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Oshima never belonged to any proper Japanese political party but he was left wing his entire life although his belief in the movements ability to change things changed considerably which is why I feel (Possibly?) Kerpan feels the way he does. His earlier films are really angry and only later in life did he really settle down into something less openly acidic. His last film, Taboo, feels almost like a Mizoguchi film at times and it even mentions Ugestu by name (The book it's based on anyway.). He dabbled in Maoism (He even directed a documentary about Mao Zedong for Japanese TV) and individuals Herbert Marcuse if you're wondering. His abrasiveness lead to at least one, possibly two attempts on his life by right wing individuals because he was immensely critical of Hirohito and the Japanese Government.

Oshima is unfortunately better known for being a trouble maker with films like In the Realm of the Senses because it was such a cause célèbre everywhere it was shown and because of that it's at the forefront of his oeuvre. I don't think it's his best film by any margin and today serves more as a work of artistic transgression for world cinema than it does a truly scathing indictment of Japan's rising Nationalism in 1936 (Although that's a theme explored in the film...somewhat.). I would argue his best period was 68-71 where he directed some really great films including things like Boy, Death by Hanging and The Ceremony. I want to specify that I find him a hard director to recommend though because he's not a happy camper. You may very well laugh at his black comedy but underneath said comedic milieu is a really depressing view of society in general. My favorite film of his, The Ceremony, plays a bit like a perversion of an Ozu film insofar that it's one of those films that follows several generations of a family while being immensely humorous and dramatic...until it absolutely isn't. His film Boy would be a good starting film and I know Criterion have the rights but they don't seem to be all that keen on putting it out.

I admit my secret shame and say that I've only ever seen one film Godard made and that's Weekend so my ability to compare the two is very poor. Recommendations welcome through angry finger wagging PMs!

I am very partial to Japanese cinema and JNW especially, just didn't have the time to catch any Oshimas, but I love Suzuki, Teshigahara, Imammura and enjoyed Yoshida and the shorts of Terayama and Mitsumoto. Also there's no better reason to learn a country's politics than for cinema. I'm no expert but I've learned a lot about Taiwan's history through reading about the TNW.
Anyway once I finish my Godard marathon I might start an ATG/JNW one (though I haven't watched any Ozu, Mizoguchi or Naruse which is awful on my part to be honest)

Michael Kerpan wrote: Thu Feb 14, 2019 3:00 am

Slaphappy wrote: Wed Feb 13, 2019 8:56 pm I haven’t enjoyed a Japanese movie as much as this in a long while. More Uchida please!

I find it mystifying that Uchida is so ignored. then again, though an important figure in pre-war cinema, he was out of action for a long time prior to this film. As I recall, Richie and Anderson didn't mention his name even once in their initial book on Japanese movies. (Lots of hostility to genuinely leftist film makers in that volume -- and minimization/hostility of those that were mentioned -- Richie ameliorated this to some extent in later revisions -- but generally film makers ignored or dismissed in that first volume never really regained a foothold in the US, despite positive reactions to films shown here _prior_ to the appearance of the book).

I don't really personally feel like having an opinion one way or the other about Japanese feudal system and samurai movies that use a lot of effort to show it's errors feel a bit meh, but Bloody Spear was just great. I loved the characters and the rambling story telling and how effortlessly it went from being laid back to being tragic. The ending was weirdly spirited with

Spoiler

the spear carrier storming out of the village and the kid shouting obscenities to him.

I do not know much about his specific politics but Yasuzo Masamura is an interesting director too, especially in his scathing paired critiques of post-war business practices in thrall to Western commercial ideas: 1958's warring chocolate advertiser drama Giants & Toys and 1962's tale of corporate spying between warring car manufacturing companies, Black Test Car.

The comparison is like a fig to a pomelo.

Slaphappy - The end of Bloody Spear was just perfect.

colinr0380 - Masumura is yet another mystifyingly neglected Japanese master.

Michael Kerpan wrote: Fri Feb 15, 2019 3:06 am Slaphappy - The end of Bloody Spear was just perfect.

Absolutely! It reminds me of 70’s and 80’s Hong Kong kung fu movie endings which just leave you energized.

A fantastic film that kicked off Uchida’s post-war career. It’s kind of a period Mr. Thank You (with fights), and it’s as good as that comparison warrants. There’s a masterful command of contrasting moods and a superb handling of a large, differentiated cast.

The extras give a good overview of Uchida’s career and will make you hungry for more.

It mystifies me that Uchida is so neglected.

Michael Kerpan wrote: Sun May 03, 2020 11:51 pm It mystifies me that Uchida is so neglected.

How does upcoming Mad Fox compare to Bloody Spear?

Slaphappy -- I have not yet seen Mad Fox, alas.

Ok! I spotted a dismissive comment elsewhere and hoped for reassurance to get back my initial enthusiasm about the release.

I have not yet seen a bad Uchida film -- though that does not mean THIS is necessarily alkso good. I suspect it is a very culturally specific film -- probably not made with any expectation of distribution beyond Japan.

I haven’t seen it yet either, but it has a reputation for being visually impressive / wacky, which is enough for me.

Sounds like it is worth checking out.

It's indeed a visual marvel of bold, artificial autumnal colors, and that's mostly what I remember from it other than I liked it a lot. It may be worth reading a tiny bit on foxes and fox masks in japanese folklore beforehand too, though I don't remember it going too deep into these things. Visually impressive is also how I remember the only other Uchida I've seen, Police Officer, especially the very energetic ending which stays clear in my mind!

Sounds great! For a second I was worried Arrow could have gone to the all too familiar path for western labels and picked up the most bonkers title they could find. I love yokai and stuff as much as the next guy, but more fundamentals are needed to be released in English and not just the renegade stuff. Just saw Gate of Hell yesterday and was left aching for more samurai melodrama. Any suggestions on DVD/BD?

With Uchida I'm surprised that Arrow didn't start with A Fugitive from the Past which seems like his most acclaimed film, though perhaps Toei hasn't got round to restoring it yet.

Saturnome - I've never managed to see Police Officer (and suspect I never will).

Slaphappy -- If you are interested in black and white "samurai melodrama" -- have you seen Yamanaka's 3 surviving films (especially Humanity and Paper Balloons)? If you want to go back to the silent era, there's Futagawa's intensely melodrtamatic Orochi and Makino's Sozenji baba (whose most impressive character is the daughter of a yakuza boss who inexplicably falls for a mopey refugee samurai) Another great silent is Jirokichi the Rat (Daisuke Ito's only complete surviving silent film). The protagonist here is not a samurai -- but his antagonists are.

calvin - Fugitive from the Past got a French subbed DVD once upon a time (I believe). Not sure why it never got an English-subbed release. It's an interesting (long) double bill pairing with Imamura's Vengeance Is Mine -- as it not only has thematic overlap but also the protagonist there turns up as the protagonist's wife's father in VIM.

Michael, Humanity and Paper Balloons it is! Thank you. I’ll keep my eyes open for those silent movies too.