JAPN 310: Japanese Cinema (MLO 2) Completed Fall 2012
Description:
An introductory scrutiny of major Japanese directors and genres with attention to film composition, choices of subject and character, ideas of the cinematic, and the relationship of cinema to Japanese culture and society. Students will analyze and critique films. Discussion of films will deal with the production of their historical, social, and cultural context, as well as issues dealing with popular culture and equity.
An introductory scrutiny of major Japanese directors and genres with attention to film composition, choices of subject and character, ideas of the cinematic, and the relationship of cinema to Japanese culture and society. Students will analyze and critique films. Discussion of films will deal with the production of their historical, social, and cultural context, as well as issues dealing with popular culture and equity.
Course Narrative:
In this course, I was able to fulfill the MLO 2 requirements of this major because this course gave me a better look at how Japanese were able to fill their movies along with the different techniques they used many of their movies. Through this course, I watched many different Japanese films that depicted many of the cultural elements throughout Japan while trying to find the differences between their culture and our culture of America. One of the movies I watched while in this class was the movie “Ikiru” which was created by one of Japan’s famous directors Akira Kurosawa. This film was about how a man who was about to die decide that he wanted to make a difference in the world one last time before he bit the dust. From watching this movie I saw many different ideas that were not that common in American society. One example of this was the idea of someone being in their rightful place in a well-organized machine. Basically the idea is where a person has their own job and duty to act out throughout society. In Japan, it is very common in business and companies but in America it isn’t all that common. This also made me realize that Japanese society can be very difficult to live in if you do not find your own place to be in. Although I have completed this class, I am still not that knowledge able about many of the different aspects of Japan’s movie culture. In order for me to become competent in this field, I must try to learn more about Japanese films how they are different from American films. In order to continue to explore this field, I may have to actually watch more Japanese films as well as do research the ways in which ways their films are produced.
Final Essay: PDF
Movie Essay # 4: PDF
In this course, I was able to fulfill the MLO 2 requirements of this major because this course gave me a better look at how Japanese were able to fill their movies along with the different techniques they used many of their movies. Through this course, I watched many different Japanese films that depicted many of the cultural elements throughout Japan while trying to find the differences between their culture and our culture of America. One of the movies I watched while in this class was the movie “Ikiru” which was created by one of Japan’s famous directors Akira Kurosawa. This film was about how a man who was about to die decide that he wanted to make a difference in the world one last time before he bit the dust. From watching this movie I saw many different ideas that were not that common in American society. One example of this was the idea of someone being in their rightful place in a well-organized machine. Basically the idea is where a person has their own job and duty to act out throughout society. In Japan, it is very common in business and companies but in America it isn’t all that common. This also made me realize that Japanese society can be very difficult to live in if you do not find your own place to be in. Although I have completed this class, I am still not that knowledge able about many of the different aspects of Japan’s movie culture. In order for me to become competent in this field, I must try to learn more about Japanese films how they are different from American films. In order to continue to explore this field, I may have to actually watch more Japanese films as well as do research the ways in which ways their films are produced.
Final Essay: PDF
Movie Essay # 4: PDF