Top Ten Films of 1980s

[Li Hoo Cheong]

In September 1990, Kinema Junpo published the following list of
Top Ten Films of the 1980s selected by a panel of 53 critics:

1.  Zigeunerweisen              (Suzuki Seijun, 1980)      161 points
2.  Muddy River                 (Oguri Kohei, 1981)        156
3.  The Emperor's Naked Army    (Hara Kazuo, 1987)         149 
        Marches On
4.  Family Game                 (Morita Yoshimitsu, 1983)  132
5.  My Neighbor Totoro          (Miyazaki Hayao, 1988)     90
6.  The Funeral                 (Itami Juzo, 1984)         86
7.  Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (Oshima Nagisa, 1983)    83
8.  Typhoon Club                (Somai Junji, 1985)        76
9.  Makioka Sisters             (Ichikawa Kon, 1983)       75
10. A Japanese Village          (Ogawa Shinsuke, 1982)     67

I have seen all these films except the last one, and the 10
films of that decade I like best, among over 100 I have the pleasure
of seeing, are (in chronological order):

1980    Zigeunerweisen                  (Suzuki Seijun)
1981    Muddy River                     (Oguri Kohei)
1983    Makioka Sisters                 (Ichikawa Kon)
1984    The Funeral                     (Itami Juzo)
1984    MacArther's Children            (Shinoda Masahiro)
1985    And Then                        (Morita Yoshimitsu)
1985    Himatsuri                       (Yanagimachi Mitsuo)
1986    Sea and Poison                  (Kumai Kei)
1988    The Discarnates                 (Obayashi Nobuhiko)
1989    Kiki's Delivery Service         (Miyazaki Hayao)

H. C. Li