Books and videos of early Japanese films (Ozu, Mizoguchi, Naruse, Gosho, ..)

Bradley Elfman belfman at bellsouth.net
Wed Jun 20 09:04:23 EDT 2001


Greetings,

My name is Bradley Elfman and I am currently working as a computer programmer in Atlanta, Georgia. Until about two months ago, I had seen many of the standard, classic Japanese films (Roshomon, Ugetsu, ...), various samurai films, and the Taxing Woman films; but then accidentally discovered Late Spring which touched me more than any film I have seen, Japanese or otherwise. I then obtained a number of books on Ozu, Japanese films, and Japanese directors, and saw all the Ozu films I was able to rent at our local video store, which was Late Spring, Early Summer, Tokyo Story, Good Morning, A Tenement Gentleman, Floating Weeds, Equinox Flower, and Autumn Afternoon, and a few films of Mizogchi (Sisters of the Gion, Osaka Elegy, ...). 

Now I am unable to locate video sources of other Ozu films and films of other directors discussed by Donald Richie in his various books, most of which I now have read, in addition to "Japanese Film Directors" by Audie Bock.

I am interested in finding English subtitled, reasonably priced video sources of the Ozu films, and the films of Naruse, Mizoguchi, Gosho, Kinoshita, and Toyoda; 

I am also particularly interested in learning more about Setsuko Hara.

Additionally, I would like to learn more about the films of other Japanese directors and their work since 1960 to the present. I would like personal recommendations, since I do not know which books to trust when it comes to contemporary Japanese cinema. My interest likes, like Ozu, in character rather than plot and action.

I do not read or speak Japanese.

Thanks.

Bradley
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.yale.edu/pipermail/kinejapan/attachments/20010620/e084942a/attachment.html 


More information about the KineJapan mailing list