Films that depict the occupation of Japan, made afterwards

[Roger Macy]

Dear Kinejapaners,

I'm afraid I've got a new bone to pick.

I caught 'Stray Dog' last night at the NFT, having missed it during the recent Kurosawa retrospective.   The film was introduced by Mamoun Hassan, who made several interesting points, most of which I agree with.  He asked rhetorically if anyone had ever seen Allied soldiers in Japanese occupation-era films and, of course, no one had - fair point.  But he then went onto claim that films about the occupation were also absent from post-1952 Japanese cinema since the Japanese didn't want to be reminded of this era.

This did surprise me as I've banging on for years on to anyone that might listen that someone should do a season of cross-national films around occupation.  No Japanese ones?  That started me on a list of films made after the occupation that depicted the era and situation..

Leaving aside films  mainly on re-patriation, or the hibakusha, themes to themselves; leaving aside Oshima, who rarely set a scene in the occupation period, but for whom in most of his career the American occupation had not really ended; and leaving aside films like Ozu's Early Spring, where the prior death of the child, seemingly in the occupation period, weighs so heavily; I can still think of more than enough for a Japanese share in a season (below).  And my list is culled just from those few films shown in the west.  I seem to recall mention of many more that I haven't seen, and that's where I'd appreciate some help.  I'd be surprised if directors like Imai, Kamei or Ieki didn't do retrospective films on the occupation, but they haven't been shown here.

Now, few of these films have companies of American, or other Allied soldiers marching past outside the window.  Actors convincing as westerners were unaffordable to Japanese studios in the 50s and 60s at least.  But films about life in an occupied country don't need sharply drawn occupiers.  And isn't this the point - almost the opposite of Mamoun Hassan's thesis - that there are films about the occupation; but that 'we' don't want to see them, or at least that they are not much shown at the BFI, because they sideline westerners as unimportant or faceless characters, and/or they are politically uncomfortable for us ?

Anyway, here's my initial list, if anyone could add to it, or dispute it, please :-

Films that depict the occupation of Japan, made afterwards.

      Floating Clouds
     Ukigumo
     NARUSE Mikio
     1955
     
      Madadayo
     Madadayo
     KUROSAWA Akira
     1993
     
      Many of the 'Battles without Humanity' series
     Jingi naka takakai etc.
     FUKASAKU Kinji
     1973-
     
      Conflagration
     Enjo
     ICHIKAWA Kon
     1958
     
      Pigs and Battleships
     Buta to gunkan
     IMAMURA Shohei
     1961
     
      History of Postwar Japan as Told By a Bar Hostess
     Nippon sengo shi Madamu onboro no seikatsu
     IMAMURA Shohei
     1970
     
      Grave of the Fireflies
     Hotaru no haka
     TAKAHATA Isao
     1988
     
      Zero Focus
     Zero no shoten
     NOMURA Yoshitaro
     1961
     
      Zero Focus
     Zero no shoten
     INUDO Ishin
     2010
     
      Yokohama Mary
     Yokohama Mary
     NAKAMURA Takayuki
     2006
     
      Many of the 'Brutal Tales of Chivalry' series
     Showa Zankyoden, etc.
     SAEKI Kiyoshi
     1965-
     
      A Hole of My Own Making
     Jibun no ana no naka de
     UCHIDA Tomu
     1955
     

 

Roger
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