available on DVD (Japanese language only; no subs) I have both. I have seen Beehive, The Shiinomi School, and A Mother’s Love when I lived in Japan, along with these other films from that period; Tokyo Profile, Jirō monogatari (Tale of Jirō) and Why Did These Women Become Like This?(all in Japanese with no subtitles).

Of the other films in part 2, several have been on my bucket list for a long time and would be my priority; Children and the Great Buddha, Children of the Beehive: What Happened Next and Image of a Mother. Would love to see all of films in part 2 that I haven’t seen, but sadly I have come to the realization that I am unlikely to.

But then Daiei did release a few years ago some Machiko Kyô films after her death(Dancing Girl was one of them). So, they could, if they wanted to, release other films that Shimizu did for them, but I suppose they feel they need some catalyst/reason that would cause people to purchase the DVD’s - so not likely.

[Jean-Luc Garbo]

Imogen Sara Smith has a really good article over at Reverse Shot.

[bottlesofsmoke]

I’ve been watching a few Shimizus over the last couple days:

Tokai no yokogao
Delightful comedy reminiscent of Berlin: Die Sinfonie der Großstadt and other “city symphonies,” taking place over the course of a day in Ginza, exploring different parts of the district (filmed almost entirely on location) while jumping around to a variety of characters, with a connecting story of a lost little girl. A mostly light and fun film with musical interludes, revealing little character digressions, a little romance, and then a quite moving climax.

Kiri no oto (Sound in the Mist)
Of the Ornamental Hairpin and Masseurs and a Woman variety of Shimizu films, though not a comedy. Exploring the inflection points in life (decisions, just missed opportunities) over the course many years at the same mountain cabin on the autumn solstice. Like with a lot of Shimizus, the greatness of this film isn’t in the plot, but in the character moments and the overall cumulative effect of the film. More great location photography, this time in the Japanese alps - some of the best use of most I’ve seen in a movie.

Mr. Shosuke Ohara (Ohara Shôsuke-san)
Sort of Shimizu’s It’s a Wonderful Life. Starts as a comedy with elements of political and social satire, eventually turns into a tragic character study of a man fatally burdened by the expectations of his family’s prestigious position in a village. Shimizu’s direction is so steady and measured that it doesn’t feel schizophrenic - there are some beautifully melancholy wordless passages that smooth the transition from comedy to tragedy.

Tomorrow Will Be Fine Weather (Asu wa nihonbare)
The obvious point of comparison is Mr. Thank You, as this takes place entire on or around one bus trip, has no real overarching plot, and is entirely about characters, their little stories and interactions. While the depression was the background of Mr. Thank You, here it is post-war Japan, most of the characters have been touched by the war in one way or another, either directly or indirectly, and it all adds up to a strong anti-war message by the end. There are more of Shimizu’s beautiful wordless sequences as well, and they aren’t just adornment, each contains quite a bit of emotion relating to a particular character or story.

Also watched Naze kanojora wa sō natta ka (Girl’s Reform School) and though it was well made, it didn’t stick with me much, probably because it is a more familiar, formulaic story that I’ve seen many variations of before.

[Michael Kerpan]

bottleofsmoke -- where on earth did you ever find these Shimizu films? The only one I've seen (unsubbed, of course) is Shosuke Ohara -- which had a long ago DVD release. I've never even heard of any of the others. Did they show up on DVD in Japan (and I missed them)? Thanks so much for your report. I need more Shimizu (and I think the world does too).

[Yakushima]

I’ve been watching a few Shimizus over the last couple days:

Tokai no yokogao

Thank you for the excellent write-up, bottlesofsmoke! I found and am looking forward to watching Tokai no yokogao.

Michael Kerpan - I found this one with English subs on the back channels.

[artfilmfan]

Tokai no yokogao is indeed a delightful film. The scene in which a geisha-want-to-be demonstrating what the instructor had just taught got me laughing out loud. The composition of a lot of the sequences looks very beautiful. Appropriate music is used in various scenes or sequences, enhancing the mood. And it was nice to see some of the Ozu-film regulars appearing in this film.

Thanks, bottlesofsmoke, for your post.

[Michael Kerpan]

I never have been able to get into the hang of torrenting from secret places.

[bottlesofsmoke]

artfilmfan - glad you enjoyed it! That scene had me laughing too, I also loved when they run into the guy waiting outside the theater, it was such a great little moment of realization

Michael Kerpan - I'll PM you