Eureka awards at Cannes

[Mark Schilling]

Aaron made a very perceptive comment about the state of film criticism in
Japan: I quote:

>Frankly, (the Japanese film industry) 
> is just too small and concentrated to make criticism easy.  Some of the 
> Japanese critics I know confess that one reason they only write about 
> foreign film is because they don't want to deal with the social pressures

> of criticizing Japanese film, where you can easily run into the director 
> of a film you just panned at a bar in Shinjuku or at some party.  Maybe a

> lot or people don't take criticism well: I've seen some people stop 
> talking to each other because of a few tough words in print.  It is hard 
> being a critical Japanese film critic.

This is all true. It is also a cop-out. Pauline Kael had more than a few
highly unpleasant encounters with rageballs who didn't care for her
reviews, but instead of sweetening her stuff, she came to avoid situations
where such encounters might occur. Being older and smaller than most of her
attackers -- she stood all of five feet tall -- she had to think of not
only her mental health, but her physical safety. Nonetheless, she kept
pouring her matchless scorn on bad movies and their makers until the end --
even though she had to avoid certain bars or skip industry parties.

Where is the Pauline Kael of Japan? Osugi? He more like the Rex Reed --
amusingly catty at times, but lacking weight. Where, even, is the Roger
Ebert? Nowhere, nada. The notorious "presenters" of films on Japanese TV
are relentless upbeat -- thumbs up all the way. Where is Time Out? The
local equivalent, Pia, has yet to say a discouraging word in any of its by
now thousand of capsule "reviews." I could on and on, but the bottom line
is -- film journalists for the mass media, with a few honorable,
exceptions, have the kisha club mentality: i.e., they would rather be
insiders than honest. 

Mark Schilling