Japanese Religion in Film

[mark schilling]

For comic takes on religion, try "Fancy Dance" (Suo Masayuki, 1989) or
"Kyoso no Tanjo" (Temma Toshihiro, 1993). The later film, whose English
title is "Many Happy Returns," stars Beat Takeshi as the chief enforcer for
a phony cult.

As for animation, both Anno Hideaki's "Evangelion" TV series and films and
Oshii Mamoru's "Ghost In the Shell 2: Innocence" delve into religion and
philosophy, in highly individual, borderless ways.

And remember, there's a "God" in "Godzilla."

Mark Schilling

E-mail: schill at gol.com
Web site: http://japanesemovies.homestead.com/index.html