radicalism in film

[GavinRees@aol.com]

John Dougill wrote: 

>I recently read an excellent posting to another mailing list (DFS,
>concerned with Japanese political economy matters) which I personally found
>of great interest and wish that there were more of on the KineJapan list.

Could you post the list address, I would be interested in having a look at 
it. 
Just as a matter of interest, it is not, written form Maoist perspective is 
it? 

I was intrigued by the thought that young Japanese Radicals might think that 
the cultural revolution was a good thing. (ie the scene in that film where 
actors post pictures on a wall in an office, a la Goddard.)  That really was 
the end of history, the unnecessary extermination of at least a million 
people, followed by Mao's own death and the decision to embrace market 
capitalism once again, because it was, well, workable. If that is the only 
voice of Japanese radicalism, and the only way that radical film makers can 
dream of the future, then I suspect the LDP are here to stay. 

Can anybody think of any recent film-makers who in Japan, who have been 
pointing to  utopian visions of society, which go beyond a soft descent into 
mere hedonism? I don't think I can, but there again that kind of film making 
is hardly  fashionable anywhere these days. Perhaps for good reason.  

All the best, 

Gavin Rees