Brief introduction; questions

[Jonathan Minton]

Hi,

I subscribed to this message list a few weeks ago, fairly 'randomly' - I just searched on Google the day after seeing Miike's Audition, very late at night, and thinking 'I'd really like to know more about Japanese cinema.'

You guys all seem to be so much more ?immersed? and knowledgeable about Japanese films and how to get hold of them ? in many cases doing degrees in film studies and so on (Personally, I?m a UK student doing a cultural studies postgrad, after studying engineering for the four previous years!) ? so forgive me if I?m a little ignorant about some of the details and so forth.

Aside from, I think, Audition and Ring, my knowledge of Japanese film is largely restricted to animation, and even then to the more mainstream films like Akira and Ghost in the Shell.

I think I've seen enough, however, to notice some real differences between 'Eastern' and 'Western' cinema in general, in terms of the themes and approaches used.

What I'm interested in is how these differences in film might relate to differences in culture. Anyone who's interested in discussion the role of culture (including faith and 'world-views') in Japanese and (in particular) American cinema - let me know. 

Anyone who thinks they could give me a few pointers on how they think both Japanese and American culture is reflected in their cinema... I'd be grateful.

Also, anyone who could suggest a 'must-see' Japanese film for someone who's not yet ?even a dilettante? of Japanese cinema? tell me!

Here are a couple of ideas I?d like to offer up about Japanese vs. US styles:

US films seem to be more about subjective ?heroic journeys? ? they tend to be about presenting a main character, getting the audience to like and empathise with him/her, and then following the character while they encounter some events that are important in their lives, before seeing the events resolve themselves in a manner that is beneficial to them.

Japanese films seem more objective, primarily concerned with giving the film-goer a powerful ?audio-visual experience?, rather than presenting an optimistic/idealistic narrative. Though it?s possible to provide both, given a choice between presenting something that?s ?interesting? and visually/sonically/emotionally stimulating, or something that?s staid and clich*d but nice and ?pleasant?, Japanese cinema seems to tend towards the first option.

Related to this, Japanese themes tend to be less ?individualistic? than US film themes. It seems to be more ?amoral? from a Western perspective because Western moral values are based much more on individual responsibility than societal responsibility, whereas Japanese morality, from what I understand on it, seems to be more about the responsibility of the one to the many ? honour and loyalty seems to play much bigger parts in Japanese cinema.
I?m wondering if these observations make sense to you. If so, do you think it could be something to do with the differences between Buddhist (atheistic, ?pessimistic?, holistic) and Christian (monotheistic and Messianic ? so based on optimism, individualism, and the ?Heroic narrative?) faiths and ?world-views? (the subconscious/ unconscious absorbsion of cultural values and beliefs).


This is the kind of angle I?m interested in here. If you think you?d be able to help me develop it, then please let me know.


Thanks,

Jon