Cinema, censorship, and the state : the writings of Nagisa Oshima, 1956-1978, translated by Dawn Lawson

Nagisa Oshima is generally regarded as the most important Japanese film director after Kurosawa and is one of Japan's most productive and celebrated postwar artists. His early films represent the Japanese New Wave at its zenith, and the films he has made since (including In the Realm of the Senses and Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence) have won international acclaim. The more than 40 writings that make up this intellectual autobiography reveal a rare conjunction of personal candor and political commitment. Entertaining, concise, disarmingingly insightful, they trace in vivid and carefully articulated detail the development of Oshima's theory and practice. The writings are arranged in chronological order and cover the period from the mid-1950s to the late 1970s. Following a historical overview of contemporary Japanese cinema, a substantial section articulates the theoretical and political rationale of 0shima's own film production, which he sees as being profoundly influenced by the social formation and political processes of postwar Japan. Among many other topics considered in his essays, Oshima questions the economics of film production, the ethics of the documentary film, censorship (both political and sexual), and the relation of aesthetics and social taboos. A filmography and notes round out this important collection. Contents Acknowledgements Introduction Perspectives on the Japanese Film I Creation and Destruction of the Japanese Cinema (1956-1963) To Critics, Mainly—From Future Artists A Review of "Sleeping Lion: Shochiku Ofuna" Authorial Asthenia Beyond Endless Self-Negation: The Attitude of the New Filmmakers What Is a Shot? The Laws of Self-Negation In Protest aginst the Massacre of Night and Fog in Japan First Interlude: In Korea and Vietnam (1963-1965) Korea as I Saw It With Heavy Heart, I Speak of Korea Are the Star and Stripes a Guardian Deity? The People of "The Forgotten Imperial Army" Vietnam: Land of the Interminable Decisive Battle Defending the Cruelty Depicted in "War Chronicle of a Marine Troop in Vietnam" The Road to Freedom II The Demon of Expression and the Logic of Organized Struggle (1965-1970) The Concept of Demons and the Concept of a Movement The Wounds of Those with Shame To the Friends and Collaborators on A Study of Japanese Bawdy Songs Today's Youth and A Study of Japanese Bawdy Songs To the Firends and Collaborators on Japanese Summer: Double Suicide On the Attitude of Film Theorists The Error of Mere Theorization of Technique Insensitivity Is a Crime About Death by Hanging Notes on Boy Starting from Scratch How to Die in the 1970s Requiem Second Interlude: Some Fragments of My Life (1969-1974) My Adolescence Began with Defeat My Father's Nonexistence: A Determining Factor in My Existence There Is No Youth without Adventure Banishing Green From My Diary III Discovery of a Contemporary Author Mishima Yukio: The Road to Defeat of One Lacking in Political Sense IV On Trial for Obscentity (1970-1978) Between Custom and Crime: Sex As Mediator Sexual Poverty Sex, Cinema, and The Four-and-a-Half-Mat Room Theory of Experimental Pornographic Film Text of Plea Regarding the Proper Attitude when Seeing a Film Filmography Index The First time I made a film in color... I imposed a small taboo on myself internally. It was to never shoot the color green. Nagisa Oshima is generally regarded as the most important Japanese film director after Kurosawa and is one of Japan's most productive and celebrated postwar artists. His early films represent the Japanese New Wave at its zenith, and the films he has made since (including In the Realm of the Senses and Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence) have won international acclaim. The more than 40 writings that make up this intellectual autobiography reveal a rare conjunction of personal candor and political commitment. Entertaining, concise, disarmingingly insightful, they trace in vivid and carefully articulated detail the development of 0shima's theory and practice. The writings are arranged in chronological order and cover the period from the mid-1950s to the late 1970s. Following a historical overview of contemporary Japanese cinema, a substantial section articulates the theoretical and political rationale of 0shima's own film production, which he sees as being profoundly influenced by the social formation and political processes of postwar Japan. Among many other topics considered in his essays, Oshima questions the economics of film production, the ethics of the documentary film, censorship (both political and sexual), and the relation of aesthetics and social taboos. A filmography and notes round out this important collection. Introduction / Annette Michelson -- I. Creation And Destruction Of The Japanese Cinema (1956-1963). To Critics, Mainly -- From Future Artists. Is It A Breakthrough? (the Modernists Of Japanese Film). A Review Of Sleeping Lion: Shochiku Ofuna Authorial Asthenia. Beyond Endless Self-negation: The Attitude Of The New Filmmakers. What Is A Shot? The Laws Of Self-negation. In Protest Against The Massacre Of Night And Fog In Japan. First Interlude: In Korea And Vietnam (1963-1965). Korea As I Saw It. With Heavy Heart, I Speak Of Korea. Are The Stars And Stripes A Guardian Deity? The People Of The Forgotten Imperial Army Vietnam: Land Of The Interminable Decisive Battle. Defending The Cruelty Depicted In War Chronicle Of A Marine Troop In Vietnam. Edited And With An Introduction By Annette Michelson ; Translated By Dawn Lawson. An October Book. Filmography 289-293 Includes Index. Regarded as the most important Japanese film director after Kurosawa, this autobiography contains over 40 writings tracing the development of Oshima's theory and practice. Combining personal candour and political commitment, they range, in chronological order, from the mid-1950s to the late 1970s