Japanese Decoupage – Research Project
Since it is often to hear that Mise en scene and Montage are very important terms in cinematic terms which frequently been used in film theory throughout, the definition of Decoupage seems to be hardly differentiated, even been confused with formers. In this blog research project, I would attempt to discuss and take historiography of the origin of Decoupage as a reference, to extend the background of Decoupage (from Western) then how eventually impacts orient filmmaking.
Origin
According to Bernard(2014), Decoupage initially appeared in general vocabulary of film aesthetics in the 1910s by the film theorist Jean Girand in France. In short, the concept of Decoupage, at its simplest, corresponds to “Shooting script” or “continuity”.
Through the Pacific War, the concept of Decoupage had also been brought to many nations, then translated, adjusted and finally transformed by these filmmakers. Thus, the meaning of Decoupage has so many different meanings in different countries over time. Until now, the investigation of decoupage seems to a giant topic throughout.
In terms of the origin of Japanese cinema history, it has gradually could trackback to Kabuki culture, which plays an influential role of it initially. (According to Japanese historiography, kabuki is a Japanese dance-drama, a form of stage cinema developed in the 1600s), directly or indirectly impacted the structure of the further Japanese cinema.
From Western to Eastern, Japan
David Bordwell(1995) indicated that “the distinctiveness of Japanese film style is best understood as a transformation of norms of Western decoupage”. In fact, in the beginning, Japanese movies were filmed in a similar way to documentaries (relate to kabuki), which was not that required the implementation of cinema techniques. Until 1925, Japanese directors attempted to refer to Western editing technique and started to adhere to the continuity principles. It seemed as if Japanese directors embrace Decoupage as a system, but the Japanese editing norms seem to against those of Western such as violation of the 180-degree axis. (See the example of pic 1 and 2. At that time, due to Japanese filmmakers just touched to Western terms, so they were still lack of experience to construct the continuity concept).
After the Kanto earthquake, the Shochiku studio (one of the top five film companies in Japan) encouraged Japanese directors to use continuous editing like Americans (Hollywood style) for use in Shomin-geki films, dramas and comedies about lower and middle-class families. Meanwhile, the Japanese-style Decoupage, “piecemeal decoupage”, was combined with the advantage of Hollywood continuity and Japanese chambara style, which frequently used in the 1930s throughout. (Piecemeal decoupage is Japanese distinctive decoupage. It was revised by Japanese filmmakers from schemata of continuity cinema and its flamboyant distinctiveness successfully absorbed both of advantages between Americans and the cutting technique in chambara style(swordplay film) such as fast jump cuts, reverse shot decoupage, fast cutting, crosscutting.)
When asked in 1955 why Masaichi Nagata (a film producer, who known as used to produce Rashomon which directed by Akira Kurosawa) made so many historical films for export, he replied: “America was making action pictures. France had love stories and Italy realism”. In my memory, the characteristics of Japanese cinema is just Jidaigeki (swordplay film), and most of Akira Kurosawa’s films are Jidaigeki. Actually, the reason why Akira Kurosawa’s films became the first director that is well known in Western countries is he brought the idea of edit narration into his movies as well as the innovation of Piecemeal decoupage.
A famous example (Compare to Western and Eastern )
- Yojimbo(1961), Akira Kurosawa
- Citizen Kane (1941), Orson Welles
In these two clips, both operated a brilliant Decoupage which included a sense of space, sophisticated sequence, dedicated camera plan and aesthetics of framework. By comparing, I found some interesting resemblance to them – Firstly, it is the establishing shot. To begin with a scene, both directors decided to present a coherence between the front actors and the rear actors, then through the camera movement, bring sights of the audience to the next cut. Also, during the framework of the scene, directors used the actors’ position and the movement of the lens to maintain the equilibrium of the scene and the aesthetics of the picture. Moreover, in Yojimbo, it seems like Akira Kurosawa (the director) inherited the characteristics of piecemeal decoupage and reform the contradiction of 180 degrees rule. As a result, he used numerous of the 180-degrees reverse shot decoupage during the swordplay scene.
Barnard considers that “Decoupage represents highly collaborative teamwork”, because if a director attempts to commit a scene like these masters, merely by himself is impossible to complete, instead, a perfect pre-preparation such as blocking, camera movement, angles (Actually, it is Decoupage) would highly increase the quality of every single scene.
Reference
1. Barnard, Tim. Découpage. Montréal: Caboose, 2014.
2. David Bordwell. Film History, Vol. 7, No. 1, Asian Cinema (Spring, 1995), pp. 5-31.