More reflections on pink films and other popular genres

[J.sharp]

>In response to Jasper's question, "So why do directors >like Zeze or Meike
choose this particular avenue to make >their personal statements? There just
appears to be this >huge gulf between intentions of the director and the
>demands of the audience"  - it's possible I suppose that >they haven't been
able to gain finance to address their >personal concerns in more respectable
films?

I am certain that there are many directors within the pink industry who
could not pitch an idea or cope with the pressure of working in the larger
mainstream companies, but this was not so much the angle I was looking at
the question – and besides, Zeze has made lots interesting and challenging
work outside of pink.

I may not have been clear in my earlier post, but for me the interest is in
how such directors have managed to get away with making films that basically
don’t address any of the requirements of the pink audience (ie providing
raunchy sex scenes), as well as providing material or ideas that goes beyond
these basic demands.

That a film like HANAI SACHIKO get produced in the first place is
interesting enough, but that it is from the same underground sub-genre that
also gave rise to films like RAIGYO or, further back in time the works of
Adachi and Wakamatsu, makes it even more noteworthy.

Agreed, I would be strongly worried about those who exclusively look to pink
to provide any image or insight of Japan, or to take everything they see in
these films at face value. But it would be a definite mistake to dismiss
everything in an entire sector of Japanese film (and one that is defined
more strictly by its distribution network than the content of the films)
that has made up around half of the annual output since the 60s. And an
interest or appreciation of these films does not mean one can’t appreciate
an Ozu film now and again. Just ask Masayuki Suoh.



Jasper


--
Midnight Eye: The Latest and Best in Japanese Cinema
www.midnighteye.com

===

Available now in bookstores everywhere:
The Midnight Eye Guide to New Japanese Film (Stone Bridge Press)
by Tom Mes and Jasper Sharp
http://www.midnighteye.com/features/midnighteye_guide.shtml
"Easily one of the most important books on Japanese cinema ever released in
English."
- Newtype USA




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