Mikio Naruse

[artfilmfan]

Thanks for the French boxset alert. We finally have what seems to be a firm release date.

What cruelty for WSV to include "Summer Clouds" in this set! It's not one of my favorite Naruse films, due to the unconvincing performances of the many actors in the film. Their portrayals of farmers are as unconvincing as those in "The Naked Island". But I'll probably end up buying the set anyway just to have another Naruse film on DVD in my collection.

[Michael Kerpan]

I think the old-timers in "Summer Clouds" are not bad at passing for farmers -- and the younger actors are playing characters already quite estranged from farming traditions (they've been educated -- and would just as soon ditch farming). And I do like Chikage Awashima in this.

It is not often mentioned how good at comedy Naruse could be... even in the middle of a melodrama like "Ukigumo", the religious sect episode is wonderfully humorous (and its cinic stance makes it quite modern), and "Iwashigumo" was also very comedic... Not to mention the way Hideko Takamine scares out the Geisha who escorts Masayuki Mori in "When a Woman ascends the stairs": a turn worthy of Anna Magnani!

Comedy is rarely absent in Naruse's films -- even if he made few films after the silent era that can be counted as "pure" comedies. The examples you mention are excellent ones. I'd also note poor Ken Uehara besieged by the various female friends and neighbors, after they learn of his wife's vist to Tokyo.

[Gloria]

Or Setsuko Hara equally besieged by equaly intruding "kind counselors". I found very interesting the fact that one of Hara's old school friends was a s¡ngle girl who doesn't seem to regret at all her celibacy... Considering the status of women in Japan, I found it quite daring for a film of the period.

Re comedy bits: I love the bit in "Tsuma to shite onna to shite" when Hideko Takamine (playing "the other woman"), takes her clothes while sending up a song in parodic pseudo-geisha style... And this in the middle of a melodrama that would make Douglas Sirk seem Jerry Lewis in comparison!

[Michael Kerpan]

The scene between Takamine and Choko Iida in "Tsuma to shite...." is really quite delightful.

"Traveling Actors" is a wonderful straight comedy (clearly inspired by the human horse in Ozu's "Story of Floating Weeds") -- and the post-war "Ore mo omae mo" (which I call "You and Me, Pal") has some of the same flavor -- though set in a salaryman context. "Morning's Tree Line Streets" is another delight -- recounting the adventures of a straitlaced country girl in search of respectable work in the big city.

[Anonymous]

The French Naruse box is out(Meshi, Ukigumo, Iwashigumo, and a bonus disc*), and La Maison du Japon in Paris has a month of Naruse's films - same programme, as far as I can gather, as in New York and... was it Toronto?

The bonus has several interviews:

Murakawa Hide, film critic (26')
Jean Narboni, author and critic (26')
Bernard Eisenchitz, translator(15')
Corinne Aslan, translator, about Fumiko Hayashi (26')
Tero Ishii (5')
Plus a doc, L'Å“il du maître (26')about Masao Tamai, Naruse's cameraman, by the director Hisashi Sato

[Michael Kerpan]

Sounds like an interesting set. I believe the Paris retrospective has at least one film that did not show up in the US this past year -- Hideko the Bus Conductress (though it had been shown here 20 years ago -- or so).

[Brian Oblivious]

Luckily, the Bay Area isn't considered part of the US anymore. We got to see Hideko (and much thanks, Michael, for your assistance in helping me tease out meanings in the film's ending that went over my head).

[Michael Kerpan]

I can't recall whether NYC got to see Hideko the Bus Conductress. I don't think so. Of course, it definitely didn't show up in Boston. ;~{

[fred]

Sadly it wasn't in New York, but I believe it was in D.C.

[Michael Kerpan]

If anyone ever does a Naruse 40s set -- and it includes more than three films -- Hideko the Bus Conductress could be a contender for one of the extra slots. It really is a remarkable little film.

[Tribe]

Ya know, with as much over the top praise about Naruse (someone I'd never heard of until I read mentioned on this Forum... and I consider myself fairly well read when it comes to film) that I've heard on this Forum for the past couple of years, this better live up to the praise.

Tribe

[skuhn8]

Or else you're going to kick some Naruse-lover ass! YEAH!

[Cinesimilitude]

Ya know, with as much over the top praise about Naruse (someone I'd never heard of until I read mentioned on this Forum...and I consider myself fairly well read when it comes to film) that I've heard on this Forum for the past couple of years, this better live up to the praise.

I'm with you. We'll tear this mother down if it ain't the shizz.

[Matt]

Ya know, with as much over the top praise about Naruse (someone I'd never heard of until I read mentioned on this Forum...and I consider myself fairly well read when it comes to film) that I've heard on this Forum for the past couple of years, this better live up to the praise.

Hmm. Well, how do you feel about Ozu?

[Tribe]

Ya know, with as much over the top praise about Naruse (someone I'd never heard of until I read mentioned on this Forum...and I consider myself fairly well read when it comes to film) that I've heard on this Forum for the past couple of years, this better live up to the praise.

Hmm. Well, how do you feel about Ozu?

Well, I had heard of Ozu before Criterion and his movies are endearing, touching, and heart-warming. He's not my most favorite director, but I can understand the praise.

Tribe

[Michael Kerpan]

Well, I had heard of Ozu before Criterion and his movies are endearing, touching, and heart-warming. He's not my most favorite director, but I can understand the praise.

Naruse and Ozu seemed to have admired each other -- and each others' work -- immensely. Indeed, Ozu was apparently so stunned by "Floating Clouds", that it blocked him from making progress on his own work for several months. There films are both very similar and very different. They are sufficiently similar that my initial reaction to my first Naruse film was -- "this isn't a top-level _Ozu_ film". It was not until I saw my fourth and fifth Naruse films that I began to understand (and appreciate) Naruse's unique qualities. Those films just happened to be "Repast" and "Sound of the Mountain".

I think Naruse's films _feel_ more "modern" than those of Ozu. He depends more on movement and gaze. The acting is a bit less constrained. But there is an essential humaneness that underlies the work of both. And supposedly dour Naruse can be just as sly humorous as supposedly transcendentally serene Ozu. In fact, they can both be extremely funny -- and even grim or bleak moments might display sardonic humor.

[javelin]

Ya know, with as much over the top praise about Naruse (someone I'd never heard of until I read mentioned on this Forum... and I consider myself fairly well read when it comes to film) that I've heard on this Forum for the past couple of years, this better live up to the praise.

It might, but it might not. As much as I'd love to, I just can't put Naruse even in the same ballpark as Ozu, Mizoguchi, Kurosawa. His films have the subtlety of Ozu w/o any of the profundity (Repast, maybe, excepted) - which leads me to a summation of, "Nice, but just nice." I find Naruse's films, of which I've seen about 15 now, to be mild-mannered domestic dramas in the same vein as a Woody Allen film minus the humor and neuroses - meaning a well-made, but slight, domestic drama. As far as I'm concerned, his great films - again, AFAIC, Repast, Late Chrysanthemums, When a Woman Ascends the Stairs - don't hold a candle to the likes of Ugetsu, Early Summer, Tokyo Story, Ikiru, etc.

Then again, there are many here who love Naruse.

[Michael Kerpan]

Well, on average I prefer Naruse to Mizoguchi (who disdained Naruse -- while borrowing from him) and Kurosawa (who seems to have very much respected Naruse). And I prefer at least trwo dozen Naruse films to either "Ikiru" or "Ugetsu".

Naruse's films are rarely "mild-mannered" -- and most have significant amounts of humor (some of it earthy, some subtle, some darkest black). I will grant you this -- the characters probably never display Allenesque neuroses.

As to specifics, "Late chrysanthemums" is absolutely stunning in virtually every respect -- "Woman Ascending" is visually gorgeous, with wonderful performances -- flawed only by a few slow spots in the script.

[Steven H]

My first Naruse film was When A Woman Ascends the Stairs and it impressed me greatly (I've seen dozens of his films since, and it still ranks as a favorite). However, I had very little expectations due to some horrible reviews of the VHS on amazon.com. I feel there's a little in common with Ozu, but Ozu colored with gorgeous widescreen cinematography (for his later films, anyway), slightly broader humor, more obvious pathos (woman's pain, reminiscent of Sirk), and, of course, dated 60s era vibraphone soundtracks (particularly When a Woman...)

His films are subtle, talkative, and fluid. It's best to go into them with lower expectations. The pessimism may rub some the wrong way, and the less obvious stylization will embolden Ozu loving critics, but the film is more than worth buying and revisiting. Naruse is a grower, in general.

[Cinesimilitude]

some darkest black.

I've never seen any Naruse, but I love dark comedy. Could you inform me if there are any english subbed releases, or if the upcoming CC/MoC releases contain some, of his dark comedies?

[Michael Kerpan]

There are flashes of dark humor in "Floating Clouds", "Woman Ascending", "Late Chrysanthemum", Sound of the Mountain" and "Flowing". but none of these move into such dark territory as "Wife" (another Fumiko Hayashi adaptation). "Anzukko" (still unseen by me -- frustratingly) also sounds thoroughly dark in tone (which suggests the possibility of some savage humor).

Very few of Naruse's late films count as "comedies" (though some have lots of comedy embedded in them). I maintain that "Repast" is structurally very much a classic romantic comedy (but vastly deeper and more complex than the norm). "Lightning" also strikes me as more essentially comic at its core (despite plenty of darker undertones). Insofar as there is a Naruse norm, one should expect a mix of comedy, naturalism and melodrama -- but the proportions vary from film to film. Many films have endings that are not happy, some are neutral -- a few show some glimmers of hope and happiness.

Some people may be lucky enough to catch Naruse's artistic pulse right away. As noted above -- I wasn't one of them. My expectations may have blinded me to some extent -- as I was then engaged in a passionate quest to see as much Ozu as possible -- and I saw my first Naruse at a point when I had temporarily come to a standstill in tracking down Ozu -- so the Naruse films were just a temporary stopgap. Now I think differently.

[ellipsis7]

Now the Naruse retro hasn't reached this part of the world, so I haven't seen any of his films... I absolutely adore Ozu (have 22 of his), like a few Kurosawas and Mizoguchis (mainly the contemporaraneous pics), but gather that Naruse while working in the genre of Shomin-Geki, hasn't the visual stylistics of an Ozu or Mizoguchi, but interestingly is clear headed and totally realist in his representation of his characters and their situations...

Have I got him right, or am I barking up the wrong tree?...

[Michael Kerpan]

Naruse's films have a fair number of distinctive stylistic hallmarks -- it's just that commentators have not really paid much attention to them -- as conventional wisdom insisted so strenuously that he had none.

A few things to consider -- (1) atypical use of lighting (very much devoted to either using natural light -- or using augmentation to create the illusion of natural light, (2) the Naruse stroll -- couples are filmed moving together in a very distinctive fashion, (3) a high level of dependence on characters' gazes, (4) a clear and transparent visual style that shows Naruse's roots in silent cinema, (5) an editing style that often creates the feel of lengthy shots, using short shots fitted together in a mosaic-like fashion.

Except for his flagrant use of proto-zooms (rapid smooth dolly shots in and out) in his late silent films and early talkies, Naruse did not display an extravagant visual flourishes -- but then neither does Ozu.

Interestingly, Mizoguchi's masterpieces of the latter 30s (e.g. Sisters of Gion) seem to show more similarities to Naruse's masterpieces of the early 30s (Nightly Dreams, Apart From You) than they do to his own masterpiece of that era (Water Magician).

[ellipsis7]

Very useful, Michael... Thanks...

[Michael Kerpan]

If you read French -- Narboni's new book on Naruse (for Cahiers) is an invaluable addition to the small amount of Western writings on Naruse. I wondfer whether the MOC booklet will have any translated excerpts. Catherine Russell will supposedly release her book on Naruse (in English) sometime next year.

A very tentative status report:

Koshiben gambare / Flunky, Work Hard! (1931) A-
Nasanu naka / Not Blood Relations (1932) A-
Kimi to wakarete / Apart from You (1933) A
Yogoto no yume / Every Night Dreams (1933) A+
Kagirinaki hodo / Street Without End (1934) A-
Uwasa no musume / The Girl in the Rumour (1935) A-
Otome-gokoro - sannin-shimai / Three Sisters with Maiden Hearts (1935) A
Joyu to shijin / The Actress and the Poet (1935) A-
Sakasu gonin-gumi / Five Men in the Circus (1935) B+
Tsuma yo bara no yo ni / Wife! Be Like a Rose! (1935) A+
Asa no namikimichi / Morning's Tree-Lined Street (1936) A
Kimi to yuku michi / The Road I Travel with You (1936) ns
Tochuken Kumoemon (1936) B+
Nadare / Avalanche (1937) ns
Kafuku zempen / Learn from Experience, Part I (1937) A-
Kafuku kôhen / Learn from Experience, Part II (1937) A-
Nyonin aishu / A Woman's Sorrows (1937) A-
Tsuruhachi Tsurujiro (1938) A-
Magokoro / Sincerity (1939) A-
Hataraku ikka / The Whole Family Works (1939) A
Tabi yakusha / Travelling Actors (1940) A+
Natsukashi no kao / A Face from the Past (1941) A
Hideko no shasho-san / Hideko the Bus Conductress (1941) A
Shanhai no tsuki / Shanghai Moon (1941) ns
Haha wa shinazu / Mother Never Dies (1942) ns
Uta-andon / The Song Lantern (1943) A+
Shibaido / The Way of Drama (1944) A-
Tanoshiki kana jinsei / This Happy Life (1944) B
Sanjuusangen-dou, toushiya monogatari / A Tale of Archery at the Sanjusangendo (1945) B+
Shôri no hi made / Until Victory Day (1945) ns
Ore mo omae mo / Both You and I (1946) A-
Urashima Taro no koei / The Descendents of Taro Urashima (1946) ns
Yottsu no koi no monogatari / Four Love Stories (1947) (segment "Wakare mo tanoshi") ns
Haru no mezame / Spring Awakens (1947) A+
Furyo shojo / Delinquent Girl (1949) supposedly lost
Bara gessen / Battle of Roses (1950) C+
Shiroi yajuu / White Beast (1950) B
Ikari no machi / Angry Street (1950) ns
Ishinaka sensei gyojoki / Conduct Report on Professor Ishinaka (1950) ns
Maihime / Dancing Girl (1951) A-
Ginza gesho / Ginza Cosmetics (1951) A
Meshi / Repast (1951) A+
Inazuma / Lightning (1952) A+
Okaasan / Mother (1952) A
Okuni to Gohei / Okuni and Gohei (1952) ns
Tsuma / Wife (1953) A
Fufu / Husband and Wife (1953) A
Ani imouto / Older Brother, Younger Sister (1953) A
Yama no oto / Sound of the Mountain (1954) A+
Bangiku / Late Chrysanthemums (1954) A+
Kuchizuke (1955) (part 3) ns
Ukigumo / Floating Clouds (1955) A+
Nagareru / Flowing (1956) A+
Tsuma no kokoro / A Wife's Heart (1956) ns
Shu-u / Sudden Rain (1956) A
Arakure / Untamed (1957) ns
Iwashigumo / Herringbone Clouds / Summer Clouds (1958) A-
Anzukko (1958) ns
Kotan no kuchibue / Whistle in My Heart (1959) ns
Aki tachinu / Approach of Autumn (1960) A
Yoru no nagare / Evening Stream (1960) ns
Musume tsuma haha / Daughters, Wives and a Mother (1960) A-
Onna ga kaidan wo agaru toki / When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (1960) A
Tsuma to shite onna to shite / As a Wife, As a Woman (1961) A
Hourou-ki / A Wanderer's Notebook (1962) A+
Onna no za / A Woman's Place (1962) A-
Onna no rekishi / A Woman's Life (1963) ns
Midareru / Yearning (1964) A/A+
Onna no naka ni iru tanin / The Stranger Within a Woman (1966) A-
Hikinige / Hit and Run (1966) A-
Midaregumo / Scattered Clouds (1967) A