Film Persona

  Kon Ichikawa's "The Burmese Harp" The BBC once described Kon Ichikawa's 1956 Japanese film " The Burmese Harp " as "one of the first films to portray the decimating effects of World War II from the point of view of the Japanese army." While this may be accurate, the thematic reach of the film extends beyond its central focus. " The Burmese Harp " is a Japanese film that implements a certain spiritual layer to its story, much like other global films released in the 1950s. Bresson's " The Diary of a Country Priest " and Ray's " Pather Panchali " come to mind. The film's plot revolves around a battalion of Japanese soldiers stationed in Burma in the final days of the war. Their commanding officer, Captain Inouye, teaches the men to sing choral music to boost morale. To accompany this chorus singing, Private Mizushima plays the harp. After learning the war has ended, Mizushima is tasked with infiltrating a de...

  Jack Lee's "A Town Like Alice" Although it did not perform well here in America, Jack Lee's " A Town Called Alice " was the third highest earner at the British box office in 1956. Based on the 1950 novel of the same name by Nevil Shute, the film centers on an Englishwoman who, along with other women and children, become imprisoned by Japanese soldiers in Malaya.  The film is notable for being withdrawn from the 1956 Cannes Film Festival due to fears that it would offend the Japanese. While I understand this viewpoint, there are many instances in the film in which Japanese characters are sympathetic and compassionate to the English prisoners. The film isn't as black and white as one would imagine.  I did find the film to be mildly entertaining. It certainly didn't blow me away, but it also wasn't a complete waste of time. It is an interesting story about compassion and resilience during the years of wartime.  

  Masaki Kobayashi's "I Will Buy You" Based on the retrospective reviews of Masaki Kobayashi's 1956 film " I Will Buy You ," one would think it was a lesser work in Japanese cinema at the time. After watching the film, I can confidently say that I wholeheartedly disagree. I found " I Will Buy You " to be completely engaging and thematically fulfilling.  The film centers on a recruiter for a baseball team called the Toyo Flowers. The recruiter, Kisimoto, must sway a generationally talented hitter, Kurita, to join the Flowers. While contending with three competitors, Kishimoto must also garnish the favor of Kurita's shadowy benefactor, Kyuki and Kurita's girlfriend, Fudeko. If you look at the film's rating on IMDb, you'll find that it has a 6.9. If you look at some reviews of the film, like film historians Donald Richie and Joseph L. Anderson who wrote in their 1959 compendium " The Japanese Film - Art & Industry " that ...

  Don Siegel's "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" There is a bit of a debate about what exactly the subtext is behind Don Siegel's 1956 classic horror film " Invasion of the Body Snatchers ." Judging by the time period it was released and its subject matter, there are a few interpretations to contend with. Regardless of the interpretation, the film has managed to hang on to a cult status in the genre of horror/thriller, even being remade in 1978. The film centers on an extraterrestrial invasion in the small fictional town of Santa Mira, California. A local doctor begins to notice that many of the town inhabitants are starting to act strange. Upon further investigation, it is revealed that alien plant spores are duplicating human beings with identical copies. These copies act as one, homogenous mind that is hellbent on converting all human life on the planet.  The film was released during the McCarthyism of the 1950s and many people connect the film's theme...

  Mikio Naruse's "Flowing" There's something very breezy and sublime about Mikio Naruse's 1956 film " Flowing ." Set in a geisha house that is slowly fading into obscurity, Naruse's film seems to effortlessly balance focus between his array of characters. The primary characters of the story, Oharu, Otsuta, and Katsuyo, are all played by three of Japan's greatest actresses: Kinuyo Tanaka, Isuzu Yamada, and Hideko Takamine respectively.  I am not completely sure what makes " Flowing " such an engaging piece. However, I was completely captivated by the lives of these women from beginning to end. On a larger thematic front, the film is about a culture and world fading into obscurity in the form of the geisha house. However, its the characters and their relationships to each other and their environment that really captivates the viewer and keeps the attention.  For this reason, " Flowing " almost seems like an elusive mystery to me...

  Masaki Kobayashi's "The Thick-Walled Room" Despite having made five films before 1956, Masaki Kobayashi's career only truly started as an auteur when he released " The Thick-Walled Room ." Although his previous films were serviceable features, " The Thick Walled-Room " was Kobayashi's "true debut film, the first picture that shows fully the artistic profile that he would make his own," as film author Stephen Price puts it. Although it was filmed and completed in 1953, it wouldn't actually get its official release until 1956. This is because the Japanese government felt the film was overtly harsh on the American occupation and they didn't want to offend the Americans.  The film centers on a group of B and C class war criminals locked in a detention facility. As they attempt to navigate the harsh conditions of their imprisonment by the American forces, the group of prisoners reflect on their traumas of the war. They also begin...

  Jules Dassin's "Rififi" While I do think Jules Dassin's 1955 film " Rififi " is one the best French gangster films from the 1950s that I've seen (" Touchez Pas au Grisbi " definitely being up there), the genre in itself doesn't usually satisfy me. " Rififi ," although garnering some interest, was not as engaging as public opinion would have led me to believe. I do recognize the films merits and would undoubtedly watch the film again (as its reachability is not in question). However, it does not have any thematic depth that would romance me in any way. I think the highlight for me is the heist sequence, of which everyone would undoubtedly agree. The only unfortunate notion is that this heist sequence is only 20 minutes or so of the whole story. The heist sequence is tactfully done suspense that completely captivates the viewer. The rest of the film is your typical run-of-the-mill 50s French gangster film, of which I'm not typ...

  Keisuke Kinoshita's "Farewell to Dream" While Keisuke Kinoshita's 1956 film " Farewell to Dream " operates as a familial drama on the surface, its social implications are what makes the film a stand out in his career. It is both equally touching and devastating and its emotional resonance make it one of Kinoshita's best films. What's even more notable is the fact that the film was written by Kinoshita's younger sister, Yoshiko Kusuda.  The film centers on a young boy named Yoichi, the middle child of a family that owns a fish market. He dreams of becoming a seaman, but his dreams are slowly stripped away through various circumstances surround his family's economic issues, his sister's erratic behavior, and his father's failing health. The burdens of his family slowly start to become his problem and he must adjust his life accordingly.  " Farewell to Dream " is essentially a coming-of-age story. However, this coming-of-age ...

  Keisuke Kinoshita's "She Was Like a Wild Chrysanthemum" Typically known for his politically-charged films, Keisuke Kinoshita changed his pace for his 1955 film " She Was Like a Wild Chrysanthemum ." Centering on a man who reminisces about a childhood romance, the film brims with a nostalgia for days gone by. For the flashback sequences, Kinoshita employs an oval-shaped mask framing on the camera, which evokes the films of the silent era. In these flashbacks, our protagonist Masao recalls Tamiko, and their forbidden romance.  Kinoshita's tone for this film is much more bittersweet and sentimental, which steers from the far more socially conscious film he's accustomed to making. As Jacek Klinowski and Adam Garbicz note in their book " Feature Cinema in the 20th Century: Volume Two: 1951-1963: a Comprehensive Guide ," Kinoshita returns to "pastoral lyricism," making "one of the most sincere and purest films of its type in Japanese...

  Laurence Olivier's "Richard III" British icon of the stage and screen, Laurence Olivier, only had five film directing credits to his name. The third three were adaptations of William Shakespeare, including " Henry V " and " Hamlet ." The third Shakespeare adaptation, was " Richard III ," released in glorious Technicolor in 1955. Completed what some would call a Shakespeare trilogy, Olivier cemented himself as a true director of film, further enhancing his already impressive resume on the stage and screen.

  Mikio Naruse's "Floating Clouds" Mikio Naruse's most celebrated Japanese film, 1955's " Floating Clouds " details the troubled relationship between two expatriates trying to live life after the Second World War. What is most significant about the film is the film's general tone, which seems to convey an emptiness of Japanese society that was left in the wake of the war. This tone, along with the vacillation of the characters' behaviors between lifeless and restless create a somber portrait of post-war Japan. Yukiko, an woman expatriated from French Indonesia, seeks out Kengo, an engineer of which she had an affair. Kengo is married to a sickly wife and shares an affair with both Yukiko and another woman. Yukiko convinces Kengo to run away with her after confessing that she is pregnant. After terminating the baby, however, she dies of bad health. The plot of the film acts as a brace to the larger themes and tone of the film. Every moments of the...

  Nicholas Ray's "Rebel Without a Cause" The kids are not all right. Or perhaps they're just misunderstood. That is the thematic point being made by Nicholas Ray's 1955 film " Rebel Without a Cause ." Perhaps it is most notable for the iconic performance - and even wardrobe - of the great James Dean.  The film follows Jim, a teenager who tries fitting in at a new school in Los Angeles. Jim is dealing with disciplinary issues following a violent incident with another kid at a previous school. After getting into another altercation on his first day at the new school, an tragedy occurs that sends a group of kids into a uproarious panic.  The film was released in October of 1955, only a month after James Dean was killed in a car accident. His performance, like with his performance in " East of Eden " from the same year, is now considered as iconic as the legendary actor himself. The physicality of Dean's performance is what sets him apart from ...

  Andrzej Wajda's "A Generation" Andrzej Wajda's 1955 film " A Generation " is the first film in what many consider a "Three War Films" trilogy. The films all take place during the second World War, which was only a decade past by this point. Inspired by the Italian neo-realists, Wajda filmed " A Generation " outdoors with less than ideal lighting and weather conditions. The result was a gritty visual format that matched the guerilla rebellion taking place in the story.   The film is set in Wola, a working-class section of Warsaw in 1942. Our protagonist, Stach, gets tired and angry of living in squalor under Nazi occupation and begins thieving as an act of rebellion. This leads him to join an underground resistance force to fight the Nazis. I think " A Generation " is a good jumping off point for Wajda. It seems he is just getting his feet wet with this film and I believe it makes for a good exercise in neo-realist filmmaking. ...

  Elia Kazan's "East of Eden" James Dean had his film debut in 1955 with Elia Kazan's " East of Eden ," and then died in a tragic car accident within the same year. Despite having only three credits to his name, he remains one of the most celebrated actors of his generation. " East of Eden " broadcasted his immense talent as a performer and is still considered on the greatest American films of the 1950s. The film is adapted from 1952 John Steinbeck novel of the same name. It centers on two motherless sons raised by their farm-owning father. Retelling the story of Cain and Abel, the film follows Cal, a troubled young man trying to find his place in the world while vying for the affections of his deeply religious father against his favored brother.  The directional choices by Kazan are stellar. His brushstrokes of a 1917 American West illustrates its pulpy protentional and beauty, making it an "Eden" with which the batch of troubled charact...

  Charles Laughton's "The Night of the Hunter" Charles Laughton, best known for being a British film actor, dabbed at being a director only once for the 1955 film " The Night of the Hunter ." The fact of him directing only one film baffles many people considered that his directional effort in " The Night of the Hunter " elevated the film to a cult-like classic status. This appreciation for the film did not exist when it was released in 1955, however. The film mostly received negative reviews and did poorly at the box office. This is precisely why Laughton never directed another film afterwards.  The film draws from the true story of Harry Powers, who was hanged in 1932 for the murder of two widows and three children in Clarksburg, West Virginia. The name of the killer in the film is changed to Harry Powell, who is a self-proclaimed preacher travelling the country murdering women and stealing cars in Depression-era America. After getting arrested, he ge...

  David Lean's "Summertime" The collaboration between iconic British director David Lean and equally iconic Hollywood actress Katharine Hepburn resulted in a film that Lean would retrospectively call the favorite of his career. Given that his career has consisted of works like " Brief Encounter ," " Bridge on the River Kwai ," and " Lawrence of Arabia ," the statement speaks for itself. The film, 1955's " Summertime " follows an unmarried, middle-aged secretary who travels from Akron, Ohio to Venice to spend the summer. What follows is a teenage-style summer romance between her and a local shop owner. While Lean himself favors this work over others, I find the film to be rather monotonous. The plot can be a bit meandering, while its constant uncertainty in what the true theme is results in a film full of bumps and lacks cohesion. I was never fully invested in the whimsical desire of our protagonist, nor was I fully interested in...

  Kenji Mizoguchi's "Street of Shame" Kenji Mizoguchi, one of the greatest Japanese filmmakers ever, died of leukemia at the age of 58 in 1956. His final film, 1956's " Street of Shame " fully encapsulates the overall themes of his work and provides us a last glimpse his strident passions. Although the film is not often lauded with some his most recognized works, it still manages to express his repeatedly touched-upon themes of his work with grace and a master's touch. The film centers on a group of women from different backgrounds who work together in a Tokyo brothel. As the government attempts to ban prostitution, the women face scrutiny from the community and family members. The women can't afford any other lifestyle and they are trapped economically by a fate they cannot control.  All of the characters in the film are in a financial bind, even the male characters the women interact with. Everyone is indebted to someone else and because of this, t...

  Kenji Mizoguchi's "Princess Yang Kwei Fei" Throughout his long career, Kenji Mizoguchi made only two color films. The first, 1955's " Princess Yang Kwei Fei " centers on a young serving girl who goes from kitchen work to being the new concubine to the emperor. Much like Mizoguchi's previous works, this film's main concern is that of women's role in society and how they are exploited in their roles.   The titular Yang Kwei Fei is used by her cousin to influence power and, in doing so, causes political mayhem that ultimately leads to their downfall. Yang Kwei Fei is a servant by the film's opening and a political tool by the film's end. She never truly has agency. Mizoguchi's point remains as clear as any of his other films. I personally felt the film was a bit uninteresting, although I do get what the main conceit of its story is. I just felt that there was a lack of drama. Normally, I don't mind a lack of drama IF the lack of dr...

  Hiroshi Inagaki's "Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island" Completing the Musashi Miyamoto samurai trilogy with 1955's " Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island ," Hiroshi Inagaki completed a project he had been attempting to realize for decades. Starring Toshiro Mafune as the iconic samurai, the third and final film in the trilogy completes the arcs established in the previous two, ending on a final duel between Musashi and Sasaki Kojiro.  This film does a fantastic job of tying together all the storylines from the trilogy. The thematic ruminations on honor, duty, and the warrior spirit all reach a natural completion. Above all, the final film offers excitement and interest in the human relationships at play. The characters all have a want/need/desire that they must fulfil and risk everything to acquire it. Reaching their attained aspirations becomes the main drama at the heart of the story.  The most memorable part of the film for me was the utterly cinematic cli...

  Hiroshi Inagaki's "Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple" Coming off the enormous praise and success of " Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto ," Hiroshi Inagaki created the second installment of his trilogy focusing on the real-life samurai: Musashi Miyamoto. The second film, " Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple ," picks up where the first film left off. Now, Musashi is continuing his journey to fully become a respectable samurai warrior.  While the first film dealt with Musashi facing intense circumstances that would ultimately lead him down a path towards becoming a samurai, the second film seems more interested in the supporting cast of characters. More particularly, their relationship to Musashi and the conception of the warrior spirit. The warrior ideal becomes a major thematic topic of the film, with questions posed regarding what sacrifices are necessary to attain such integrity.  I was a bit underwhelmed by the second film, feeling as though the inten...

  Hiroshi Inagaki's "Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto" Hiroshi Inagaki's 1954 film " Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto " is the first of a three film trilogy centering on the iconic 17th century samurai Musashi Miyamoto. Although Inagaki takes liberties with the true events of Musashi, the film brings to life the conditions for which the legendary samurai would rise to fame. It was one of the few films to be released in Japan to feature color. It was only the second Toho film production in color and the first in the Eastman Color process.  In this first episodic film, Takezo - who would eventually become the titular samurai - joins the battle of Sekigahara in the year 1600. Rather than achieving a grand victory and glory, Takezo finds himself on the losing side. He is eventually hunted down as a fugitive. The remainder of the film details the attempts to capture him, until he ultimately is by a patient and headstrong monk. By the end of the film, Takezo has spent years...