[KineJapan] Viewing 'Nippon'

Mon May 17 19:07:40 EDT 2021

Thank you, Beat, Adrian and MaríaJosé for your helpful comments which I will pass onto Wayne.

Yes, ‘A Foreigner’s Cinematic Dream of Japan’ is relevant bothin theme and content.  I must save up forit. But getting a whole chapter through Google books is more than I usually get.

Let’s hope someone has or will digitize Nippon.
Roger

    On Monday, 17 May 2021, 19:42:28 BST, Beat Frey via KineJapan <kinejapan at mailman.yale.edu> wrote:  

 I had Lausanne on the phone today. They have a 35mm print created for the restauration initiated by Waseda in 2006 which will certainly be digitalised, but in a yet unknown future because they obviously have tons of other material to take care of. All 3 parts of the compilated movies in abridged version (the 2nd part is missing in the print at the Cinémathèque française). Japanese spoken (added) with German title cards, 3 reels out of 4, 1 missing.Best may be to inquire with Waseda if they have digitalised their copy or intend to do it. Gesendet: Sonntag, 16. Mai 2021 um 22:02 Uhr
Von: "Beat Frey via KineJapan" <kinejapan at mailman.yale.edu>
An: "KineJapan discussion forum" <kinejapan at mailman.yale.edu>, "Japanese Cinema Discussion Forum" <kinejapan at mailman.yale.edu>
Cc: "Beat Frey" <beatfrey at gmx.ch>
Betreff: Re: [KineJapan] Viewing 'Nippon'Hi Roger,

As you certainly know, the Cinemathèque suisse had restored their copy for a screening in Bologna in 2006. As it happens, I have asked them a few days ago if they have a digital copy. Chances are small I think, but I shall keep you updated.

Beat

--
Envoyé à partir d’un Smartphone Android avec GMX Mail.Le 16.05.21, 21:47 Roger Macy via KineJapan <kinejapan at mailman.yale.edu> a écrit:  Gesendet: Montag, 17. Mai 2021 um 06:16 Uhr
Von: "Adrian- Restoration Asia via KineJapan" <kinejapan at mailman.yale.edu>
An: "'Japanese Cinema Discussion Forum'" <kinejapan at mailman.yale.edu>
Cc: "Adrian- Restoration Asia" <adrian at restorationasia.org>
Betreff: Re: [KineJapan] Viewing 'Nippon'
To possibly answer Roger’s question on copyright in ‘Nippon’, if this film was created by UFA then Transit Film GmbH, as successor to their rights pre-1945, may have an interest.

The addition of German intertitles and sound to extracts from three Japanese productions would most likely create a new production with it its own copyright. That said, I am not a lawyer!

Regardless it is certainly a film I would also very much like to see.

Best regards,

Adrian Wood,

Fukuoka

From: KineJapan On Behalf Of Maria Jose Gonzalez via KineJapan
Sent: 17 May 2021 11:51
To: Roger Macy via KineJapan <kinejapan at mailman.yale.edu>
Cc: Maria Jose Gonzalez <tkarsavina at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [KineJapan] Viewing 'Nippon'

A Foreigner’s Cinematic Dream of Japan

|  
|  

|  

  |

  |
|   
|   |  
A Foreigner’s Cinematic Dream of Japan

In early 1936, a German film team arrived in Japan to participate in a film coproduction, intended to show the '...
  |

   |

  |

On Monday, 17 May 2021, 04:47:05 AM GMT+9, Roger Macy via KineJapan <kinejapan at mailman.yale.edu> wrote: 

Dear All,

I’ve been asked by Wayne Arnold, of the University of Kitakyushu, who is researching ‘Arthur Miller and Japan’ about what ‘Japanese films’ Arthur Miller had seen when he wrote, in Paris, on 17 October, 1933 (underlining is ours) :-

A most beautiful end to a most wonderful day was Sylvia
Sidney’s performance of Cho-Cho-San—Madame Butterfly. I was
thrilled. More than that, deeply moved. Having seen the celebrated
films by the Japanese players some time ago (Ancient, Medieval, and
Modem Japan) I had some basis of comparison whereby to judge her
interpretation. All that an Occidental could bring to the role I felt
she had brought. It is one of the most restrained, most artistiq films
America has produced. A pure film with the operatic melodies well
subdued and never intruding. The dignity of the theme worthy to
make you weep.

Miller had arrived in Paris in 1932 and the range of films with Japanese players to be seen was limited.  One film fits his description very well – the European-edited compilation by Carl Koch, Nippon. Pordenone says 

cut versions (each 20 minutes) of three Japanese silent films — two 1928 jidai geki, Tempei Jidai-Kaito Samimaro (The Time of the Tempei Shamimaro) by Eichi Koishi and Kagaribi (Torches) by Tetsuroku Hoshi, as well as Daitokai Rodoshahen (The Life of Workers in the Big City), a gendai geki by Kiyohiko Ushihara .... This anthology is structured as a historical panorama, from the early Tempei era via the Tokugawa period up to the present.

Clearly, Miller’s yardstick of the authentic was heavily pre-digested and seems to accord with his romanticized view. But Wayne would like to see it and, indeed, so would I.   Does anyone know of a viewing source outside the archives ? (I can’t see that anyone could claim copyright on it.)

Roger

_______________________________________________
KineJapan mailing list
KineJapan at mailman.yale.edu
https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/kinejapan
_______________________________________________ KineJapan mailing list KineJapan at mailman.yale.edu https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/kinejapan_______________________________________________
KineJapan mailing list
KineJapan at mailman.yale.edu
https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/kinejapan

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.yale.edu/pipermail/kinejapan/attachments/20210517/937aadf8/attachment-0001.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Untitled
Type: image/png
Size: 139838 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://mailman.yale.edu/pipermail/kinejapan/attachments/20210517/937aadf8/attachment-0001.png>