Mystery of Rampo

[Lawrence E. Marceau]

To the List:

By way of self-introduction, I teach Japanese language & literature at
the University of Delaware.@@ Last spring, I taught a film course for
the first time.@ Of the 14 films we screened that semester, about half
were Kurosawa films, with Ozu, Mizoguchi, Oshima, Shinoda, Itami, etc.
filling the other half.@ Since then, through this discussion group, I
have learned a great deal about Japanese film, both in terms of
information as well as regarding insights and approaches for better
interpretation.@ Next spring I plan to offer the course again, dropping

several Kurosawa films in favor of other directors and genres (including

more Anime).@ Two questions:

1) Please recommend a good general introductory textbook for a survey
course such as this.@@ Last time we used Donald Ritchie's _The Films
of
Akira Kurosawa_ together with other, more specialized texts (Eros &
Massacre, etc.).@ I would appreciate any and all suggestions.

2) I have noticed that Okuyama Kazuyoshi's 1994 _Rampo_ (The Mystery of
Rampo) did not make very many top 10 (or even top 30) lists that have
appeared in this group over the past several weeks.@ I also recall that

one commentator characterized the film as "dubious."@ I have seen it
twice now, and find it to be a wonderfully rich blend of symbols and
images that makes it a rare treat when we are subjected to so many
linear, two-dimensional films, especially from Hollywood.@@ I
especially
found the scene--in which the protagonist is on the roof looking in
through a gabled window onto the room where the Count is "ravaging" the
young widow while a rape scene, superimposed over another rape scene, is

being played on their bodies from a movie projector--to be fascinating.
@ Please provide some input.@@ I have seen both positive and negative

reviews for this film on the Web.

Thank you.

Lawrence Marceau
@@