Scheduled FILMS (2) for Friday, April 16, 2010

DOUBLE FEATURE

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On Friday, April 16, you'll see two relatively early films by the Japanese director, Kenji Mizoguchi: Osaka Elegy (1936) and Women of the Night (1948). Certain stylistic traits of Mizoguchi's films will be evident, such as the avoidance of close-up or Hollywood-style editing, replaced by long takes and long shots (from a distance). This style will later (in the 1950s) be embellished by sequence shots (that is, long takes with florid camera movement), so students can follow a director's style through decades.
    These two films will also help you understand the Auteur Theory, which in the case of Mizoguchi is easy to understand, since there's a distinctive style in his films as well as a subject matter, especially focused on the plight of women and their exploitation, though Mizoguchi's point of view is not strictly feminist.
    Finally, Women of the Night is a good introduction to the Neorealist style of filmmaking, started by Italian directors after World War II. Neorealism attempted to get away from studio plots and mise-en-scene, replacing glamor with "realism," sometimes starring nonprofessional actors with on-location shooting.
    I would advise seeing Osaka Elegy first, and, after a reasonable break of 5-10 minutes, Women of the Night. The films are under 70 minutes each, so the two films combined may actually be shorter than some of the films students have seen without even a break. I think even with the break students should finish both films before the official class ends, at 3:10, leaving enough time for your next class. If, however, the film runs over, you should not be late for your next class. Students can always see the last minutes by themselves at a convenient time. At least you'll be exposed to two films by a recognized master of cinema.
    As for the break, if you choose to have one, I would prearrange rest room activities, perhaps groups of students agreeing to go to different rest rooms to avoid lines. Of course, more than ever it's imperative not to lunch in such a way that it might cause discomfort while viewing the films.
    Many students in fact may wish not to leave the auditorium at all, and just stand up for a few minutes before the second feature begins. After all, like I said, both films together are really the length of some single films you've seen or that students in previous classes saw.

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