<html><head></head><body><div class="yahoo-style-wrap" style="font-family:Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:16px;"><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><div><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:ApplyBreakingRules/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object
classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui></object>
<style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }
</style>
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<p class="ydpb26c9d94MsoNormal">Dear All,</p>
<p class="ydpb26c9d94MsoNormal" style="margin-top:6.0pt;layout-grid-mode:char;mso-layout-grid-align:none">I’ve been asked by Wayne Arnold, of the University
of Kitakyushu, who is researching ‘Arthur
Miller and Japan’
about what ‘Japanese films’ Arthur Miller had seen when he wrote, in Paris,
on 17 October, 1933
(underlining is ours) :-</p>
<p class="ydpb26c9d94MsoNormal" style="margin-top:6.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:17.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;layout-grid-mode:char;mso-layout-grid-align:none">A most beautiful end to a most wonderful day was Sylvia<br>
Sidney’s performance of Cho-Cho-San—<i>Madame Butterfly</i>. I was<br>
thrilled. More than that, deeply moved. <u><span style="background-color: yellow; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-size: auto;">Having
seen the celebrated<br>
films by the Japanese players some time ago (Ancient, Medieval, and<br>
Modem </span></u><u><span style="background-color: yellow; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-size: auto;">Japan</span></u><u><span style="background-color: yellow; background-repeat: repeat; background-attachment: scroll; background-image: none; background-size: auto;">) I had some basis of comparison whereby to judge her<br>
interpretation.</span></u> All that an Occidental could bring to the role I
felt<br>
she had brought. It is one of the most restrained, most artistiq films<br>
America has
produced. A pure film with the operatic melodies well<br>
subdued and never intruding. The dignity of the theme worthy to<br>
make you weep.</p>
<p class="ydpb26c9d94MsoNormal" style="margin-top:6.0pt;layout-grid-mode:char;mso-layout-grid-align:none">Miller had arrived in Paris
in 1932 and the range of films with Japanese players to be seen was
limited.<span> </span>One film fits his description
very well – the European-edited compilation by Carl Koch, <i>Nippon</i>.
Pordenone says </p>
<p class="ydpb26c9d94MsoNormal" style="margin-top:6.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:19.85pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;layout-grid-mode:char;mso-layout-grid-align:none"><span>cut versions (each 20 minutes)
of three Japanese silent films — two 1928 jidai geki, <i>Tempei Jidai-Kaito
Samimaro</i> (<i>The Time of the Tempei Shamimaro</i>) by Eichi Koishi and <i>Kagaribi</i>
(<i>Torches</i>) by Tetsuroku Hoshi, as well as <i>Daitokai Rodoshahen</i> (<i>The
Life of Workers in the Big City</i>), a gendai geki by Kiyohiko Ushihara .... This
anthology is structured as a historical panorama, from the early Tempei era via
the Tokugawa period up to the present.</span></p>
<p class="ydpb26c9d94MsoNormal" style="margin-top:6.0pt;layout-grid-mode:char;mso-layout-grid-align:none"><span>Clearly, Miller’s yardstick of
the authentic was heavily pre-digested and seems to accord with his
romanticized view. But </span><span>Wayne</span><span> would like to see it and, indeed, so would I.<span> </span>Does anyone know of a viewing source outside
the archives ? (I can’t see that anyone could claim copyright on it.)</span></p>
<p class="ydpb26c9d94MsoNormal" style="margin-top:6.0pt;layout-grid-mode:char;mso-layout-grid-align:none"><span>Roger</span></p>
</div><div><br></div></div></div></body></html>