10 Films to Get You Started (Japanese Cinema)

With the 2014 Tour de France wrapping up yesterday, I am switching gears and revisiting the “10 Films” series. This series of original articles is designed for film fans looking to investigate new, exciting (and sometimes intimidating) avenues in the world of cinema.

Please be advised that these recommendations are not clinically tested or approved, so your love and/or hate of them will not definitively cement your own opinion of the genre, era, style, etc. Also, I wish to make it clear that these are suggestions for people who have an interest in something new, but are apprehensive over where to start. As such, this is not my attempt at a Best of… list. Instead, it is a pair of training wheels designed to suggest films that blend quality, importance, and ability to represent the topic in a way that is easy to digest for a newcomer. As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome – particularly any which help promote the goal of this article: helping people who already love film find more to love.

10 Films to Get You Started: Japanese Cinema

With the noticeable lack of Japanese films in this blog so far (Yukiya Arashiro, the lone Japanese rider, did not have a very noteworthy Tour), I have selected ten films from the Land of the Rising Sun that are great for beginners and seasoned international film veterans alike:

1. Rashomon (dir. Akira Kurosawa, 1950)

Since its release in 1950, the narrative style of Rashomon–namely, the same episode or event retold from several viewpoints–has become so influential in film and fiction that it is sometimes referred to as “the Rashmon plot.” When discussing Japanese cinema, director Akira Kurosawa’s name must be at the forefront, and Rashomon is the film that made Kurosawa a household name with Western critics and audiences. Featuring outstanding performances from Kurosawa regulars Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura, this film is a great introduction to Kurosawa before venturing into his three-hour samurai epic, Seven Samurai (1954).

 

2. Godzilla / Gojira (dir. Ishiro Honda, 1954)

The mother of all kaiju films, Ishiro Honda’s Godzilla is a classic monster movie and post-Hiroshima cautionary tale that is far better than its campy reputation. Despite the common association of Honda’s film with overacting and poor dubbing, Godzilla is a very fun, well-constructed monster movie with a far better plot than its imitators and sequels. For a good starting point in Japanese film, look to Godzilla, the movie that kick-started a genre all its own.

3. Grave of the Fireflies / Hotaru no haka (dir. Isao Takahata, 1988)

Speaking of post-Hiroshima cautionary tales, Grave of the Fireflies is exactly that, and also happens to be one of the most mature, affecting animated films of all time. The story of Seita and Setsuko, two siblings struggling to survive in World War II era Japan is heartbreaking and beautiful. This is not an animated film for children, but the animation medium fits perfectly for telling this poignant tale of survival.

4. Spirited Away / Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi (dir. Hayao Miyazaki, 2001)

Hayao Miyazaki is a titan in the world of animation, and his talents were never better on display than here, in the Alice in Wonderland style adventure of a young girl, Chihiro, and her supernatural experiences in an alternate universe. The animation is first-rate, the story is appealing to children and adults alike, and the overall experience is on par with the very best Disney and Pixar have ever produced.

5. Tokyo Story (dir. Yasujiro Ozu, 1953)

Along with Kurosawa and Mizoguchi, a list of Japanese films and filmmakers would be incomplete without an entry from Yasujiro Ozu. With Tokyo Story, his masterpiece, it is possible to see all of the directorial trademarks that make Ozu such a unique and identifiable auteur, including the tatami mat perspective of the camera. The story of an aging couple whose children are too busy to care for them (inspired by Leo McCarey’s Make Way for Tomorrow), is beautiful and heartbreaking.

6. Ugetsu / Ugetsu monogatai (dir. Kenji Mizoguchi, 1953)

Kenji Mizoguchi’s ghost story, Ugetsu, is set during 16th century Japan, and effectively blends elements of supernatural and historical drama. The story centers on two peasants–Genjuro (Masayuki Mori) and Tobei (Eitaro Ozawa)–and their wives, who attempt to make ends meet, including by stealing the severed head of a general and presenting it for profit and renown. The engaging plot and brilliant direction of this landmark film helped usher Japanese cinema into the Western world.

7. Audition / Odishon (dir. Takashi Miike, 1999)

In recent years, Japan has become a hotbed for edgy, gory, and downright scary horror films (many of which are made into Hollywood blockbusters). Among the edgiest of Japan’s new wave of horror and thriller directors is Takashi Miike, and Audition is easily his best film. The tale of a middle-aged widower (Ryo Ishibashi) looking to get back into the dating game by auditioning for a new wife quickly becomes unnerving with the protagonist’s growing infatuation with Asami (Eihi Shiina). While not a scary film in the classic sense, Audition will have you cringing with cinematic discomfort on more than one occasion.

8. Hara-Kiri / Seppuku (dir. Masaki Kobyashi, 1962)

A list of Japanese films would not be complete without a classic samurai film, and Kobayashi’s Hara-Kiri is one of the best samurai revenge tales ever put to screen. The story concerns a ronin samurai who arrives at the home of a feudal lord, requesting permission to commit suicide on his property. Initially, the feudal lord believes that the man has come seeking money to avoid the mess of killing himself, but when his true intentions are revealed, the drama of the film escalates to thrilling heights.

9. Battle Royale / Batoru Rowaiaru (dir. Kinji Fukasaku, 2000)

Before there were The Hunger Games, there was this excellent, off-kilter dark comedy from Kinji Fukasaku, based on the novel of the same name. A class of students are selected each year to participate in a “battle royale” competition, where they must fight to the death, with the lone survivor emerging victorious. Lots of fun, with a great performance from Takeshi Kitano as the students’ former teacher, the tale of Shuya Nanahara (Tatsuya Fujiwara) and Noriko Nakagawa (Aki Maeda) give Katniss and Peeta a run for their money.

10. Sonatine (dir. Takeshi Kitano, 1993)

A great all-around gangster (yakuza) film, Takeshi Kitano directs and stars in an offbeat crime drama about a group of city gangsters who decide to lay low on beach in Okinawa. Kitano is a delight, and this film is sure to be unlike any other conventional gangster film you have seen.

Next Steps: Seven Samurai (Kurosawa, 1954), Sansho the Bailiff (Mizoguchi, 1954), Tampopo (Itami, 1985), My Neighbor Totoro (Miyazaki, 1988), Akira (Ohtomo, 1988), Fireworks (Kitano, 1997), Ghost in the Shell (Oshii, 1995),  Ringu (Nakata, 1998)

So there you have them, 10 Japanese films to get you started. Enjoy!