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<P>I think that Hasumi's assertion, that the persistently fine weather in Ozu mean that he cannot be the 'most Japanese' of directors, highlights the rather nebulous nature of Japaneseness.</P>
<P>Could the increasing availablity of Ozu outside of Japan (particularly on DVD) eventually challenge some of these domestic attitudes to foreign audiences/scholarship? </P>
<P>By the way Aaron: "Just look at Umemoto Yoichi's review of Bordwell's Ozu book and you can see this attitude persisting" </P>
<P>- Is this available online anywhere?</P>
<P>Cheers.</P>
<P>Tom<BR><BR></P></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>From: Aaron Gerow <gerowaaron@sbcglobal.net>
<DIV></DIV>>Reply-To: KineJapan@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
<DIV></DIV>>To: KineJapan@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
<DIV></DIV>>Subject: Re: attitudes to Ozu
<DIV></DIV>>Date: Sun, 20 Feb 2005 10:44:45 -0500
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>While I think there are still some Japanese out there with the "Ozu
<DIV></DIV>>is too Japanese to be understood by foreigners" attitude, opinion in
<DIV></DIV>>the critical community now is much more complex. Just consider the
<DIV></DIV>>case of Hasumi Shigehiko, Japan's most prominent film critic/scholar
<DIV></DIV>>over the last 20 years who has penned the most influential book on
<DIV></DIV>>Ozu in Japan. He actually begins that book by reviewing foreign
<DIV></DIV>>scholars on Ozu (mostly Schrader, Richie and Bordwell) and argues
<DIV></DIV>>against them not by stating that they don't understand Ozu's
<DIV></DIV>>Japaneseness, but rather that their either don't understand that Ozu
<DIV></DIV>>has little to do with Japaneseness (Schrader and Richie), or, more
<DIV></DIV>>importantly, that they don't understand cinema itself (Bordwell).
<DIV></DIV>>Ozu then becomes the representative not of Japaneseness, but of
<DIV></DIV>>cinema, with the argument being that foreign scholars have lost
<DIV></DIV>>touch with the ineffabilities of the medium. (Why Hasumi begins his
<DIV></DIV>>book signaling out foreign critics is curious, if not disturbing,
<DIV></DIV>>especially since there were plenty of Japanese critics he could have
<DIV></DIV>>faulted.) Just look at Umemoto Yoichi's review of Bordwell's Ozu
<DIV></DIV>>book and you can see this attitude persisting. It kind of culminates
<DIV></DIV>>in Hasumi's infamous statement that Todai is the only place in the
<DIV></DIV>>world that properly teaches film studies, and explains in part the
<DIV></DIV>>rather isolated state of some sectors of film studies in Japan
<DIV></DIV>>(evident in the lack of translation of foreign work or interaction
<DIV></DIV>>with foreign scholars--of a certain kind).
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Aaron Gerow
<DIV></DIV>>Film Studies and East Asian Languages and Literatures
<DIV></DIV>>Yale University
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