Kinema no tenchi

This was a pretty good movie about making movies. It covers the Japanese film industry in the 1930s, and while I've seen very few (if any) films from that time, I still enjoyed this. I imagine it would be better to watch it knowing more about the types of films being referenced more specifically.

It feels personal and heartfelt, which is the main thing. The director (Yoji Yamada, who's one of my favourite Japanese filmmakers) was born in the early 30s, so may have based this off some of his earliest memories.

It's not the most focused movie, maybe a tad long, and while it has some comedic relief, it doesn't balance comedy and drama in equal measure the way Yamada's very best films often do. Still, it's a pleasant watch and recreates the 1930s with a lot of detail, and features some good performances, too.

This is a film about the film industry in Japan in the early 30's. Specifically, it is about Koharu (the pretty, fresh faced Narimi Arimori), a candy seller at a movie theater who is discovered by director Ogura, to be an actress in a film. She doesn't do well at all. and the film is basically about what happens to her. The film is sometimes uneven, but it has heart. By far the best part of this film is Ms. Arimori, she is very believable as the novice actress. I am not sure how much of a history lesson this is, but it has comic moments, as well as drama. The film Koharu ends up working on is "Floating Weeds", coincidently (I don't believe its a coincidence) the name of a film by the great Ozu. This film is entertaining but not great. Its worth a look, especially if you have an interest in how films, even so long ago, were made.

This work of Yoji Yamada shows the transition of eiga from the silents to the talkies (shades of "Singin' in the Rain").

Watching this proved to be a lesson in film history. I learned that eiga during the late '20s to early '30s was patterned after the Hollywood studio system.

Being under American control during those years, Philippine movies also have the same characteristic. (Unfortunately, most of those were destroyed during the Second World War, or deteriorated due to neglect).

"Kinema no Tenchi" shows movie history in an eclectic montage. Chaplinesque-Marxian humor can be noted. The rise of the actress to fame was depicted in a melodramatic fashion, a popular genre then and now.

I recommend this movie to any cineaste.

I first saw that film at the Montreal Film Festival. It chronicles the beginning of film-making in Japan with wit and intelligence. Much of the film is spent with the main actress and her career. Reminds me a bit of another Japanese film called "The actress", but with a faster pace and a lighter tone. A real pleasure.