Japanese Movies
The first thing that generally comes to mind people hear the phrase "Japanese movies" is Godzilla stomping his was through the landscape while panicked film extras flee in terror. The cinema of Japan is far broader and more complex than fictional monsters destroying towns and reducing property values. Hollywood isn’t the only place to produce great movies.
Anime is an English phrase to describe Japanese animation in general. The term anime includes hand drawn as well as computer generated animation. The distinctly Japanese style of animation is heavily influenced by animation pioneer Osamu Tezuka who in turn was influenced by Disney’s 1937 cartoon Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Osamu Tezuka adapted and simplified many of the techniques used in the Disney cartoon for his own films to reduce production costs. Like live action films, today anime encompasses almost a broad range of genres. Action/ adventure pieces, drama, horror and science fiction have all been represented in the anime genre.
Period dramas called Jidaigeki, often capture the Edo period from 1603 to 1868 on film. Characters, such as samurai and shogun warriors, craftsmen, and merchants peddling their goods are commonly used in period dramas to lend an air of authenticity to the films. Some of the more famous examples of Japanese period dramas include The Hidden Fortress, Men Who Tread on a Tiger’s Tail, Ran, and Shogun’s Shadow.
For years Japanese filmmakers have kept their audiences on the edge of their seats with horror movies that emphasized psychological horror and supernatural elements. Popular Japanese horror movies include such spooky titles as The Curse, Dark Water, and Unholy Women. This genre of Japanese film has grabbed the attention of Hollywood in recent years. Movies such as The Ring and The Grudge are American adaptations of original Japanese horror films.
No discussion of Japanese films would be complete without mentioning Kaiju, or monster movies. Monsters are inspired by and adapted from conventional animals or mythological creatures. Over the years these monsters have played both the role of hero and evil doer. The classic battle of good versus evil has been played out in movies starring well known monsters such as Godzilla, Rodan, and Mothra.
Monsters aren’t the only ones bad guys featured in Japanese films. Yakuza films revolve around the unsavory lives and actions of the yakuza, otherwise known as the Japanese mafia. What originally started out as a flattering portrayal of the yakuza as noble characters in the 1960’s films, gave way to less flattering depictions of yakuza as ruthless and lacking honor in 1970’s films such as Battles Without Honor and Humanity. More modern versions of this darker attitude to the yakuza filmmaker can be seen in the films of Takeshi Kitano.