My Life as a Filmmaker

Biography & Memoir, Artists, Architects & Photographers, Nonfiction, Art & Architecture
Cover of the book My Life as a Filmmaker by Satsuo Yamamoto, University of Michigan Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Satsuo Yamamoto ISBN: 9780472122493
Publisher: University of Michigan Press Publication: January 3, 2017
Imprint: University of Michigan Press Language: English
Author: Satsuo Yamamoto
ISBN: 9780472122493
Publisher: University of Michigan Press
Publication: January 3, 2017
Imprint: University of Michigan Press
Language: English

In his posthumous autobiography, Watakushi no eiga jinsei (1984), Yamamoto reflects on his career and legacy: beginning in the prewar days as an assistant director in a well-established film company under the master Naruse Mikio, to his wide-ranging experiences as a filmmaker, including his participation in the tumultuous Toho Labor Upheaval soon after Japan’s defeat in World War II and his struggles as an independent filmmaker in the 1950s and 1960s before returning to work within the mainstream industry.  In the process, he established himself as one of the most prominent and socially engaged film artists in postwar Japan.  Imbued with vibrant social realism and astute political commentary, his filmic genres ranged widely from melodramas, period films from the Tokugawa era, samurai action jidaigeki, social satires, and antiwar films. Providing serious insights into and trenchant critique of the moral corruption in Japanese politics, academe, industry, and society, Yamamoto at the same time produced highly successful films that offered drama and entertainment for Japanese and international moviegoers.  His considerable artistic distinction, strong social and political consciousness, and filmic versatility have earned him a unique and distinguished position among Japan’s world-class film directors.
 
In addition to detailed annotations of the autobiography, translator Chia-ning Chang offers a comprehensive introduction to the career and the significance of Yamamoto and his works in the context of Japanese film history.  It contextualizes Yamamoto’s life and works in the historical and cultural zeitgeist of prewar, wartime, and postwar Japan before scrutinizing the unique qualities of his narrative voice and social conscience as a film artist.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In his posthumous autobiography, Watakushi no eiga jinsei (1984), Yamamoto reflects on his career and legacy: beginning in the prewar days as an assistant director in a well-established film company under the master Naruse Mikio, to his wide-ranging experiences as a filmmaker, including his participation in the tumultuous Toho Labor Upheaval soon after Japan’s defeat in World War II and his struggles as an independent filmmaker in the 1950s and 1960s before returning to work within the mainstream industry.  In the process, he established himself as one of the most prominent and socially engaged film artists in postwar Japan.  Imbued with vibrant social realism and astute political commentary, his filmic genres ranged widely from melodramas, period films from the Tokugawa era, samurai action jidaigeki, social satires, and antiwar films. Providing serious insights into and trenchant critique of the moral corruption in Japanese politics, academe, industry, and society, Yamamoto at the same time produced highly successful films that offered drama and entertainment for Japanese and international moviegoers.  His considerable artistic distinction, strong social and political consciousness, and filmic versatility have earned him a unique and distinguished position among Japan’s world-class film directors.
 
In addition to detailed annotations of the autobiography, translator Chia-ning Chang offers a comprehensive introduction to the career and the significance of Yamamoto and his works in the context of Japanese film history.  It contextualizes Yamamoto’s life and works in the historical and cultural zeitgeist of prewar, wartime, and postwar Japan before scrutinizing the unique qualities of his narrative voice and social conscience as a film artist.

More books from University of Michigan Press

Cover of the book Microdramas by Satsuo Yamamoto
Cover of the book Black America in the Shadow of the Sixties by Satsuo Yamamoto
Cover of the book Kin of Another Kind by Satsuo Yamamoto
Cover of the book Eat What You Kill by Satsuo Yamamoto
Cover of the book On Parliamentary War by Satsuo Yamamoto
Cover of the book The Heimat Abroad by Satsuo Yamamoto
Cover of the book Philadelphia Freedom by Satsuo Yamamoto
Cover of the book All International Politics Is Local by Satsuo Yamamoto
Cover of the book The Captive Stage by Satsuo Yamamoto
Cover of the book Ambition, Competition, and Electoral Reform by Satsuo Yamamoto
Cover of the book Rhymin' and Stealin' by Satsuo Yamamoto
Cover of the book Inside Appellate Courts by Satsuo Yamamoto
Cover of the book The Dramaturgy of Senecan Tragedy by Satsuo Yamamoto
Cover of the book Performing Queer Latinidad by Satsuo Yamamoto
Cover of the book Mrs. Shipley's Ghost by Satsuo Yamamoto
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy