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<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Dear Kinejapaners,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>I was wondering whether there were any other examples of
absence in the titles of Japanese plays or films. Is <EM>Subscription
List</EM> the exception, or are there other examples? I could think of a
couple of film titles which define the absence: Kobayashi's <EM>Shokutaki no nai
ie</EM>, and Uchida's kabuki-influenced <EM>Koi ya koi nasuna koi</EM> -
which I think refers to an absence of returned love - (the truly bizarre
english-language rendering, 'The Mad Fox' is another kind of absence, since the
film has neither mad foxes nor rational humans).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>But I can't think of another example where the
Japanese title is that thing which is absent.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Roger</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=faithbach@yahoo.co.jp href="mailto:faithbach@yahoo.co.jp">faith</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
title=KineJapan@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
href="mailto:KineJapan@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu">KineJapan@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, January 27, 2011 7:23
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Men Who Tread on the Tiger's
Tail</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Benkei's blank page is never shown in kabuki, either to the audience or
to the other actors, not for any formal kabukiesque reasons
but for the realistic reason that the paper really is blank
since Benkei et al are in disguise and do not actually have such a
scroll. Benkei's spontaneous improvisation of a real "subscription
list," which he reads out, is part of the dramatic weight of the
role. Mid-read, Togashi approaches stealthily bit by bit with the
intention of catching a peek at the page, but Benkei clutches it to
his breast in time, realistically.(= i.e., the actors are too far apart
for Togashi actually to have seen the page). Some Togashi actors at this
point make the decision that Benkei is a fake either because of his suspicious
fast clutch, or because T has "really" seen the scroll is blank:
this is up to the actor.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>(The Enoken character does not exist in kabuki but is a wonderful
Kurosawa invention.) </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>It is also true, as someone else in this discussion has already
pointed out, that Togashi does make the conscious decision to let the
Benkei/Yoshitsune party escape, despite realizing the truth of their
IDs and knowing he (T) will die for dereliction of duty in letting them
go. He is moved primarily by the fact that Benkei later strikes his lord
Yoshitsune, disguised as a porter, with his staff allegedly to reprimand
him. Striking one's lord is something literally for a retainer to die
for; Benkei does this specifically to dis-convince Togashi's group that
the porter may be Y in disguise, since what retainer could dare offer
physical affront to his lord? Because Benkei is willing to undertake such
an affront, to his own extreme dishonor, Togashi is so moved by B's moral
& psychological courage that he lets them go. (Later
Benkei weeps and Yoshitsune forgives him for the beating.) Dramatically
the scroll business is 2ndary to the beating, so far as Togashi is
concerned.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Yes, it is very difficult stuff for non-traditional audiences to
understand. Kabuki is, however, full of such examples of "noble enemy"
tropes whereby someone on the opposite side is moved to mercy by the power of
his antagonist's self-sacrifice in dedication to his own duty.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Kanjincho is out on DVD in the Shochiku series, I believe. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>FB</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
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