jfilmsyllabusjfilmsyllabus

Japn 340

Ronald Loftus

rloftus@willamette.edu

Office: Walton Hall 147

Phone/Voice Mail: 6275

The Japanese Cinema

Class Time:T /Th 1:10 PM - 2:40 pm

Fall 2024

About this Course

This course is part of the General Education Program so there are Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) associated with it. The first two are from the Cinema Studies Requirements:

1. Students should develop a broadly interdisciplinary approach to an understanding of film and its role in society;

2. Students should be conversant with the history of international cinema and be able to use that history to provide context for other works they encounter1. Understand film and its role in society by becoming exposed to the theoretical and disciplinary tools involved in the analysis of films.

The next two are my own additions/interpretations:

3. Students should appreciate the significance of the triangular relationship between director/auteur or screenwriter, the film itself, and the audience who views it;

4. Finally, films embody cultural values particular to certain times and places to which students should be sensitive. This seems very obvious but let's remember that the reverse is also true: we cannot view and judge films made in different times and places, and in languages other than our own, blithely applying contemporary values, standards or assumptions to the character's actions or words in the film. If there are certain things taken for granted in Japan in the 1950s and 1960s but which are not today in the USA, this does not mean that we are free to simply dismiss or reject them without serious consideration and reflection.

As an instructor, I am committed to creating a climate of mutual respect and encouraging full participation by students in my classes. My goal is to create a learning environment that is equitable, inclusive and welcoming. If there are elements of the instruction or design of this course that create any barriers to your full participation or completion of assignments, please come and tlk to me and share your concerns. Students with disabilities are also encouraged to contact the Accessible Education Services office in Matthews 103 at 503-370-6737 or disb-info@willamette.edu to discuss a range of options to removing barriers in the course, including accommodations.

Also, Plagiarism--which is passing someone else's words or ideas off as your own without proper attribution, is a serious matter. The university has a policy which you can read here. Please be careful and mindful when you write.

Course Content:

This course will offer a survey of some of the major Japanese films and film directors from the "golden age" of Japanese cinema in the 1950s and 1960s to the present. Works by directors such as Ozu Yasujiro, Mizoguchi Kenji, Naruse Mikio, Kobayashi Masaki, and Kurosawa Akira will be screened in order to give students an appreciation for some of the classic works of Japanese cinema. Contemporary films by Koreeda Hirokazu and Takita Yojiro along with films by anime legend Miyazaki Hayao will also be viewed as well. One could design a course on Japanese film differently but given that this is the only course of its kind offered on this campus, the decision to do a roughly chronological survey of some of the greatest examples of Japanese filmmaking makes sense.

For IMDB's listing of the top 100 Japanese films Click here.

Approaches:

So, what do we need to do in this course? Just three main things:

1. First, of course, we need to prepare and then view the films in the assigned time slots, and come to the next class prepared to discuss them. We may also periodically be submitting brief film critiques or "commentaries" on Canvas as indicated.

2. Second, we watch the films! Since this is a Cinema Studies course at an academic institution, this means carefully watching films and reflecting seriously on them, and then organizing our thoughts to express ourselves in classroom discussions and short papers. Remember, not all films will have the sole purpose of entertaining contemporary viewers so expect the experience of watching some of these films to be challenging at times. If it feels like work at times, that is as it should be.

On the other hand, I think the films we will be watching are all great films and each has something powerful to offer us. At the end of the course, you should come asway with a sense of how classical Japanese film has operated as a discourse, and what Japanese films may have to say to us and to teach us. Isn't that a very worthwhile goal?

Film showings will be Wednesday evenings in the Film Studies Room, Ford Hall 122.

3. Third, and finally, we write papers on one or sometimes two of the films that we have watched. NOTE: A key is to frame your arguments in your paper with some ideas or critical assessments that you find in the Readings to frame the arguments for your own paper. Your own opinions, and your own response to the film are very important, of course. But for your paper to have credibility or "gravitas" you need to show your reader that you have some familiarity with how the film has been regarded and analyzed by writers and critics.

Credit Hour Policy:

Please NOTE: For every class hour, there is an expectation of 2-3 hours work outside of class. Since our class meets twice a week for 90 minute and also requires the reading of the online materials related to the films--mostly biographical background on the directors as well as critical reviews of the films--that are available on Canvas, there will be a lot of weekly tasks with which to keep up.

Course Requirements:

1. Regular Attendance (no more than 2-3 absences) (10%)

2. Keep up with the assigned readings: mainly PDFs available on Canvas in the Modules and Participate in class discussions (15%)

3. View the films as scheduled (10%)

4. Complete "Short Commentaries" on Discussion Section of Canvas as Assigned (included in #2)

6. Complete four (4) main papers as assigned; (65%)

Approximate Due Dates:

Paper #1 on Ozu's Tokyo Story Sept. 24

Paper #2 on Early Kurosawa Films Oct. 22

Paper #3 on Miyazaki's Nauscicaa and Princess Mononoke Due Nov. 19

Paper #4 Final Paper Due December 10 (3:00 pm)

On the Papers:

These papers will be evaluated on the basis of:

1) their Organization and Clarity (i.e., strong Introduction with a claim/thesis statement, effective arguments in the Body of the paper, and a Conclusion that reinforces the thesis or claim spelled out in the Introduction);

2) their effective use/analysis of materials from the readings and the films--e.g., dialogue, key scenes, filmic techniques employed, etc; and

3) their general Flow and Coherence--good, crisp, clear, efficient prose. The best way to achieve this is to keep your sentences short. As Verlyn Klinkenborg notes: "Short sentences aren’t hard to make.The difficulty is forcing yourself to keep them short. Knowing what you’re trying to say is always important. But knowing what you’ve actually said is crucial. It’s easier to tell what you’re saying in a short sentence." Sound advice.

Readings

1. Selected Articles, Handouts and Online Materials available on Canvas.

2. Numerous PDFs on Canvas in "Files" in the "Japanese Cinema Files" providing analysis/discussion points for each film and/or director.

Useful Blog:

http://filmstudiesforfree.blogspot.com/2010/07/on-japanese-cinema.html

Good websites to know about:

http://researchguides.dartmouth.edu/content.php?pid=318348&sid=2605375

http://www.aarongerow.com/

https://guides.library.yale.edu/JapanFilm

http://kinemaclub.org/ (Kinema Club)

August 27

Day 1:

Introduction to Course and Materials

Ideas: How to "Read" a Film ; Appraoches to Analyzing Film

See some useful Glossaries of Terms and Relevant Film Vocabulary

Read Burch-1 and Burch-2 PDF on CANVAS

Students sign-up to present main ideas from either

--Burch 1.pdf

--Burth 2.pdf; OR

--If you are highly motivated ,there is Harry Harootunian's reflection on Burch's project in the form is his review essay of Burch in PDF

Introduction to Japanese Film Studies

Aug. 29

Day 2: Introduction to Japanese Film Studies

Discussion of Noel Burch Readings

An Article about Noel Burch's Book PDF; available on CANVAS as well (filmburch.pdf)

Discuss Burch 1 and Burch 2 PDFs on CANVAS

See capsule summaries Burch Pages 1 and 2

For next class:

Prepare Yoshimoto Intro I.pdf (pp. 8-23 should suffice)

I. Classical Japanese Cinema: Mizoguchi, Ozu, Early Kurosawa

Sept. 3

Read and Discuss Yoshimoto Intro I PDF on CANVAS

Introduction to Classical Japanese Cinema: Mizoguchi Kenji's Ugetsu Monogatari (1953)

Discuss Yoshimoto Intro I.pdf (pp. 8-23)

Summarize key facts about Mizoguchi from webpages

Read and Prepare "Bock.Mizoguchi.pdf" and "Lopate Ugetsu.pdf"on CANVAS for next class

Film Showing Tuesday Evening Sept. 4

Film Showing: Ugetsu Monogatari (96 minutes)

ugetsuposter

Read and Prepare

1. "Lopate Ugetsu.pdf"on CANVAS for the next class after we view the film and then

2. "Bock.Mizoguchi.pdf"

for Tuesday Sept. 10

Ugestsu Review Keiko McDonald

Sept. 5

Discussion of Ugetsu Mongatari: Film and PDFs

Prepare "Bock.Mizoguchi.pdf" and "Lopate Ugetsu.pdf"on CANVAS for Tuesday Sept.1o

Sept. 10

Finish Discussion of Mizoguchi by Discussing Bock PDF

Brief Bio of Ozu;

Also, Introduction to Ozu Yasujiro; See his Grave Marker Mu in Kamakura

View exceprts from Wim Wender's Tokyoga

"If in our century something sacred still existed… if there were something like a sacred treasure of the cinema, then for me that would have to be the work of the Japanese director, Yasujiro Ozu." (See more here )

Prepare these 2 CANVAS PDFs:

1. J340 Desser. pdf

2. J340 Geist.pdf

Video on the town of Ononomich, in Hiroshima, Japan.

Sept. 11

Evening Film Showing Tokyo Story

(1953, 136 minutes)

Main Page for Ozu's Tokyo Story

More on Tokyo Story

Discuss the Two PDFs,

1. Desser, J340 Desser.pdf, "Intro: A Filmaker for All Seasons," and

2. J340 Geist.pdf, "Buddhism in Tokyo Story

See Ian Buruma on Ozu

Sept. 12

Very interesting site on Tokyo Story

Discussion of Ozu and Tokyo Story

Ozu-san website; see also this Ozu site

Prompt for paper on Ozu'sTokyo Story

Post short commentary on the Discussion section of CANVAS on Tokyo Story

Se also "Bock Ozu.pdf" on CANVAS

Discuss ideas for the First paper on Ozu/Mizoguchi due Feb. 14

See Film Review

Obituaries for hara Setsuko:

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/nov/25/setsuko-hara

https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/2258-ozu-and-setsuko-hara

Sept. 17

From Kurosawa's Drunken Angel to Stray Dog

Final Discussion on Ozu as necessary

Introduction to Kurosawa Akira;

See Zhang Yimou Appreciation

View Excerpts from Sanshiro Sugata?

Three PDFs to Read:

Prince, "Willpower.pdf mainly pp. 78-90

2. "Angel.pdf" and

3. "Yoshimoto Drunken Angel.pdf"

Sept. 18 Evening Film Showing Kurosawa's

Drunken Angel (1948)

Kurosawa's Drunken Angel (1948)

(102 minutes)

Prepare to Discuss:

1. Prince, "Willpower.pdf mainly pp. 78-90.

for next class

Post Short Commentary for Drunken Angel on Canvas

Prepare

2. "Angel.pdf" and

3. "Yoshimoto Drunken Angel.pdf" for Monday Sept. 24

Post Short Commentary for Drunken Angel on Discussion section of CANVAS

Sept. 19

Discussion: Drunken Angel

Sept. 24 Stray Dog Hand in First paper on Ozu'sTokyo Story	Finish Discussion of Drunken Angel Prepare for next film: Stray Dog (1949) (122 minutes)	Read PDF "Yoshimoto Stray Dog.pdf" on CANVAS Also Read PDF "Prince Ch. 3 Willpower.pdf" up to pp. 90-99 on CANVAS Hand in First paper on Ozu'sTokyo Story
Sept. 25 Evening Film Showing,Stray Dog (1949)		Post Short Commentary on Discussion section of CANVAS for Stray Dog
Sept. 26	Discussion,Stray Dog (1949) and Early Kurosawa Films Prompt for Paper #2 Early Kurosawa	Discusss PDF "Yoshimoto Stray Dog.pdf" on CANVAS Also Read PDF "Prince Ch. 3 Willpower.pdf"up to p. 100 on CANVAS
II. "New Wavwe Cinema" of the 1960s Oct. 1	Finish Discussing Yoshimote on Stray Dog Introduction *Naruse Mikiso, When a Woman Ascends the Stairs* (1960)**

Oct. 2 Evening Film Showing: When a Woman Ascends the Stairs

Naruse Mikiso, When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (1960)

woman

Read 4 PDFs after viewing the film:

1. "Russell.Naruse.pdf,"

2."Bock Naruse,"

3."Mellen Naruse"

4. Lopate.Naruse.pdf"

Post Short Commentary on Discusasion section of CANVAS for When a Woman Ascends the Stairs

Oct. 3

Discuss When a Woman Ascends the Stairs

Discuss the above PDFs:

"Russell.Naruse.pdf,"

"Bock Naruse.pdf,"

"Lopate.Naruse.pdf," and

"Mellen Naruse.pdf" on CANVAS

Oct. 7

Finish Discussion of When a Woman Ascends the Stairs

Introduce Harakiri (1962) (133 minutes)

Discuss/Assign 2nd paper on early Kurosawa films

Finish Discussing When a Woman Ascends the Stairs

Introduction to Kobayashi Masaki and Harakiri (1962) (133 minutes)

(http://www.filmreference.com/Directors-Jo-Ku/Kobayashi-Masaki.html)

Two PDFs to read for Thursday:

1. "J340 Mellen.Harakiri.pdf" and

2. "Bock Kobayashi"

Nice Roger Ebert Review

More Reviews of Harakiri

Post Short Commentary on DISCUSSION section of CANVAS foR Harakiri

Oct. 9	Film showing *Harakiri*	Discuss the 2 PDFs from CANVAS: "J340 Mellen.Harakiri.pdf" and In the Audie Bock Readings folder, "Bock Kobayashi"
Oct. 10	*Finisb Discussion of* *Harakiri* Introduce Kurosawa's Rashomon (1950, 88 minutes)	Reviews Harakiri Students sign up for Discussion of PDFs listed below Kurosawa's Rashomon
Oct. 15 III. Two Great Kurosawa Films: Rashomon and Ikiru ----------------------------------------- Oct. 16: Evening Film Showing: Rashomon (1950) Nobody has ever filmed forests like Kurosawa. Shooting directly into the sun to make the camera lens flare, probing the filaments of shadows in trees and glades, rendering dense thickets as poetic metaphors for the laws of desire and karma that entrap human beings, and, above all, executing hypnotic camera movements across the uneven forest floor, Kurosawa created in Rashomon the most flamboyant and insistently visual film that anyone had seen in decades. (Prince, Criterion Collection Essay)	Rashomon	Sign up for Two PDF Readings: 1. "Yoshimoto Rashomon.pdf"and 2. "Prince Experiments.pdf" on CANVAS, mainly pp. 127-135. also, if interested, an essay on "Into the Woods" Or, Review by Stanley Solomon Review Short post on CANVAS, Discusson Section, for Rashomon
Oct. 17 Discussion of Rashomon	Discussion of Rashomon Existential humanism inspires the best pictures. The great art-house films of the '50s — which people still talk [and write] about...in critical texts — still serve as hallmarks of what great film art can be. Films from directors as diverse as Kurosawa, Alain Resnais, Antonioni, Bergman, and Wajda, are born of a grappling with the same issues of meaning and purpose that [the existentialist writers raised].	Discuss the 2 PDFs 1. "Yoshimoto Rashomon.pdf"and 2. "Prince Experiments.pdf" mainly pp. 127-135. also, if interested, an essay on "Into the Woods" Or, see Review by Stanley Solomon Review
Oct. 22 Paper #2 on Early Kurosawa Due Finish Rashomon discussion Introduce Ikiru (To Live) Oct. 23 Evening: Film Showing Ikiru (To Live, 143 minutes) (1952) 3-4 page paper on early Kurosawa films due (Drunken Angel, Stray Dog, Rashomon, and/or Kobayashi's Harakiri)	Finish Discussion of Rashomon INTRODUCE: IKIRU: Intro (143 minutes))	(Donald Richie on Ikiru) Read 2 PDFs: 1."Yoshimoto.Ikiru.pdf" and 2. "Prince Ch. 3 Willpower.pdf" pp. 100-113 on CANVAS Short Commentary on CANVAS for Ikiru
Oct. 24	Discussion: Ikiru

IV: Two Classic Anime by Miyazaki Hayao: Nausicaa and Princess Mononoke

Oct. 29

Finish Ikiru discussion

Introduction to Japanese Anime

Nausicaa page on Miyazaki Web

Oct. 30

Film Showing, Nauscicaa, Valley of the Wind

Film showing: Nauscicaa, Valley of the Wind (117 minutes)

Related film by Dir. Miyazaki Hayao

My Neighbor Totoro

Totoro Review by Roger Ebert

Oct. 31

Discussion: Nausicaa

Yahoo's anime site

www resource s

Nov. 5

Watch Some Excerpts from Grave of the Fireflies?

Introduce Princess Mononoke

My Gateway Mononoke Page

3 Nov. 6 Evening Film showing: Princess Mononoke (134 minutes0

Some Review Excerpts

Nov. 7

Discussion: Princess Mononoke

Download pdf version of Susan Napier (napier.pdf) article from the "M0dules" section of CANVAS,

or

Or, Read an Online version: "ConfrontingMaster Narratives" by Susan Napier

Click here for synopsis of article.

Prompt for Paper #3

Nov. 12 V. One of Kurosawa's Greatest: SEVEN SAMURAI This film is so brilliant on so many levels I'm really unsure where to begin this review. I suppose I should say that this is the best movie I have ever seen in my life....[T]his movie is the most detailed, the most brilliant, and most complex I have ever witnessed. I don't know if it is possible to make a better movie than this...	Brief Recap of Napier/Anime Discussion THE SEVEN SAMURAI: Begin Film Showing in Class	Read PDFs on CANVAS: "Yoshimoto Seven Samurai.pdf" (concentrate on pp. 239-245) and Prince "Ch. 6 Jidaigeki.pdf"
Nov. 13 Evening Film Showing (note--the Seven Samurai is roughly 3.5 hours!)	View Seven Samurai (1954 207 minutes) "Kurosawa's point is that ambiguity, vanity, subjectivity, and self-interest are unavoidable facts of human existence, and that certainty, selflessness and objectivityMare unattainable. All that people can do is their best, or what they feel is their best. They must assert themselves in action as best as they can, realizing that it is both impossible to know if the action is really best and to know anything about human experience except what they 'know' in their own subjective perceptions."	View Seven Samurai. See the characters. See also some plot synopsis. Review here. Read "Yoshimoto Seven Samurai.pdf" (concentrate on pp. 239-245) and "Prince "Ch. 6 Jidaigeki.pdf" on CANVAS
Nov. 14	Discuss The Seven Samurai; Review	More Reviews of Seven Samurai Discuss "Yoshimoto Seven Samurai.pdf" and "Prince Ch.6 Jidaigeki.pdf" on CANVAS
Nov. 19 Paper #3 on Anime films: Nausicaa and Princess Mononoke Duer in Class VI. Final Unit: Two more ContemporyFilms	Finish Discussion of Seven Samurai Director Frank Capra wrote that only the morally courageous are worthy of speaking to their fellow human beings for two hours in the dark. Kurosawa possessed this courage. His cinema is deeply formalistic, yet those forms are simply his means to an end that he regarded as paramount. That end is the recognition of common humanity and of common suffering. Few filmmakers had the drive, the overpowering sense of responsibility, and the gifts necessary to take viewers on this journey. Kurosawa did and, in doing so, he showed what cinema might yet accomplish. Stephen Prince, The Warrior's Camera p. 358. Introduce After Life (1998, 119 mins) --a film by Kore-eda Hirokazu	One short reading, a Sidney Lumet tribute to the Seven Samurai: "J340 Lumet7sam.pdf" Kurosawa 4-5 page paper on the two anime films and the Napier article
VI. Final Unit: Two more ContemporyFilms Nov. 20 Film Showing After life	More After Life Reviews
Nov. 21	Discussion, Afterlife	Short post on Forum section of CANVAS on Afterlife

Nov. 26 Departures (2008, 113 minutes)

Film Showing,Departures by Yojiro Takita (2008)

Poetry, to paraphrase Wittgenstein, uses the language of prose yet offering no concrete or fixed meanings.

It is always floating. So it is with Departures, this extraordinary new film by Yojiro Takita that yields no simple message but rather offers, as the films of Ozu did fifty years before, a kind of quiet and transcendental yarn that you can decode in many ways. [From the Review linked on the right.}

See Review here.

Some of my thoughts on Departures.

Another Review of Okuribito

Dec.3 Finish Watching Showing Departures

Discuss After life and Departures

Short post on DISCUSSION Section of CANVAS for Departures

Japn 340

Ronald Loftus

rloftus@willamette.edu

Office: Walton Hall 147

Phone/Voice Mail: 6275

The Japanese Cinema

Class Time:T /Th 1:10 PM - 2:40 pm

Fall 2024

About this Course

Course Content:

Approaches:

Course Requirements:

1. Regular Attendance (no more than 2-3 absences) (10%)

2. Keep up with the assigned readings: mainly PDFs available on Canvas in the Modules and Participate in class discussions (15%)

3. View the films as scheduled (10%)

4. Complete "Short Commentaries" on Discussion Section of Canvas as Assigned (included in #2)

6. Complete four (4) main papers as assigned; (65%)

Approximate Due Dates:

Paper #1 on Ozu's Tokyo Story Sept. 24

Paper #2 on Early Kurosawa Films Oct. 22

Paper #3 on Miyazaki's Nauscicaa and Princess Mononoke Due Nov. 19

Paper #4 Final Paper Due December 10 (3:00 pm)

On the Papers:

These papers will be evaluated on the basis of:

1) their Organization and Clarity (i.e., strong Introduction with a claim/thesis statement, effective arguments in the Body of the paper, and a Conclusion that reinforces the thesis or claim spelled out in the Introduction);

2) their effective use/analysis of materials from the readings and the films--e.g., dialogue, key scenes, filmic techniques employed, etc; and

1. Selected Articles, Handouts and Online Materials available on Canvas.

2. Numerous PDFs on Canvas in "Files" in the "Japanese Cinema Files" providing analysis/discussion points for each film and/or director.

August 27

Day 1:

Introduction to Course and Materials

Ideas: How to "Read" a Film; Appraoches to Analyzing Film

See some useful Glossaries of Terms and Relevant Film Vocabulary

Read Burch-1 and Burch-2 PDF on CANVAS

Introduction to Japanese Film Studies

Aug. 29

Day 2: Introduction to Japanese Film Studies

Discussion of Noel Burch Readings

An Article about Noel Burch's Book PDF; available on CANVAS as well (filmburch.pdf)

Discuss Burch 1 and Burch 2 PDFs on CANVAS

See capsule summaries Burch Pages 1 and 2

For next class:

I. Classical Japanese Cinema: Mizoguchi, Ozu, Early Kurosawa

Sept. 3

Read and Discuss Yoshimoto Intro I PDF on CANVAS

Introduction to Classical Japanese Cinema: Mizoguchi Kenji's Ugetsu Monogatari (1953)

Discuss Yoshimoto Intro I.pdf (pp. 8-23)

Summarize key facts about Mizoguchi from webpages

Read and Prepare "Bock.Mizoguchi.pdf" and "Lopate Ugetsu.pdf"on CANVAS for next class

Film Showing Tuesday Evening Sept. 4

Film Showing: Ugetsu Monogatari (96 minutes)

Sept. 5

Discussion of Ugetsu Mongatari: Film and PDFs

Prepare "Bock.Mizoguchi.pdf" and "Lopate Ugetsu.pdf"on CANVAS for Tuesday Sept.1o

Sept. 10

Finish Discussion of Mizoguchi by Discussing Bock PDF

Brief Bio of Ozu;

Also, Introduction to Ozu Yasujiro; See his Grave Marker Mu in Kamakura

View exceprts from Wim Wender's Tokyoga

"If in our century something sacred still existed… if there were something like a sacred treasure of the cinema, then for me that would have to be the work of the Japanese director, Yasujiro Ozu." (See more here)

Prepare these 2 CANVAS PDFs:

1. J340 Desser. pdf

2. J340 Geist.pdf

Video on the town of Ononomich, in Hiroshima, Japan.

Sept. 11

Evening Film Showing Tokyo Story

(1953, 136 minutes)

Main Page for Ozu's Tokyo Story

More on Tokyo Story

Sept. 12

Discussion of Ozu and Tokyo Story

More on Tokyo Story

Ozu-san website; see also this Ozu site

Prompt for paper on Ozu'sTokyo Story

Post short commentary on the Discussion section of CANVAS on Tokyo Story

See Film Review

Obituaries for hara Setsuko:

Sept. 17

From Kurosawa's Drunken Angel to Stray Dog

Final Discussion on Ozu as necessary

**Paper #1 on Ozu's Tokyo Story Sept. 24**

Ideas: How to "Read" a Film ; Appraoches to Analyzing Film

"If in our century something sacred still existed… if there were something like a sacred treasure of the cinema, then for me that would have to be the work of the Japanese director, Yasujiro Ozu." (See more here )