Viennale 2000

[Joanne Izbicki]

Thank you, Aaron, for that most interesting report on the Vienna
festival.  Aoyama's ideas about  'yoo-na' and the issue of (war)
responsibility reminded me of a technique I've seen with some frequency
in films made during the Allied Occupation:  a shot shows a character
looking offscreen; the next shot--a pan--appears to be a point-of-view
of the character in the previous shot.  But the pan eventually stops
back on the character whose POV the shot seemed to be.  The spectator
has to readjust her position retrospectively from one identical to the
character's to one coinciding wtiht the omniscent position of the
camera.  Examples of this technique are in "Kanashiki kuchibue"
(Melancholy whistle, aka Sad little whistle), 1949, and in one of the
installments of the three-part "Kane no naru oka" (Hill where the bell
peals), 1948-49.  I believe there is also an example in "Yuuwaku"
(Temptation), 1949.  I have a feeling I've seen it in a more recent
Japanese film as well--"Shall We Dance"?
If anyone has noticed examples of this in other films--of any
period--I'd appreciate hearing about it.

Did Sakaguchi say anything about older directors' influences on his film
"Ao no to"?  Your comments brought to mind Shimizu Hiroshi who also used
amateurs, including war orphans, in his films about children.  Even the
title is evocative of Shimizu's 1944? "Mikaeri no tou" and his 1948 film
"Hachi no suu no kodomotachi" (and the 1950 sequel) which apparently
made quite an impact on other filmmakers in the immediate post-surrender
years (perhaps Markus can elaborate on that?).

Since I am very interested in the issue of responsibility for Japanese
imperialism and all its ugly accoutrements, especially as it was
articulated during the occupation among filmmakers, I'd be very
interested in seeing further discussion of how the issue has been/is
engaged by Japanese cinema.

Joanne Izbicki
izbickj at wfu.edu