Writing in Light

The Silent Scenario and the Japanese Pure Film Movement

Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism, Asian, Far Eastern, Nonfiction, Entertainment, Film, History & Criticism, Performing Arts
Cover of the book Writing in Light by Joanne Bernardi, Wayne State University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Joanne Bernardi ISBN: 9780814340097
Publisher: Wayne State University Press Publication: January 1, 2001
Imprint: Wayne State University Press Language: English
Author: Joanne Bernardi
ISBN: 9780814340097
Publisher: Wayne State University Press
Publication: January 1, 2001
Imprint: Wayne State University Press
Language: English
While most people associate Japanese film with modern directors like Akira Kurosawa, Japan’s cinema has a rich tradition going back to the silent era. Japan’s "pure film movement" of the 1910s is widely held to mark the birth of film theory as we know it and is a touchstone for historians of early cinema. Yet this work has been difficult to access because so few prints have been preserved. Joanne Bernardi offers the first book-length study of this important era, recovering a body of lost film and establishing its significance in the development of Japanese cinema. Building on a wealth of original-language sources—much of it translated here for the first time—she examines how the movement challenged the industry’s dependence on pre-existing stage repertories, preference for lecturers of intertitles, and the use of female impersonators. Bernardi provides in-depth analysis of key scripts—The Glory of Life, A Father’s Tears, Amateur Club, and The Lust of the White Serpent—and includes translations in an appendix. These films offer case studies for understanding the craft of screenwriting during the silent era and shed light on such issues as genre, authorship and control, and gender representation. Writing in Light helps fill important gaps in the history of Japanese silent cinema. By identifying points at which "pure film" discourse merges with changing international trends and attitudes toward film, it offers an important resource for film, literary, and cultural historians.
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
While most people associate Japanese film with modern directors like Akira Kurosawa, Japan’s cinema has a rich tradition going back to the silent era. Japan’s "pure film movement" of the 1910s is widely held to mark the birth of film theory as we know it and is a touchstone for historians of early cinema. Yet this work has been difficult to access because so few prints have been preserved. Joanne Bernardi offers the first book-length study of this important era, recovering a body of lost film and establishing its significance in the development of Japanese cinema. Building on a wealth of original-language sources—much of it translated here for the first time—she examines how the movement challenged the industry’s dependence on pre-existing stage repertories, preference for lecturers of intertitles, and the use of female impersonators. Bernardi provides in-depth analysis of key scripts—The Glory of Life, A Father’s Tears, Amateur Club, and The Lust of the White Serpent—and includes translations in an appendix. These films offer case studies for understanding the craft of screenwriting during the silent era and shed light on such issues as genre, authorship and control, and gender representation. Writing in Light helps fill important gaps in the history of Japanese silent cinema. By identifying points at which "pure film" discourse merges with changing international trends and attitudes toward film, it offers an important resource for film, literary, and cultural historians.

More books from Wayne State University Press

Cover of the book Reading the Bromance by Joanne Bernardi
Cover of the book The Political Activities of Detroit Clubwomen in the 1920s by Joanne Bernardi
Cover of the book Caesaris Augusti: Res Gestae et Fragmenta by Joanne Bernardi
Cover of the book The Blessed Abyss by Joanne Bernardi
Cover of the book Howard Hawks by Joanne Bernardi
Cover of the book Aesthetics of Sorrow by Joanne Bernardi
Cover of the book A History of Wayne State University in Photographs by Joanne Bernardi
Cover of the book Great Girls in Michigan History by Joanne Bernardi
Cover of the book Fairy Tale Review by Joanne Bernardi
Cover of the book Contact Zones by Joanne Bernardi
Cover of the book Deadwood by Joanne Bernardi
Cover of the book Hollywood Goes Oriental by Joanne Bernardi
Cover of the book King Solomon and the Golden Fish by Joanne Bernardi
Cover of the book Tales in Context by Joanne Bernardi
Cover of the book Erotic Infidelities by Joanne Bernardi
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