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Japan is rivalled only by Hollywood in developing the most influential and accomplished industry in world cinema. Japanese cinema has produced some of the most celebrated filmmakers in film history, including Yasujirō Ozu, Akira Kurosawa and Hayao Miyazaki, whose work has had a lasting impact on Western cinema and global filmmaking traditions. On this course, we shall explore both classic and contemporary Japanese films, not just the masterpieces of key directors, but also assess a range of genres, the distinctive film language they have developed and situating them within the history of Japanese film-making.
When is it on?
Once a month - last weds of every month - in term 2 and term 3
Weds 28th January
Weds 25th Feburary
Weds 25th March
Weds 29th April
Weds 27th May
Weds 24th June
This course is suitable for anyone with an interest in film studies and finding out more about Japanese cinema. No previous study or knowledge is required.
Film studied will depend on availability. We shall discuss a wide range of directors and genres, beginning with some of the masterpieces of the post-war ‘Golden Age’ of Japanese cinema, notably works by Yasujiro Ozu and Akira Kurosawa, as well as aiming to consider films by Kenji Mizoguchi, Mikio Naruse and others. Our attention will then shift towards more recent films such as Battle Royale and the animated features of Studio Ghibli, exploring both live action and animation.
By the end of the course, you should be able to:
• Situate individual films and directors within relevant historical and industrial contexts
• Understand interrelationships between Japanese and Western cinema
• Identify key genres in Japanese cinema
The course will be delivered via one class a month on a Wednesday afternoon. This will allow plenty of time for preparation and for taking account of the changing availability of films.
Each class will begin by considering everyone’s first responses to that week’s film or films. We shall open up these ideas to further discussion, select scenes and sequences for closer analysis, and highlight some of the most important historical and critical contexts surrounding the films. A consistent focus will be on exploring Japanese cinema via our pre-existing assumptions about film-making, perhaps largely derived from Hollywood and western practice, and considering how and why the films accord with or diverge from expectations.
Progress will be assessed via individual learning plans and class participation.
The course will be tailored to films readily available on the BfiPlayer, which has historically been a reliable platform for accessing Japanese films. The current cost of a subscription is £6.99 per month, but viewing films in advance should ensure that you will not need the subscription for more than two or three months. Before the first week, please watch Late Spring (Ozu, 1949) and The Seven Samurai (Kurosawa, 1954) or, if these are not available, alternative films by these directors. Some other films will either need to be accessed on other platforms (a monthly update on what is available will be provided), or purchased on DVD, but the overall cost of the course should not exceed £50.
Each month the tutor will recommend additional films for viewing, and key critical materials, but the only required preparation is to view the films before each class.
Studying this course will introduce you to aspects of non-Western and world cinema that you will be able to explore further, by yourself or on other Humanities courses at Mary Ward Centre or elsewhere.
See how long it will take you to get to college. Please select the campus of the course you wish to study.