Japanese Cinema
Japanese cinema flourished early on and silent films were being made right through the 1930s. Most were accompanied by a 'benshi' or live narrator telling the story as well as live music. Very little survives from this era however; the 1923 earthquake, the bombings of WW2 and the country's high humidity destroyed many of these historical works. Of those that survive, the early works of Kenji Mizoguchi are highly regarded and he went on to make the classic 'The Life of Oharu' in 1952. Of course no discussion on Japanese cinema is possible without mention of their best known son, Akira Kurosawa. With a career spanning 60 years Kurosawa's ground-breaking films (e.g. 'Seven Samurai', 'Kagemusha', 'Ran') influenced film makers around the world. Most recently Japanese cinema hero 'Beat' Takeshi Kitano revitalised the Yakuza genre; and young mavericks like Takashi Miike ('Audition', 'Ichi the Killer) and Hideo Nakata ('Ring', 'Dark Water') have breathed new life into the horror flick, their films often (and promptly!) remade by US production houses.
For Japanime, use the animation link to the left.
Pictured: Kurosawa teamed once more with the incomparable Toshiro Mifune for 'Seven Samurai'
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya ( Blu-ray ) (2013)
8.1/10
Director: Isao Takahata
Eight years in the making and hot on the heels of Miyazaki's The Wind Rises, Studio Ghibli co-founder Takahata's adaptation of a centuries old Japanes... Read more
Why Don't You Play in Hell? (2013)
7.2/10
Director: Sion Sono
Starring: Jun Kunimura, Shinichi Tsutsumi, Fumi Nikaido
There's a war going on, but that won't stop the inexperienced but eager wannabe film crew The Fuck Bombers from following their dreams of making the u... Read more
Kingdom of Dreams and Madness (2013)
7.8/10
Director: Mami Sunada
Starring: John Lasseter, Hideaki Anno, Toshio Suzuki, Isao Takahata, Hayao Miyazaki
This visit to Studio Ghibli proves gratifyingly akin to the pleasure of watching the films produced there. The place even looks like a Miyazaki movie,... Read more
The Wind Rises (2013)
7.8/10
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
The great Japanese animator Miyazaki Hayao has announced his retirement at the age of 72. If he sticks to his word he will have gone out on a sublime... Read more
The Wind Rises ( Blu-ray ) (2013)
7.8/10
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
The great Japanese animator Miyazaki Hayao has announced his retirement at the age of 72. If he sticks to his word he will have gone out on a sublime... Read more
Attack on Titan: Collection 2 (2013)
8.8/10
Eren Jaeger vowed to rid mankind of the bloodthirsty giants who devoured his mother and destroyed his city. Now, after discovering that he has the abi... Read more
Like Father, Like Son (2013)
7.8/10
Director: Hirokazu Kore-eda
Starring: Yoko Maki, Masaharu Fukuyama, Machiko Ono
The recipient of the Jury Prize at the 66th Cannes Film Festival, Hirokazu Koreeda's (I Wish, Still Walking) heartfelt drama tells the tale of Ryota (... Read more
Attack on Titan: Collection 1 (2013)
8.8/10
Many years ago, the last remnants of humanity were forced to retreat behind the towering walls of a fortified city to escape the massive, man-eating T... Read more
Harlock: Space Pirate ( aka Space Pirate Captain Harlock ) (2013)
6.5/10
Director: Shinji Aramaki
Captain Harlock is the one man standing between the Gaia Coalition and their quest for complete intergalactic rule. Seeking revenge against those who... Read more
The Garden of Words (2013)
7.6/10
Director: Makoto Shinkai
When Takao, a young high school student who dreams of becoming a shoe designer, decides to skip school one day in favour of sketching in a rainy garde... Read more