Sunday, January 6, 2013

The History in 1900s-2000

 
Hello! A happy new year! What vacation did you have? I ate sushi and crabs on New Year’s Eve, and I paid a visit to a shrine with my family on New Year’s Day. I had a good time.

 

Today, I will talk about the history of Japanese horror movie. I had talked that J-horror appeared in the last twenty years, and it is one in the fields of Japanese horror movie. Then, when did the first Japanese horror movie appear?

 

In Japan, many tales of horror are passed down by books; “Nihon Ryouiki” written in the late 8th and early 9th century and “Konjaku Monogatarisyu” written in 12th century. In 18th and 19th century, they did by Kabuki, Rakugo, and ukiyo-es. So, many people became known those tales in Edo. Then, in the end of 19th century, the movies were introduced in Japan from United States of America and France. A present style of movie which people watch screen projected a film was made for Lumiere brothers who are from France and invented cinematograph in 1859. Early films are made to play publicly from 1899 in Japan; they are to take dancing of geisya.
 
                                                   "Bansyu-sarayashiki" Hokusai katsushika


Early movie’s style is very short and silent. In the 1900s and the 1920s, in Japan, almost gothic movies were based on famous ghost tales: like “Yotsuya-Kaidan”, “Botan-Tourou”, “Bansyu-sarayashiki”, and other tales. Those stories are really known by Kabuki and Rakugo. They remade many times. Especially, “Yotsuya-kaidan” was remade 10 times from 1910 to 1926 (“Nihon-Eiga-Sakuhin-Taikan”, 1960-61).
At the same time, trick movies which Matsunosuke Ogami acted were popular among children. He was popularly known as “medama-no-mattyan”, and had about a thousand films. His movies used early trick photography: when smoke rises, Matsunosuke having gotten on a big road appears.

"Jiraiya"(1914)
 


In the middle of the1920s and early the 1940’s, talking film began to appear, and silent movies finished making formation completely. Then, movie’s styles had talkie and silent both. At the time, main theme of ghost movie is to film ghost tails like “Yotsuya-Kaidan”, also. But, specially, many movies had main theme which is the monstrous apparitions by animals were made: like cats, raccoon dogs, and foxes. It is said that those animals mislead a person. “Tanuki-Goden” (1939, Shinkyo-Kinema) became a big hit film. This was first movie which is amply introduced singing and dancing. This remade 10 times over by 2004.
                             "Tavuki-Gozen" (1939)

 

After losing WW2 on August in 1945, in Japan companies really made many films; so that attendance for the year is 11 hundred over millions in 1958. At the time, coloring and wide-screen were introduced. Movies of Classic ghost tales made, too. Shin-Toho-Eiga Company made mystery movies which had premodern horror story; like a mysterious person, a monster, a ghost. Toho Company made many special effects movies. Eiji Tsuburaya is one in most famous directors who uses special effects. He took “Godzilla”, and .it became popular movie. What is more, Toho Company made mystery movie like “transformed man series”. Those movies’ subject got the ideas from SF novels in the United State.
                         "Toukaido-yotsuya-kaidan"(1959)



In 1953, television broadcasting began in Japan. So, audience numbers for cinema house decreased rapidly; in 1970, they are 250 million. In the 1960s and the 1970s, popular films took as serials because Film Company had audiences to come cinema house. In the second half the 1960s, “Gegege-no-Kitaro” and “Akumakun” began to broadcast. Those caused a ghost and goblin boom. Taiei Company made “The Big Spook War” (1968) and “The 100 ghost stories” (1968) as monster movie. Movies of classic horror tales with those monster movies, but those didn’t get much popularity.
In the USA, “The Exorcist” (1973) was took; and it became a big hit all over the world include Japan; and it gave influence to Japanese directors. So, many occult movies were tried making in Japan at those times.
                                                    "Firsr gas person" (1960)
After 1980s, most classic horror tales’ movies didn’t be made. At those times, video rental spread and films to watch by video were made. In the USA, “Friday the 13th” (1980) and “A Nightmare on Elm Street” (1984) were made; those called “splatter movies”. On the other hand, Japanese horror movies called “J-horror”; it has weird silent and mysterious something has people to feel fear. “The ring” (1998), “”Dark Water” (2001), “The Juon” (2004) and “One Missed Call” (2004) are especially famous J-horror’s movies. Those movies were used CG technology; and have strongly reality.  Those remade in Hollywood, and had a big hit in USA, also
                                                       "The Ring" (2002)
 

I knew that Japanese horror movie does not only J-horror that various styles.
Next week, I will talk about famous directors of Japanese horror movies. See you!

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