Here is a reading log I wrote about David Desser’s <Eros Plus Massacre: An Introduction to the Japanese New Wave Cinema>, which analyzes the Japanese New Waves films made during 1960s and compare them with the French New Waves films. After reading the introduction of this book and watching a film called Tokyo Drifter made by a Japanese New Waves director Seijun Suzuki, I wrote this log.
This part of the book illustrates the necessity of discussing Japanese new wave as an independent phenomenon in film history. As the author has pointed out, indeed there are some western film scholars who did research on Japanese new wave, but their studies and understandings are somehow biased: some of them usually compare it to the French new wave, and simply describe the Japanese as an imitation of the French, or criticize its lack of originality. This is because of their lack of understanding on Japanese politics and traditional culture. I strongly agree with the author’s opinion that if you don’t have sufficient knowledge on Japanese cultural and post-war political background in 1960s, or just simply use the Hollywood standard to value Japanese new wave films, you probably will not get a clear understanding on it.
However, I do see some common points between the French and Japanese new wave film: both made by the young and rebellious directors who like to challenge the authority of old generation directors, and their themes of films are usually relevant to the constant conflicts between ideologies and political point of views. But the Japanese seems focus on rethinking their culture and tradition, and as a result this rethinking brings a confusion to the young generation in Japan.
‘Introduction’ in Eros Plus Massacre: An Introduction to the Japanese New Wave Cinema. Indiana University Press. Indiana University Press. Bloomington and Indianåpolis. 1988. pp. 1-12