A Tribute to the World's Greatest Unknown Moviemaker

A Tribute to the World's Greatest Unknown Moviemaker

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Introduction

Young Uchida photo

Cinema, Japan, People

Coda: Final Thoughts on Uchida Tomu

At left, in the middle distance, an elderly Japanese man wearing modern (1950s) clothing, including a beret, stands in the street, addressing a man in feudal period costume standing next to him

Film Director, Japan, Japanese Cinema, masterpiece, People, Politics, Revolution, Social justice, Tragedy, Uncategorized

Rebellion from Below (Gyakushū gokumon toride, 逆襲獄門砦), 1956

A Japanese boy from the feudal era, standing with his back to a tree, starting directly towards the camera, with a piece of fruit on top of his head

19th Century, Drama, Farmers, Feudalism, Folklore, Japan, Japanese Cinema, Meiji, Politics, Revolution, Samurai, Social justice, Violence

Vanity Is Hell [comic short] (Kyoei wa jigoku, 虚栄は地獄), 1925

A young Japanese couple from the early 20th Century, shown relaxing at home, she playing a wind-up gramophone; he wearing a bathrobe and smoking a cigarette

1920s, Buses, Capitalism, Cinema, Cities, Class, Comedy, Japan, Japanese Cinema, Poverty, Satire, Silent Film, Silent Movie, Slapstick, Yuppies

The Thief Is Shōgun’s Kin (Senryō-jishi, 千両獅子), 1958

A masked man in ninja costume, carrying swords, points pistols in the direction of the viewer; he is surrounded by similarly-dressed henchmen, while several Japanese in feudal period clothes watch them nervously

17th Century, Cinema, Drama, Feudalism, Japan, Japanese Cinema, Ninja, Samurai, Uncategorized

The Kuroda Affair (Kuroda sōdō; 黒田騒動),1956

Near a window, a middle-aged Japanese man in samurai costume, in a kneeling position, looks with concern at a man in a man lying in the floor with his hand outstretched to him, while two other men also watch with concern

17th Century, Christianity, Cinema, Drama, Feudalism, Japanese Cinema, Samurai, Ship, Social justice, Violence

The Miyamoto Musashi Series (Miyamoto Musashi, Parts I-V, 宮本武蔵), 1961-1965

A bearded Japanese man with long hair looks intensely into the camera

17th Century, Buddhism, Cinema, Feudalism, Japan, Japanese Cinema, Samurai, Uncategorized, Violence, War

The Horse Boy (Abarenbō kaidō; 暴れん坊街道), 1957

Picture of a surprised-looking Japanese man, shown against a dark (night) background, wearing clothing from Japan's feudal era

17th Century, Bunraku, Children, Cinema, Drama, Feudalism, Japan, Japanese Cinema, Kabuki, Poverty, Prostitution, Road Movie, Samurai, Theater, Tragedy, Uncategorized

The 1925 Kanto Shipwreck Film Fragment, possibly titled Righteous Blood (Giketsu, 義血)

A night scene of a coastline, with a ship, slightly listing, in the background, and a rocky hill in the foreground, on which several people can be seen, silhouetted by a bonfire behind them.

1920s, Cinema, Community, Drama, Farmers, Japan, Japanese Cinema, Ship, Tragedy, Uncategorized

Hishakaku and Kiratsune: A Tale of Two Yakuza (Jinsei gekijō: Hishakaku to Kiratsune, 人生劇場・飛車角と吉良常),1968

Head and shoulders shot of a young Japanese woman in traditional dress leaning against a wall, looking distraught

1920s, Cinema, Drama, Japan, Japanese Cinema, Police, Prostitution, Taisho, Uncategorized, Violence, Yakuza

Theater of Life: Youth Version [Fragment] (Jinsei gekijō – Seishun hen, 人生劇場・青春篇),1936

A young Japanese man in traditional clothing from the early 20th Century, sitting in a semi-darkened room, his head bowed in grief

1900s, 1920s, 1930s, Buddhism, Cinema, College, Domestic drama, Drama, Japan, Japanese Cinema, Meiji, Politics, Poverty, Silent Film, Silent Movie, Social justice, Students, Taisho, Tragedy, Violence, Yakuza