H-JAPAN (E): representations of blacknesS, Japanese & Korean Cinema

[Rob Buscher]

What about the black characters in Takeshis'? The bodyguard from the gambling den who is featured in the break dance sequence appears to be haafu, raising some interesting questions about Kitano's perceptions of blackness. There was also the black man with the spotlight strapped to his forehead in the scene inside the theatre and the scene on the train tracks, and if I'm not mistaken he was also in a brief scene at the beginning of the film.

Rob Buscher
London, England

Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:24:50 -0700
From: frako at well.com
To: KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
Subject: Re: H-JAPAN (E): representations of blacknesS, Japanese & Korean 	Cinema

There's Kitano Takeshi's film Brother--it has black characters in it.

There's also Reggie Life's documentary Struggle and Success: The African American Experience in Japan.

Frako Loden

Berkeley, CA

On Thu, Aug 27, 2009 at 1:58 PM, Mark%20Mays <tetsuwan at comcast.net> wrote:

The Kobayashi didn't have much representations of blackness as I recall aside from the child's birth. It's been awhile since I've seen it, but I think the director was talking about his prejudices (or lack).


I recall a movie with Claude Maki, Dean Stapleton and Yuki Uchida, BEAT from the late 90s. It's set in Vietnam era Okinawa, complete w/ hooker w/ heart of gold (Uchida) who is raising her daughter, born of rape by a  GI (for some reason I recall the daughter as being half Black but memory fails. It isn't such a memorable film). Again, not much on "representations" except the shadowy figure of a scary Black GI at one point. 


Isn't Maki a rapper now?



----- Original Message -----
From: eigagogo at free.fr
To: KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu

Sent: Thursday, August 27, 2009 7:55:33 AM GMT -06:00 US/Canada Central
Subject: Re: H-JAPAN (E): representations of blacknesS, Japanese & Korean Cinema

+ Kurahara's Black Sun !
http://auteursnotebook.s3.amazonaws.com/multiple%20images/Kurahara/spK09.jpg




Selon JORDAN ANTONY SMITH <oyabaka at ucla.edu>:

>
> Robin,
> Your email has been circulating on the KineJapan listserv.. hope you find

> some good ideas here.
>
> Don't forget EXTREME PRIVATE EROS (極�エロス�歌１９７４) from
> Hara and Kobayashi--great film with a live birth of a mixed-race baby and
> much more.

>
> I have the Oshima film you mention on DVD. I can send it to you if you like.
> If not, look out for some Oshima box sets which are floating around (many are
> Chinese pirate versions, so be careful/ethical, etc.)--or see if you can con

> NYU into springing for it!
>
> See the messages below from others too...
>
> Best,
> Jordan
>
>
>
> On Today 6:32 PM, thomas.lamarre at mcgill.ca wrote:

>
> > Suzuki Seijun's Nikutai no mon (1964) would be very interesting for
> > this project.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On 8/26/09 9:27 PM, "Michael Kerpan" <mekerpan at verizon.net> wrote:

> >
> > Two films I can think of offhand....
> >
> > Imai's Kiku and Isamu -- focus is on two children of a Japanese mother
> > (now deceased) and a black GI (long ago returned to the US) being brought

> > up by their grandmother.
> >
> > Shinozaki's Not Forgotten -- has a side story about a young half-black
> > boy who is befriended by none of the central characters.
> >

> > --- On Wed, 8/26/09, Melek Ortabasi <mso1 at sfu.ca> wrote:
> >
> > > From: Melek Ortabasi <mso1 at sfu.ca>

> > > Subject: Fwd: H-JAPAN (E): representations of blacknesS, Japanese
> > & Korean Cinema
> > > To: "KineJapan" <KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu>

> > > Date: Wednesday, August 26, 2009, 8:34 PM
> > > Forwarding this from H-Japan, apropos
> > > the recent discussion on "whitewashing!" Perhaps someone can
> > > write back to Robyn, who may not know of this list.

> > >
> > > Best,
> > > Melek
> > > ----- Forwarded Message -----
> > > From: "H-Japan Editor" <j-edit at MAIL.H-NET.MSU.EDU>

> > > To: H-JAPAN at H-NET.MSU.EDU
> > > Sent: Sunday, August 23, 2009 5:00:23 PM GMT -08:00
> > > US/Canada Pacific
> > > Subject: H-JAPAN (E): representations of blacknesS,

> > > Japanese & Korean Cinema
> > >
> > > On-line editor: Janet R. Goodwin <jan at cs.csustan.edu>
> > >
> > >

> > >
> > >
> > >     H-JAPAN
> > >
> > >
> > >    August 23, 2009
> > >
> > > From: Robyn Citizen <rc1434 at nyu.edu>

> > >
> > > Hi all,
> > >
> > > My dissertation project concerns the representation of
> > > blackness in
> > > Japanese and Korean cinema - this includes black bodies

> > > (African-Americans
> > > or people of African descent as characters), black
> > > culture/hip-hop
> > > culture, and blackness as a visual or linguistic signifier
> > > of absolute

> > > difference, racial or otherwise (it is my understanding
> > > that in earlier
> > > Japanese cinema people from the South Seas were referred to
> > > as "blacks",

> > > for example).
> > >
> > > While I have a modest list of films which I can use, I'd be
> > > very grateful
> > > for more suggestions of post-WWII movies that touch upon

> > > these topics.
> > >
> > > If anyone knows where I can find a copy of Oshima's "The
> > > Catch" (Japanese
> > > title "Shiiku", 1961) it would also be extremely helpful.

> > >
> > > Thank you for help!
> > >
> > > Best,
> > > Robyn
> > >
> > > Robyn Citizen
> > > PhD Candidate
> > > Cinema Studies

> > > New York University
> > > alternate e-mail: ladykaede1221 at gmail.com
> > >
> > >
> > >    ********************************************************

> > >             TO POST A MESSAGE
> > > TO THE H-JAPAN LIST
> > >
> > >       SEND MAIL TO
> > >
> > >    h-japan at h-net.msu.edu

> > >
> > >    ********************************************************
> > >
> > > --
> > > Melek Ortabasi, Ph.D.
> > > Assistant Professor
> > > World Literature Program

> > > Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
> > > Simon Fraser University
> > > Unit 250-13450
> > > 102 Ave., Surrey, BC
> > > V3T0A3 CANADA
> > > Phone: 778-782-8660

> > >
> > > "Education is what survives when what has been learned is
> > > forgotten." -- B. F. Skinner, "Education in 1984," _New
> > > Scientist_ (1969)

> > >
> >
> >
>
>



 		 	   		  
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