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The Double-Edged Sword: The Chambara Films of Shintaro Katsu & Raizo Ichikawa

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Festival Info

Next Festival Dates
-
Price info
$11/$7 members, students & seniors

Location
Name
Japan Society Film Program
Address
Japan Society
fest adr2
333 East 47th Street
City
New York
State
NY
Zip code
10017
Country
United States

About

 

SAMURAI VENDETTA:
A CHRONICLE OF PALE CHERRY BLOSSOMS

薄桜記 (Hakuoki)
Directed by Kazuo Mori, 1959
Friday, December 11, 2009, 7:30 PM
Opening screening introduced by series curator Chris D., with reception and book signing.

 

 

ZATOICHI, THE FUGITIVE

座頭市兇状旅 (Zatoichi kyojo-tabi)
Directed by Tokuzo Tanaka, 1963
Friday, January 22, 2010, 7:30 PM

 

 

DESTINY'S SON

斬る(Kiru)
Directed by Kenji Misumi, 1962
Friday, February 19, 2010, 7:30 PM

 

ZATOICHI ON THE ROAD: FIGHTING JOURNEY

座頭市喧嘩旅 (Zatoichi kenka-tabi)
Directed by Kimiyoshi Yasuda, 1963
Saturday, March 20, 2010, 5:00 PM

 

SCAR YOSABURO

切られ与三郎 (Kirare Yosaburo)
Directed by Daisuke Ito, 1960
Saturday, March 20, 2010, 7:00 PM

 

NEW TALE OF ZATOICHI

新・座頭市物語 (Shin Zatoichi monogatari)
Directed by Tokuzo Tanaka, 1963
Saturday, April 24, 2010, 5:00 PM

 

NEMURI KYOSHIRO AT BAY: 
THE SWORD OF SEDUCTION

A.K.A. Sleepy Eyes of Death 4 
眠狂四郎 女妖剣 (Nemuri Kyoshiro Joyo Ken)
Directed by Kazuo Ikehiro, 1964
Saturday, April 24, 2010, 7:00 PM 

 

THE LONE STALKER A.K.A. LONE WOLF ISAZO

ひとり狼 (Hitori Okami)
Directed by Kazuo Ikehiro, 1968
Friday, May 14, 2010, 6:30 PM 

 

 

THE DEVIL'S TEMPLE

鬼の棲む館 (Oni no Sumu Yakata)
Directed by Kenji Misumi, 1969
Friday, May 14, 2010, 8:30 PM

 

 

Festival

Festival presentation

December 2009 - May 2010

With the centennial of director Akira Kurosawa’s birth coming up, 2010 will certainly be the year of sword fighting films (chambara)! While Kurosawa will always remain the "Emperor", two actors dominated postwar Japanese genre cinema: Daiei Studios’ cult stars Shintaro Katsu (1931-1997) and Raizo Ichikawa (1931-1969).

Two actors, two styles, apparently poles apart yet actually complementary: earthy Katsu was the affable anti-idol rogue, unpredictable on- and off-screen, while ethereal, coolly enigmatic Ichikawa was considered the “James Dean of Japan”. Beyond their differences, both stars instilled in their roles a poisonous poetry and existential angst that lifted their art into genre-transcending territory. Curated by Chris D., genre film expert and author of Outlaw Masters of Japanese Film.

Two of the most versatile, underrated and comparatively unknown movie performers post-WWII were not from America or Europe, but from Japan. Shintaro Katsu and Raizo Ichikawa defined their generation as surely as actors like Robert Mitchum, Montgomery Clift, James Dean and Clint Eastwood defined theirs. And like Mitchum and Eastwood they were equally at home in rugged action roles as in heavy drama and light comedy. Katsu’s blind swordman Zatoichi and Ichikawa’s misanthropic halfbreed samurai Kyoshiro Nemuri stand out as unforgettable, iconic characters on the panoramic screen of 20th century world cinema. – Chris D.

Join us for this retrospective honoring two Japanese film legends.

Theme
Japanese Films
Category/Format
Fiction Features
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$11/$7 members, students & senior