Hi Markus,<br><br>It's pretty close to the corresponding scene in the kabuki play Kanjincho, where instead of an Enoken-like character reacting we just have Togashi (the border guard) gradually becoming aware that Benkei is fabricating the subscription list. As Benkei handles the scroll the audience can see that it's blank. The kabuki-za has a good clear video out with Danjuro 12 as Benkei in the entire play.<br>
<br>Sarah<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Jan 26, 2011 at 10:22 AM, Nornes, Markus <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:amnornes@umich.edu">amnornes@umich.edu</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">
<div style="word-wrap: break-word;">In Kurosawa's Men Who Tread, there is a scene where Okochi Denjiro takes out a scroll, unravels it and reads it. However, Enoken is thrown for a loop when he sees that the paper is completely blank, which the camera dramatically emphasizes with a wonderful truck up and around the scroll. <div>
<br></div><div>Is this a convention of Noh or Kabuki performance, writing not being necessary because of the formalist nature of the dramaturgy? Or is it a reference to a specific play (or plays?)?</div><div><br></div><div>
I have heard of Chinese opera films with the same phenomenon. Can anyone think of other examples?</div><div><br></div><div>Markus<br><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br><div>
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