A Dream of Resistance : The Cinema of Kobayashi Masaki

Celebrated as one of Japan’s greatest filmmakers, Kobayashi Masaki’s scorching depictions of war and militarism marked him as a uniquely defiant voice in post-war Japanese cinema. A pacifist drafted into Japan’s Imperial Army, Kobayashisurvived the war with his principles intact and created a body of work that was uncompromising in its critique of the nation’s military heritage. Yet his renowned political critiques were grounded in spiritual perspectives, integrating motifs and beliefs from both Buddhism and Christianity. __A Dream of Resistance__ is the first book in English to explore Kobayashi’s entire career, from the early films he made at Shochiku studio, to internationally-acclaimed masterpieces like __The Human Condition, Harakiri, and Samurai Rebellion__, and on to his final work for NHK Television. Closely examining how Kobayashi’s upbringing and intellectual history shaped the values of his work, Stephen Prince illuminates the political and religious dimensions of Kobayashi’s films, interpreting them as a prayer for peace in troubled times. Prince draws from a wealth of rare archives, including previously untranslated interviews, material that Kobayashiwrote about his films, and even the young director’s wartime diary. The result is an unprecedented portrait of this singular filmmaker. "Celebrated as one of Japan's greatest filmmakers, Kobayashi Masaki's scorching depictions of war and militarism marked him as a uniquely defiant voice in post-war Japanese cinema. A pacifist drafted into Japan's Imperial Army, Kobayashi survived the war with his principles intact and created a body of work that was uncompromising in its critique of the nation's military heritage. Yet his renowned political critiques were grounded in spiritual perspectives, integrating motifs and beliefs from both Buddhism and Christianity. A Dream of Resistance is the first book in English to explore Kobayashi's entire career, from the early films he made at Shochiku studio, to internationally-acclaimed masterpieces like The Human Condition, Harakiri, and Samurai Rebellion, and on to his final work for NHK Television. Closely examining how Kobayashi's upbringing and intellectual history shaped the values of his work, Stephen Prince illuminates the political and religious dimensions of Kobayashi's films, interpreting them as a prayer for peace in troubled times. Prince draws from a wealth of rare archives, including previously untranslated interviews, material that Kobayashi wrote about his films, and even the young director's wartime diary. The result is an unprecedented portrait of this singular filmmaker"-- Provided by publisher A Dream of Resistance is the first book in English to explore Kobayashi Masaki's entire career. Drawing from rare archives, including the young director's wartime diary, Stephen Prince illuminates the political and religious dimensions of Kobayashi's films and examines how their values were shaped by his intellectual history and upbringing Contents 10 Introduction 14 1. Conjoining Spirit and World 25 2. A Sharp and Piercing Thorn 83 3. The Logic of Negation 136 4. Guardians of the Gate 191 5. A Pilgrim on the Silk Road 253 Acknowledgments 310 Films by Kobayashi Masaki 312 Notes 314 Index 328