FILMS. 4th EDItION KOROL LIR Bagh, Peter von, Seikkailu ajassa, in Filmihullu(Helsinki), Salvation Army Mission where David Holm stayed after being 1987 wiklund, K,"Sett I medvetsloshetens ogonblick, in Filmrutan Returning to the cemetery once again, the film is now three fourths ( Sundsvall), vol 30, no 3, 1987. complete(or roughly an hour and a half into the total viewing time), Cremonini, G,"ll carretto fantasma di victor Sjostrom, "in Cineform and Georg has one last soul to collect--David Holms But, according gamo), vol 34, no 339, November 1994 Florin, B ,"Korkarlen: en stilstudie, in Filmhafter(Stockholm), to the time registered by the clock tower in the film it is midnight, ten minutes after David Holm had finished telling the story about the vol.23,no.l/2,1995 phantom chariot. Georg ties up his body with invisible yet binding DeBartolo, J,"Video Tape Reviews, " in Classic Images (Muscatine, rope and loads him into the carriage. David Holms spirit rides up Florin. B.Camouflaged ue:Optical Transitions in the front with Georg as they ride to the house where Edith is about to die Films of Victor Sjostrom, in Lahikuva, no. 3, 1995 Georg also*shows'' David Holm that his wife is about to take her a charrette fantome, in Telerama (Paris), no 2367, 24 May 1997 own life as well as the lives of their children at the moment of edith's death, David Holm breaks down into tears, praying desperately to God for another chance in life so that he can prevent the death of his innocent family. An abrupt cut back to the cemetery shows him Although it was made more than 60 years ago, The Phan waking up, his body and spirit intact. He rubs his head and eyes for an Chariot is still considered to be a film remarkable for its sophisticated instant, then gets up-a bit shakily at first, for he is still drunk from all the liquor he has consumed this New Years Eve. He arrives home just narrative structure. Though flashbacks were not unheard-of narrative in time to stop his wife from going through with the fatal poisonings understood by many audiences, and had to be re-edited to facilitate In 1920, zero-degree writing or a"zero-degree"narrative comprehension. The narrative is developed according to a mise-en- structure was still 40 odd years away from being invented,yet The bme construction wherein flashback issues from flashback. and Phantom Chariot is clearly an example of just such a representational stories are contained by or within other stories. Audiences of the time were sufficiently educated viewers, cinematically speaking, to grasp one temporal level of flashback description, but beyond that had some -Sandra L. Beck The articulation of the different temporal layers in the film serves to fill out its penultimate meaning(the ultimate one being concerned with repentance and redemption of the soul), which has to do with the notion that time is multi-dimensional and multi-perspectival. In La KOROL LIR Jetee, Chris Marker pursues this concept, and in doing so suggests that the Western world,s current perception of time is not only too restrictive but needlessly fatal as well. In The Phantom Chariot David (King Lear) Holm, the main character, is"given another chance"at life via anon-linear portal, the point at which the time cycle begins and USSR. 1971 also can be arrested: in this case it is New Years Eve Most of the filmic narrative actually takes place or at least is generated in a cemetery where David Holm and two drinking buddies Director: Grigori Kozintsev are getting ready to toast the incoming year. a shot of a nearby clock tower lets us know that it is 20 minutes to midnight. Then David Holm Production: Lenfilm: black and white, 35mm, scope; running time tells a story about how one gets to be driver of"the phantom chariot 140 minutes; length: 12,500 feet. Released 1971, USSR. Filmed 1970 The tale has it that any man who breathes his last at the stroke of midnight before the beginning of a new year must then take over the in the ussr ghastly chore of gathering up departed souls during the coming year Another shot of the clock tower reveals that ten minutes have elapse Producer: Grigori Kozintsev; screenplay: Grigori Kozintsev, from during the telling of this story within the diegesis of the film. Boris Pasternak's translation of the play by william Shakespeare: a policeman comes along to ask David if he would please come and photography: Jonas Gritsius; sound: Eduard Vanunts: production visit Edith, a salvation army nurse who had once been kind to him and designer: Yevgeny Yenei (enocek Jenei); sets: Vsevolod Ulitko: is now dying of consumption. He refuses, then fights with his two music: Dmitri Shostakovich: costume designer: Suliko Virsaladze mpanions.They knock him out and leave quickly, pre sead. A magnificent superimposition of David Holms spirit leaving his body follows. At that moment the phantom chariot arrives, driven Cast: Yuri Yarvet(King Lear): Elsa Radzinya(Goneril); Galina by an old drinking buddy, Georg, who has died the previous New Volchek(Regan): Valentina Shendrikova( Cordelia): Oleg Dal(The Years Eve at precisely midnight Fool): Karl Sebris (Earl of Gloucester): Leonard Merzin(Edgar): The narrative then proceeds through a series of flashbacks: we see Regimantas Adomaitis(Edmund): Vladimir Emelyanov (Earl of how David Holm met Georg. and that Georg was a bad influence on Kent): Alexander Volkach (Duke of Cornwall): Alexei Petrenko him, encouraging him to drink heavily and consequently mistreat his (Oswald): Yumas Budraitis(King of france): Donatas Banionis ife and two young children; Duke of Albany )
FILMS, 4 KOROL LIR th EDITION 649 Bagh, Peter von, ‘‘Seikkailu ajassa,’’ in Filmihullu (Helsinki), no. 8, 1987. Wiklund, K., ‘‘Sett I medvetsloshetens ogonblick,’’ in Filmrutan (Sundsvall), vol. 30, no. 3, 1987. Cremonini, G., ‘‘Il carretto fantasma di Victor Sjostrom,’’ in Cineforum (Bergamo), vol. 34, no. 339, November 1994. Florin, B., ‘‘Korkarlen: en stilstudie,’’ in Filmhäftet (Stockholm), vol. 23, no. 1/2, 1995. DeBartolo, J., ‘‘Video Tape Reviews,’’ in Classic Images (Muscatine), no. 242, August 1995. Florin, B., ‘‘Camouflaged Technique: Optical Transitions in the Films of Victor Sjöström,’’ in Lahikuva, no. 3, 1995. ‘‘La charrette fantôme,’’ in Télérama (Paris), no. 2367, 24 May 1997. *** Although it was made more than 60 years ago, The Phantom Chariot is still considered to be a film remarkable for its sophisticated narrative structure. Though flashbacks were not unheard-of narrative devices in the cinema of that time, The Phantom Chariot was not understood by many audiences, and had to be re-edited to facilitate comprehension. The narrative is developed according to a mise-enabme construction, wherein flashback issues from flashback, and stories are contained by or within other stories. Audiences of the time were sufficiently educated viewers, cinematically speaking, to grasp one temporal level of flashback description, but beyond that had some difficulty in deciphering further narrative complexities. The articulation of the different temporal layers in the film serves to fill out its penultimate meaning (the ultimate one being concerned with repentance and redemption of the soul), which has to do with the notion that time is multi-dimensional and multi-perspectival. In La Jetée, Chris Marker pursues this concept, and in doing so suggests that the Western world’s current perception of time is not only too restrictive but needlessly fatal as well. In The Phantom Chariot David Holm, the main character, is ‘‘given another chance’’ at life via a ‘‘non-linear’’ portal, the point at which the time cycle begins and also can be arrested; in this case it is New Year’s Eve. Most of the filmic narrative actually takes place or at least is generated in a cemetery where David Holm and two drinking buddies are getting ready to toast the incoming year. A shot of a nearby clock tower lets us know that it is 20 minutes to midnight. Then David Holm tells a story about how one gets to be driver of ‘‘the phantom chariot.’’ The tale has it that any man who breathes his last at the stroke of midnight before the beginning of a new year must then take over the ghastly chore of gathering up departed souls during the coming year. Another shot of the clock tower reveals that ten minutes have elapsed during the telling of this story within the diegesis of the film. A policeman comes along to ask David if he would please come and visit Edith, a salvation army nurse who had once been kind to him and is now dying of consumption. He refuses, then fights with his two companions. They knock him out and leave quickly, presuming him dead. A magnificent superimposition of David Holm’s spirit leaving his body follows. At that moment the phantom chariot arrives, driven by an old drinking buddy, Georg, who has died the previous New Year’s Eve at precisely midnight. The narrative then proceeds through a series of flashbacks: we see how David Holm met Georg, and that Georg was a bad influence on him, encouraging him to drink heavily and consequently mistreat his wife and two young children; we are introduced to Edith and the Salvation Army Mission where David Holm stayed after being released from prison and finding that his wife had left him. Returning to the cemetery once again, the film is now three fourths complete (or roughly an hour and a half into the total viewing time), and Georg has one last soul to collect—David Holm’s. But, according to the time registered by the clock tower in the film it is midnight, ten minutes after David Holm had finished telling the story about the phantom chariot. Georg ties up his body with invisible yet binding rope and loads him into the carriage. David Holm’s spirit rides up front with Georg as they ride to the house where Edith is about to die. Georg also ‘‘shows’’ David Holm that his wife is about to take her own life as well as the lives of their children. At the moment of Edith’s death, David Holm breaks down into tears, praying desperately to God for another chance in life so that he can prevent the death of his innocent family. An abrupt cut back to the cemetery shows him waking up, his body and spirit intact. He rubs his head and eyes for an instant, then gets up—a bit shakily at first, for he is still drunk from all the liquor he has consumed this New Year’s Eve. He arrives home just in time to stop his wife from going through with the fatal poisonings. In 1920, ‘‘zero-degree’’ writing or a ‘‘zero-degree’’ narrative structure was still 40 odd years away from being invented, yet The Phantom Chariot is clearly an example of just such a representational construct. —Sandra L. Beck KOROL LIR (King Lear) USSR, 1971 Director: Grigori Kozintsev Production: Lenfilm: black and white, 35mm, scope; running time: 140 minutes; length: 12,500 feet. Released 1971, USSR. Filmed 1970 in the USSR. Producer: Grigori Kozintsev; screenplay: Grigori Kozintsev, from Boris Pasternak’s translation of the play by William Shakespeare; photography: Jonas Gritsius; sound: Eduard Vanunts; production designer: Yevgeny Yenei (Jenöcek Jenei); sets: Vsevolod Ulitko; music: Dmitri Shostakovich; costume designer: Suliko Virsaladze. Cast: Yuri Yarvet (King Lear); Elsa Radzinya (Goneril); Galina Volchek (Regan); Valentina Shendrikova (Cordelia); Oleg Dal (The Fool); Karl Sebris (Earl of Gloucester); Leonard Merzin (Edgar); Regimantas Adomaitis (Edmund); Vladimir Emelyanov (Earl of Kent); Alexander Volkach (Duke of Cornwall); Alexei Petrenko (Oswald); Yumas Budraitis (King of France); Donatas Banionis (Duke of Albany)
KOSHIKEI FILMS. 4 EDITIoN Publications This is not the story of one man, Kozintsev commented everything occurs among many other people. His aim is to place Lear in context, showing that the schemes and caprices of royalty bring disaster not only to themselves, but also to the whole nation. In Kozintsev, Grigori, Shakespeare: Time and Conscience, New the opening sequence a meandering procession of ragged vagabonds (immediately recalling the line of suppliants winding through the Eckert, Charles, editor, Focus on Shakespearian Film, Englewood snow in Ivan the Terrible) make their painful way to Lears castle Cliffs, New Jersey, 1972 Later, as war and destruction rage across the stark landscape, the Rapisarda, Guisi, editor, La Feks: Kozintsev e Trauberg, Rome, 1975 entire populace of Britain seems to have been reduced to such Kozintsev, Grigori, King Lear: The Space of Tragedy: The Diary of scurrying wretchedness, with the king himself merely one among a Film Director, Berkeley, 1977. their number. The closing scenes take place amid the scorched and Liehm, Mira, and Antonin Liehm, The Most Important Art: East shattered ruins of Dover, whose inhabitants continue while Lear die European Film After 1945, Berkeley 1977 to forage gloomily among the rubble, indifferent to one more death Leaming, Barbara, Grigori Kozintsev, Boston, 1980. after so many Buchman. Lorne Michael. From the Globe to the Screen: An Pictorially the film is consistently superb. Kozintsev deploys his Interpretive Study of shakespeare Through Film, Ann Arbor, 1984 widescreen monochrome photography to impressive effect, creating panoramic compositions which echo the elemental forces unleashed by the play. In one vivid overhead shot, the camera even seems to Articles. become one with the elements as it glares down on the cowering figures of Lear and the Fool stumbling blindly across the storm-swept Barteneva, Yevgeniya, "One Day with King Lear, in Soviet Film heath. At other times it identifies with the king in his changing moods, Moscow ) no 9, 1969 weeping vertiginously upwards with him to the mad heights of the Yutkevitch, Sergei, in Sight and Sound (London), Autumn 1971 battlements, or panning slowly across a darkening horizon as if in Filmfacts(New York), No 24, 1971 apprehension of the coming storm. International Film Guide. London. 1972 In the title role, the estonian actor Y uri Y arvet is imaginative Tatarkiewicz, A, and Z. Pitera, in Kino(Warsaw ), March 1972. cast:a diminutive, bird-like man with quick eyes, he seems at first Koltain, T, in Filmkultura( Budapest), May-June 1972. almost childishly unfitted for kingship, yet by the end of the film has Er widmete sein Talent der Revolution, ""in Film und Fernsehen acquired a touchingly frail nobility, transcending his own inadequa Berlin), September 1973 cies as he gains in understanding. The other roles are equally Marienstras, R,""Deux versions du Roi Lear, in Positif(Paris), individually characterised, drawing on a wealth of personal detail. from the gossipy fussiness of Gloucester to the Fools crop-haired Welsh, James M., To See Feelingly: King Lear Through Russian innocence. Pasternak's sinewy translation audibly recaptures, even Eyes, in Literature/Film Quarterly(Salisbury, Maryland), for those with no Russian, the rhythms and inflection of Shake- pring 1976 speare's verse, while in its power and energy, Shostakovich's music Hodgdon, B, Kozintsev's King Lear, in Literature/Film Quar. (the last of his many outstanding film scores)perfectly complements terly(Salisbury, Maryland), Fall 1977. Kozintsev's epic conception of the play Hodgdon, B,"Two King Lears: Uncovering the Filmtext, in There are no compromises in Korol Lir. In its visual style it is Literature/Film Quarterly(Salisbury, Maryland), July 1983 thoroughly Russian, very much Kozintsev. (The hand of the director Radvliff-Umstead, Order and Disorder in Kozintsev's King Lear, of New Babylon, 40 years earlier, is clearly evident. )It conforms in Literature/Film Quarterly(Salisbury, Maryland), October 1983 a Marxist reading of the text, but without being in any way doctri Schmalz, W,""Pictorial Imagery in Kozintsev's King Lear, " in naire, nor perverting Shakespeare's intentions Along with Ku Literature/Film Quarterly(Salisbury, Maryland), April 1985 Throne of blood, and Kozintsev's own Hamlet, it provide Parker, R B, The Use of Mise-en-scene in Three Films of King example of a Shakespeare film that succeeds in being at or Lear, 'in Shakespeare Quarterly, vol. 42, no. 1. Spring 1991 cinema and superb Shakespeare. ngulo, J,"El rey Lear, in Nosferatu(San Sebastian), no. 8, February 1992. Daems, J, Wijsheid in waa Film en Televisie video Brussels), no. 441, April 1994 KOSHIKEI Korol Lir was the last film of Kozintsey's long career, which Death by Hanging) began with the delirious experimentalism of the early 1920s and ended with two towering adaptations of Shakespeare. His version of Japan, 1968 Hamlet is probably the better-known of the two, but some critics have considered his Lear even finer. In its austere grandeur the film Director: Nagisa Oshima conveys, more effectively perhaps than any stage production could ver do, the majestic stature of the play, extending it to its utmost Production: Sozo-sha and A T.G. black and white, 35mm, Vistavision range without in the least distorting it. Kozintsev's Lear remains, with size; running time: 117 minutes. Released 1968, Japan. Cost: 10 all its gritty strength, still very much Shakespeare's Lear million yen
KOSHIKEI FILMS, 4th EDITION 650 Publications Books: Kozintsev, Grigori, Shakespeare: Time and Conscience, New York, 1966. Eckert, Charles, editor, Focus on Shakespearian Film, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1972. Rapisarda, Guisi, editor, La Feks: Kozintsev e Trauberg, Rome, 1975. Kozintsev, Grigori, King Lear: The Space of Tragedy: The Diary of a Film Director, Berkeley, 1977. Liehm, Mira, and Antonin Liehm, The Most Important Art: East European Film After 1945, Berkeley 1977. Leaming, Barbara, Grigori Kozintsev, Boston, 1980. Buchman, Lorne Michael, From the Globe to the Screen: An Interpretive Study of Shakespeare Through Film, Ann Arbor, 1984. Articles: Barteneva, Yevgeniya, ‘‘One Day with King Lear,’’ in Soviet Film (Moscow), no. 9, 1969. Yutkevitch, Sergei, in Sight and Sound (London), Autumn 1971. Filmfacts (New York), No. 24, 1971. International Film Guide, London, 1972. Tatarkiewicz, A., and Z. Pitera, in Kino (Warsaw), March 1972. Koltain, T., in Filmkultura (Budapest), May-June 1972. ‘‘Er widmete sein Talent der Revolution,’’ in Film und Fernsehen (Berlin), September 1973. Marienstras, R., ‘‘Deux versions du Roi Lear,’’ in Positif (Paris), April 1974. Welsh, James M., ‘‘To See Feelingly: King Lear Through Russian Eyes,’’ in Literature/Film Quarterly (Salisbury, Maryland), Spring 1976. Hodgdon, B., ‘‘Kozintsev’s King Lear,’’ in Literature/Film Quarterly (Salisbury, Maryland), Fall 1977. Hodgdon, B., ‘‘Two King Lears: Uncovering the Filmtext,’’ in Literature/Film Quarterly (Salisbury, Maryland), July 1983. Radvliff-Umstead, ‘‘Order and Disorder in Kozintsev’s King Lear,’’ in Literature/Film Quarterly (Salisbury, Maryland), October 1983. Schmalz, W., ‘‘Pictorial Imagery in Kozintsev’s King Lear,’’ in Literature/Film Quarterly (Salisbury, Maryland), April 1985. Parker, R.B., ‘‘The Use of Mise-en-scene in Three Films of King Lear,’’ in Shakespeare Quarterly, vol. 42, no. 1, Spring 1991. Angulo, J., ‘‘El rey Lear,’’ in Nosferatu (San Sebastian), no. 8, February 1992. Daems, J., ‘‘Wijsheid in waanzin,’’ in Film en Televisie + Video (Brussels), no. 441, April 1994. *** Korol Lir was the last film of Kozintsev’s long career, which began with the delirious experimentalism of the early 1920s and ended with two towering adaptations of Shakespeare. His version of Hamlet is probably the better-known of the two, but some critics have considered his Lear even finer. In its austere grandeur the film conveys, more effectively perhaps than any stage production could ever do, the majestic stature of the play, extending it to its utmost range without in the least distorting it. Kozintsev’s Lear remains, with all its gritty strength, still very much Shakespeare’s Lear. ‘‘This is not the story of one man,’’ Kozintsev commented; ‘‘everything occurs among many other people.’’ His aim is to place Lear in context, showing that the schemes and caprices of royalty bring disaster not only to themselves, but also to the whole nation. In the opening sequence a meandering procession of ragged vagabonds (immediately recalling the line of suppliants winding through the snow in Ivan the Terrible) make their painful way to Lear’s castle. Later, as war and destruction rage across the stark landscape, the entire populace of Britain seems to have been reduced to such scurrying wretchedness, with the king himself merely one among their number. The closing scenes take place amid the scorched and shattered ruins of Dover, whose inhabitants continue while Lear dies to forage gloomily among the rubble, indifferent to one more death after so many. Pictorially the film is consistently superb. Kozintsev deploys his widescreen monochrome photography to impressive effect, creating panoramic compositions which echo the elemental forces unleashed by the play. In one vivid overhead shot, the camera even seems to become one with the elements as it glares down on the cowering figures of Lear and the Fool stumbling blindly across the storm-swept heath. At other times it identifies with the king in his changing moods, sweeping vertiginously upwards with him to the mad heights of the battlements, or panning slowly across a darkening horizon as if in apprehension of the coming storm. In the title role, the Estonian actor Yuri Yarvet is imaginatively cast: a diminutive, bird-like man with quick eyes, he seems at first almost childishly unfitted for kingship, yet by the end of the film has acquired a touchingly frail nobility, transcending his own inadequacies as he gains in understanding. The other roles are equally individually characterised, drawing on a wealth of personal detail, from the gossipy fussiness of Gloucester to the Fool’s crop-haired innocence. Pasternak’s sinewy translation audibly recaptures, even for those with no Russian, the rhythms and inflection of Shakespeare’s verse; while in its power and energy, Shostakovich’s music (the last of his many outstanding film scores) perfectly complements Kozintsev’s epic conception of the play. There are no compromises in Korol Lir. In its visual style it is thoroughly Russian, very much Kozintsev. (The hand of the director of New Babylon, 40 years earlier, is clearly evident.) It conforms to a Marxist reading of the text, but without being in any way doctrinaire, nor perverting Shakespeare’s intentions. Along with Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood, and Kozintsev’s own Hamlet, it provides a rare example of a Shakespeare film that succeeds in being at once superb cinema and superb Shakespeare. —Philip Kemp KOSHIKEI (Death by Hanging) Japan, 1968 Director: Nagisa Oshima Production: Sozo-sha and A.T.G.; black and white, 35mm, Vistavision size; running time: 117 minutes. Released 1968, Japan. Cost: 10 million yen
FILMS. 4th EDItION KOSHIKEI 651
FILMS, 4 KOSHIKEI th EDITION 651 Koshikei
KOSHIKEI FILMS. 4 EDITIoN Producers: Masayuki Nakajima, Takuji Yamaguchi and Nagisa Cameron, lan, Nagisa Oshima, in Movie(London ) winter 1969-70 Oshima; screenplay: Tsutomu Tamura, Mamoru Sasaki, Michinori Gardies, Rene, in Image. er son( Paris), February 1970 Fukao and Nagisa Oshima, from a newspaper story: assistant direc Entretien avec Oshima. ' in Cahiers du Cinema(Paris ), March 1970 tor: Kiyoshi Ogasawara; photography: Y asuhiro Yoshioka; editor: Intemational Film Guide 1971, London, 1970. Sueko Shiraishi; sound: Hideo Nishizaki; sound effects: Akira Corbucci, G, in Cinema Nuovo(Turin), January-February 1972. Suzuki: production designer: Jusho Toda; music: Hikaru Hayashi. Schepelern, P, in Kosmorama(Copenhagen), December 1972 Heath, Stephen, in Screen(London), Winter 1976-77 Cast: Kei Sato(Oficer in charge of the execution): Fumio Watanabe Image et Son(Paris), September 1978 (Oficial educator): Yun do-Yun(R); Mutsuhiro Toura(Doctor): Polan, Dana, " "Politics as Process in Three Films by Nagisa Oshima, Hosei Komatsu (Prosecutor): Akiko Koyama(Woman): Toshiro in Film Criticism(Meadville, Pennsylvania), Fall 1983 Ishido(Priest): Masao Adachi (Security officer): Masao Matsuda Polan, Dana, ""Politics as Process in Three Films by Nagisa Oshima, in Film Criticism(Meadville), vol. 11, no. 1-2, Fall-winter 1986-87 Awards: Kinema Jumpo's Best Screenplay Prize and one of Kinema Santos Fontenla, C, in Nosferatu(San Sebastian ), no. 11. Jant Jumpo's Best Films of 1968 ary 1993 Publications Death by Hanging is an excellent example of the marriage of Oshima's stylistic experiments to his thematic concerns. Inspired by the true story of a Korean youth condemned and hanged for raping Oshima, Nagisa, and others, Koshikei, in Sekai no eigasakka n and murdering two Japanese girls, Oshima confronts us with the yo,1972 problems of discrimination against Koreans in Japan, nist's discovery of his own identity, nationalism and the function of the state, and the relationship of imagination and reality Oshima cleverly arranges a situation in which the execution of Sato, Tadao, Oshima Nagisa no sekai [The World of Nagisa Oshima, R (identified by his initial to symbolize all Koreans in Japan) fails, or, as a written title explains, body of r refuses to die. The dismayed Mellen, Joan, Voices from the Japanese Cinema, New York, 1975. officers try to stimulate his memory by reenacting the roles of R and Cameron. lan, and others, Second Wave, New York, 1975 the people around him, while R, in a state of amnesia, keeps asking Mellen, Joan, The Waves ar Genji's Door, New York, 1976. them naive questions, thus confronting the officers and the audience Bock, Audie, Japanese Directors, New York, 1978; revised edition, with fundamental problems--for example, the meaning of the state, T the definition of a*Korean Through their discussions and actions Burch, Noel, To the Distant Observer: Form and Meaning in the the executioners'prejudice, their dishonorable past lives as war- Japanese Cinema, Berkeley, 1979. criminals. their sexual frustrations and blind faith in the authorities Oshima, Nagisa, Ecrits(1956-1978): Dissolution et jaillissement, are revealed. The poverty and internal struggles of R's family are also Paris. 1980 illustrated, as is the historical context of Japanese importation of Tessier, Max, editor, Le Cinema japonais au present 1959-1979, Koreans as forced laborers The intensity of the mise-en-scene is related to the closed and Sato, Tadao, Currents in Japanese Cinema, Tokyo, 1982 fixed space of the set of the execution ground. This sets artificiali Magrelli, Enrico, and Emanuela Martini, I rito, il rivolta: ll cinema di and claustrophobic atmosphere(partly necessitated by the films low Nagisa Oshima, Rome, 1984 budget) is marvellously contrasted with the open space, natural light Polan, Dana B, The Political Language of Film and the Avant-Garde, and sound of the outdoor sequences. When the film returns to the Ann arbor. 1985 original prison setting, it becomes more abstract and surrealistic. Danvers, Louis, and Charles Tatum, Nagisa Oshima, Paris, 1986 One victims body, which is visible to the audience from the Oshima. Nagisa, Cinema, Cen tate: The Writings of beginning, is recognized by the officers one by one, and finally it agisa Oshima, 1956-1978, translated by Dawn Lawson, Cam- omes to life as a symbolic" of R. Her role is to agitate bridge, 1992. R politically, and awaken in him his identity as a Korean in Japan Nagib, Lucia, Em tormo da nouvelle vague japonesa, Campinas, 1993. R then refuses to be executed, condemning the nation as murderers if rim,Maureen Cheryn, The Films of Oshima Nagisa: Images of the execution is carried out. Finally, although he believes he is a Japanese Iconoclast, Berkeley, 1998 innocent, R returns to be executed, accepting it for"all the rs in the world. However, the scene with the empty noose after the execution Article conveys the idea that the authorities are not capable of executing r The Japanese authorities, and Oshima's ideological position in Tessier, Max, ""Entretien avec Oshima, in Cinema(Paris), no. relation to them, are represented by the directors favourite symbol 140.1969. national flag in which the rising sun appears black( because the Bory, Jean-Louis, in Nouvel Observateur(Paris), 29 September 1969 is black-and-white). The flag appears on the wall, frequently Niogret, Hubert, in Positif(Paris), October 1969 behind the faces of the public prosecutor and R. de baroncelli, Jean, in Monde(Paris ), 4 October 1969 Tourmes, Andree, in Jeune Cinema(Paris), November-December 1969. tions are portrayed twice from different angles. Hand-written titles 652
KOSHIKEI FILMS, 4th EDITION 652 Producers: Masayuki Nakajima, Takuji Yamaguchi and Nagisa Oshima; screenplay: Tsutomu Tamura, Mamoru Sasaki, Michinori Fukao and Nagisa Oshima, from a newspaper story; assistant director: Kiyoshi Ogasawara; photography: Yasuhiro Yoshioka; editor: Sueko Shiraishi; sound: Hideo Nishizaki; sound effects: Akira Suzuki; production designer: Jusho Toda; music: Hikaru Hayashi. Cast: Kei Sato (Officer in charge of the execution); Fumio Watanabe (Official educator); Yun do-Yun (R); Mutsuhiro Toura (Doctor); Hosei Komatsu (Prosecutor); Akiko Koyama (Woman); Toshiro Ishido (Priest); Masao Adachi (Security officer); Masao Matsuda (Official witness). Awards: Kinema Jumpo’s Best Screenplay Prize and one of Kinema Jumpo’s Best Films of 1968. Publications Script: Oshima, Nagisa, and others, Koshikei, in Sekai no Eigasakka no. 6: Nagisa Oshima, Tokyo, 1972. Books: Sato, Tadao, Oshima Nagisa no sekai [The World of Nagisa Oshima], Tokyo, 1973. Mellen, Joan, Voices from the Japanese Cinema, New York, 1975. Cameron, Ian, and others, Second Wave, New York, 1975. Mellen, Joan, The Waves at Genji’s Door, New York, 1976. Bock, Audie, Japanese Directors, New York, 1978; revised edition, Tokyo, 1985. Burch, Noël, To the Distant Observer: Form and Meaning in the Japanese Cinema, Berkeley, 1979. Oshima, Nagisa, Ecrits (1956–1978): Dissolution et jaillissement, Paris, 1980. Tessier, Max, editor, Le Cinéma japonais au present 1959–1979, Paris, 1980. Sato, Tadao, Currents in Japanese Cinema, Tokyo, 1982. Magrelli, Enrico, and Emanuela Martini, Il rito, il rivolta: Il cinema di Nagisa Oshima, Rome, 1984. Polan, Dana B., The Political Language of Film and the Avant-Garde, Ann Arbor, 1985. Danvers, Louis, and Charles Tatum, Nagisa Oshima, Paris, 1986. Oshima, Nagisa, Cinema, Censorship, and the State: The Writings of Nagisa Oshima, 1956–1978, translated by Dawn Lawson, Cambridge, 1992. Nagib, Lúcia, Em torno da nouvelle vague japonesa, Campinas, 1993. Turim, Maureen Cheryn, The Films of Oshima Nagisa: Images of a Japanese Iconoclast, Berkeley, 1998. Articles: Tessier, Max, ‘‘Entretien avec Oshima,’’ in Cinéma (Paris), no. 140, 1969. Bory, Jean-Louis, in Nouvel Observateur (Paris), 29 September 1969. Niogret, Hubert, in Positif (Paris), October 1969. de Baroncelli, Jean, in Monde (Paris), 4 October 1969. Tournes, Andrée, in Jeune Cinéma (Paris), November-December 1969. Cameron, Ian, ‘‘Nagisa Oshima,’’ in Movie (London), Winter 1969–70. Gardies, René, in Image et Son (Paris), February 1970. ‘‘Entretien avec Oshima,’’ in Cahiers du Cinéma (Paris), March 1970. International Film Guide 1971, London, 1970. Corbucci, G., in Cinema Nuovo (Turin), January-February 1972. Schepelern, P., in Kosmorama (Copenhagen), December 1972. Heath, Stephen, in Screen (London), Winter 1976–77. Image et Son (Paris), September 1978. Polan, Dana, ‘‘Politics as Process in Three Films by Nagisa Oshima,’’ in Film Criticism (Meadville, Pennsylvania), Fall 1983. Polan, Dana, ‘‘Politics as Process in Three Films by Nagisa Oshima,’’ in Film Criticism (Meadville), vol. 11, no. 1–2, Fall-Winter 1986–87. Santos Fontenla, C., in Nosferatu (San Sebastian), no. 11. January 1993. *** Death by Hanging is an excellent example of the marriage of Oshima’s stylistic experiments to his thematic concerns. Inspired by the true story of a Korean youth condemned and hanged for raping and murdering two Japanese girls, Oshima confronts us with the problems of discrimination against Koreans in Japan, the protagonist’s discovery of his own identity, nationalism and the function of the state, and the relationship of imagination and reality. Oshima cleverly arranges a situation in which the execution of R (identified by his initial to symbolize all Koreans in Japan) fails, or, as a written title explains, ‘‘body of R refuses to die.’’ The dismayed officers try to stimulate his memory by reenacting the roles of R and the people around him, while R, in a state of amnesia, keeps asking them naive questions, thus confronting the officers and the audience with fundamental problems—for example, the meaning of the state, the definition of a ‘‘Korean.’’ Through their discussions and actions, the executioners’ prejudice, their dishonorable past lives as warcriminals, their sexual frustrations, and blind faith in the authorities are revealed. The poverty and internal struggles of R’s family are also illustrated, as is the historical context of Japanese importation of Koreans as forced laborers. The intensity of the mise-en-scène is related to the closed and fixed space of the set of the execution ground. This set’s artificiality and claustrophobic atmosphere (partly necessitated by the film’s low budget) is marvellously contrasted with the open space, natural light and sound of the outdoor sequences. When the film returns to the original prison setting, it becomes more abstract and surrealistic. One victim’s body, which is visible to the audience from the beginning, is recognized by the officers one by one, and finally it comes to life as a symbolic ‘‘sister’’ of R. Her role is to agitate R politically, and awaken in him his identity as a Korean in Japan. R then refuses to be executed, condemning the nation as murderers if the execution is carried out. Finally, although he believes he is innocent, R returns to be executed, accepting it for ‘‘all the R’s in the world.’’ However, the scene with the empty noose after the execution conveys the idea that the authorities are not capable of executing R. The Japanese authorities, and Oshima’s ideological position in relation to them, are represented by the director’s favourite symbol, the national flag in which the rising sun appears black (because the film is black-and-white). The flag appears on the wall, frequently behind the faces of the public prosecutor and R. Oshima also employs various experimental methods. Single actions are portrayed twice from different angles. Hand-written titles
FILMS. 4th EDItION KOZIYAT ROG accompanied by discordant music are used to divide the film into Cinema(Paris), May 1973 action between shots is intentionally broken during the first half of the Variety(New York), 30 May 197?1973 TE Mruklik, B, in Kino(Warsaw ) May film. The characters, particularly R, often talk to the camera directly. Van Gelder. Lawrence. in New York Times. 23 August 1973. Oshima's ideological concerns require this Brechtian Gomiscek, T, in Ekran(Ljubljana), no 9-10, 1979. The films primary purpose is to provoke the audience through the Grozev, Aleksandr, "" Metodi Andonov, in Kinoizkustvo (Sofia), visual and auditory images. It was not, despite winr critical acclaim, commercially successful in Japan Young, D, "The Goat Horn( Kozijat rog), in Variety(New York) vol. 360, 7/13 August 1995 -Kyoko hirano KOZIYAT ROG One of the most successful bulgarian films ever made and probably the best known abroad, Koziyat rog was based on a legend (The Goat Horn) that was first retold and later worked into a short story by nikola Haitov. He emerged in the 1960s as one of the most popular of Bulgaria, 1971 Bulgarian writers, especially famous for his descriptions of the people and traditions in the somewhat isolated and""regions of the Director: Metodi Andonov Rhodope mountains in the southern part of the country. The screen- play drifted yet further from the historical and psychological accuracy Production: Studiya za Imi (Sofia nd in search of a larger truth, that of a shattering human tragedy. An white. 35mm wide-screen ng time: 105 1 introductory title("This bloody story happened in the xvll century 95 minutes; length: 2824 Released sions It starts with an act of violence. )makes apparently intentional the 1971 in bulgaria. shift from the original story of blood revenge to a more ambitious study of the devastating chain-reaction effect of violence on mans Screenplay: Nikolai Haitov, from the short story by Nikolai Haitor soul-which gradually becomes the films main theme. photography: Dimo Kolarov; editor: Evgeniya Radeva; sound: In parallel with the thematic evolution is a formal developmet Mithen Andreev; production designer: Konstantin Dzhidrov; mu- the film discards what was perhaps considered a"more cinematic c: Simeon Pironkov: song: Maria Neikova; special effects pyro dramatization, with flashbacks and intriguing tension for a straight technics: Ivan Angelov; costume designer: Vladislav Schmidt forward narration with very sparse dialogue and a more predictable stunts: Petar Klyavkov yet moving plot. Katya Paskaleva gives a memorable performance in the roles of both shepherd Karaivan's wife, raped and eventually Cast: Katya Paskaleva(Maria); Anton Gorchev(Karaivan); Kliment killed by a band of Turks, and their daughter Maria, who is brought up Denchev, Stefan Manrodiev, Todor Kolev, Marin Yanev(Turk rap- by her father to be a man and to seek revenge, but who falls in love and ists): Milen Penev(The Shepherd): Nevena Andonova (Maria as commits suicide after Karaivan kills her lover. The bold treatment of a girl): Krasimira Petrova(Turk's wife): Ivan Obretenov (Poor man): sex and violence made the film a box-office record-breaker, while the Ivan Yanchev(Man with scar). critics praised its rhythm, stark black-and-white photography and its inherent Bulgarian-ness It touched, no doubt, a very intimate chord in Awards: Bulgarian Film Festival at Varna, Prize of the Audience, the collective consciousness of a country in which the last hundred 1972: Chicago Film Festival, Silver Hugo(2nd prize), 1973 years of its independence had been painfully dominated by the consequences of a fierce Ottoman oppression, threatening at times its very existence. Publications The song from the film, with lyrics added, became a hit, and ten years after the films release the short story was successfully made Book into a ballet at the National Opera and Ballet Theatre in Sofia. Koziyar rog is now widely recognized by bulgarian critics and public alike as Liehm, Mira, and Antonin Leihm, The Most Important Art: East not only the best adaptation of Haitov's work and the best film European Film After 1945, Berkeley, 1977 of director Metodi Andonov( whose untimely death in 1974 put an Holloway, Ronald, The Bulgarian Cinema, Cranbury, 1986 end to a promising career)but also as a landmark in Bulgarian cinema, one that raised its prestige for a generation of film-goers and helped to Articles move it to the forefront of the country s contemporary culture. Ignatovski, V, in Kinoizkustvo(Sofia). March 1972. Variety(New York). 16 August 1972 Dimitar bardarsk Kopanevova, G, in Film a Doba(Prague), October 1972. Cowie, Peter, in International Film Guide(london), 1973 Malina, Martin, in Montreal Star, 27 January 1973 KWAIDAN Greenspun, Roger, in New York Times, 3 April 1973 See Kaidan
FILMS, 4 KOZIYAT ROG th EDITION 653 accompanied by discordant music are used to divide the film into sequences or to express the protagonist’s emotions. The continuity of action between shots is intentionally broken during the first half of the film. The characters, particularly R, often talk to the camera directly. Oshima’s ideological concerns require this Brechtian style. The film’s primary purpose is to provoke the audience through the visual and auditory images. It was not, despite winning the highest critical acclaim, commercially successful in Japan. —Kyoko Hirano KOZIYAT ROG (The Goat Horn) Bulgaria, 1971 Director: Métodi Andonov Production: Studiya za igralni filmi (Sofia, Bulgaria); black and white, 35mm, wide-screen; running time: 105 minutes, some versions 95 minutes; length: 2824 meters. Released February 1972. Filmed 1971 in Bulgaria. Screenplay: Nikolai Haitov, from the short story by Nikolai Haitov; photography: Dimo Kolarov; editor: Evgeniya Radeva; sound: Mithen Andreev; production designer: Konstantin Dzhidrov; music: Siméon Pironkov; song: Maria Neikova; special effects pyrotechnics: Ivan Angelov; costume designer: Vladislav Schmidt; stunts: Petar Klyavkov. Cast: Katya Paskaléva (Maria); Anton Gorchev (Karaivan); Kliment Denchev, Stefan Manrodiev, Todor Kolev, Marin Yanev (Turk rapists); Milèn Pénev (The Shepherd); Nevena Andonova (Maria as a girl); Krasimira Petrova (Turk’s wife); Ivan Obretenov (Poor man); Ivan Yanchev (Man with scar). Awards: Bulgarian Film Festival at Varna, Prize of the Audience, 1972; Chicago Film Festival, Silver Hugo (2nd prize), 1973. Publications Book: Liehm, Mira, and Antonin Leihm, The Most Important Art: East European Film After 1945, Berkeley, 1977. Holloway, Ronald, The Bulgarian Cinema, Cranbury, 1986. Articles: Ignatovski, V., in Kinoizkustvo (Sofia), March 1972. Variety (New York), 16 August 1972. Ivasiuc, A., in Cinema (Bucharest), September 1972. Kopanevova, G., in Film a Doba (Prague), October 1972. Cowie, Peter, in International Film Guide (London), 1973. Malina, Martin, in Montreal Star, 27 January 1973. Greenspun, Roger, in New York Times, 3 April 1973. Cinéma (Paris), May 1973. Mruklik, B., in Kino (Warsaw), May 1973. Variety (New York), 30 May 1973. Van Gelder, Lawrence, in New York Times, 23 August 1973. Gomiscek, T., in Ekran (Ljubljana), no. 9–10, 1979. Grozev, Aleksandr, ‘‘Metodi Andonov,’’ in Kinoizkustvo (Sofia), vol. 37, no. 3, March 1982. Young, D., ‘‘The Goat Horn (Kozijat rog),’’ in Variety (New York), vol. 360, 7/13 August 1995. *** One of the most successful Bulgarian films ever made and probably the best known abroad, Koziyat rog was based on a legend that was first retold and later worked into a short story by Nikolai Haitov. He emerged in the 1960s as one of the most popular of Bulgarian writers, especially famous for his descriptions of the people and traditions in the somewhat isolated and ‘‘wild’’ regions of the Rhodope mountains in the southern part of the country. The screenplay drifted yet further from the historical and psychological accuracy in search of a larger truth, that of a shattering human tragedy. An introductory title (‘‘This bloody story happened in the XVII century. It starts with an act of violence.’’) makes apparently intentional the shift from the original story of blood revenge to a more ambitious study of the devastating chain-reaction effect of violence on man’s soul—which gradually becomes the film’s main theme. In parallel with the thematic evolution is a formal development: the film discards what was perhaps considered a ‘‘more cinematic’’ dramatization, with flashbacks and intriguing tension, for a straightforward narration with very sparse dialogue and a more predictable yet moving plot. Katya Paskaleva gives a memorable performance in the roles of both shepherd Karaivan’s wife, raped and eventually killed by a band of Turks, and their daughter Maria, who is brought up by her father to be a man and to seek revenge, but who falls in love and commits suicide after Karaivan kills her lover. The bold treatment of sex and violence made the film a box-office record-breaker, while the critics praised its rhythm, stark black-and-white photography and its inherent Bulgarian-ness. It touched, no doubt, a very intimate chord in the collective consciousness of a country in which the last hundred years of its independence had been painfully dominated by the consequences of a fierce Ottoman oppression, threatening at times its very existence. The song from the film, with lyrics added, became a hit, and ten years after the film’s release the short story was successfully made into a ballet at the National Opera and Ballet Theatre in Sofia. Koziyat rog is now widely recognized by Bulgarian critics and public alike as not only the best screen adaptation of Haitov’s work and the best film of director Metodi Andonov (whose untimely death in 1974 put an end to a promising career) but also as a landmark in Bulgarian cinema, one that raised its prestige for a generation of film-goers and helped to move it to the forefront of the country’s contemporary culture. —Dimitar Bardarsky KWAIDAN See KAIDAN