Not a full post as I was intending as I have been too ill for the last couple of days, but a quick alert to the 100th birthday of Japanese director Kaneto Shindo on Sunday. While he may not quite figure in the absolute front rank of Japanese postwar directors, the likes of Children of Hiroshima, Naked Island, Onibaba, Kuroneko and Edo Porn - often featuring his last wife, Nobuko Otowa – remain essential viewing for cineastes while his Eulogy from 1972 remains one of the unseen masterworks, seemingly under lock and key and unseen by anyone.
What’s less known is his contribution as a screenwriter to other directors, not least Yasuzo Masumura, whose Manji and Irezumi, to name two, were founded on his incisive scripts. He also wrote the multi-layered adaptation for Kozaburo Yoshimura’s masterpiece The Ball at the Anjo House and his later A Tale of Genji, as well as for Fukusaku’s Under the Flag of the Rising Sun.
We trust he had a great day and thank him for his contribution to our enjoyment over the past sixty years or so.
His absolute masterpiece is ONIBABA, but THE NAKED ISLAND and the surealist KURONEKO among his distinguished filmography are also especially exceptional. A giant of Japanese and world cinema. Happy 100th!
Nice quick Birthday wish here, very well deserved. He’s made two of the greatest Horror films (and one doesn’t even need to put ‘Horror’ in front of it, they’re just masterpiece films) ever in ONIBABA and KURONEKO (the later always perceived as the lesser but now that it’s available on dvd it grows with each viewing) and several others you note are every bit great films too. Thankfully MoC and Criterion have released several of his films in recent years so his reputation can be what it deserves.
Onibaba is such an accomplished film. One of the very best from the 60’s. Kuroneko is very good as well. Both being available on Criterion mean that it’s not very difficult to marvel at his artistry.
“Not a full post as I was intending as I have been too ill for the last couple of days, but a quick alert to the 100th birthday of Japanese director Kaneto Shindo on Sunday…”
Hi! Allan…
Unfortunately, I’m not familiar with Japanese director Kaneto Shindo, [Oops! here wishing him a Happy Birthday! :) ] but I’m familiar with you and I’m so very sorry to read that you are under the weather and here wishing and hoping you a speedy recovery…too!
deedee :(
Best wishes to a fine filmmaker. Onibaba is classic and his teamup with Fukasaku on Flag of the Rising Sun is harrowing stuff. We can’t expect all centenarians to be Oliveiras, but here’s hoping Shindo made the most of his big day.
Shindo passed away on May 29. Here’s an obit and review of his work from the Guardian newspaper.