This jaw dropping program of blockbusters and nearly-lost fragments features ferocious sword fighting, a band of villains, and the guileless slapstick hijinks of “the Japanese Charlie Chaplin.”
The Dull Sword (Namakura gatana) (1917)
Dir. Junichi Kōchi
5min; DCP, silent, tinted
Japan
DCP courtesy of the National Film Archive of Japan.
A Straightforward Boy (Tokkan kozō) (1929)
Dir. Yasujirō Ozu
21min; DCP, silent, tinted
Japan
Precocious children often take center stage in the works of Japanese master Yasujirō Ozu. In this newly discovered print of the silent comedic short, trouble abounds for a pair of kidnappers when they underestimate the energy of their young abductee who quickly challenges their patience for the job.
The Golden Flower (Kogane no hana) (1929)
Dir. Noburō Ōfuji
17min, 35mm, silent
Japan
This charming stop-motion collage tells the story of a ceremonial dancer who encounters a demon serpent in the hills on his way home from a performance. After escaping, he returns with a group of villagers to destroy the creature, but its spirit has the last laugh in this rich short produced by studio Chiyogami Eiga-sha.
The Water Magician (Taki no shiraito) (1933)
Dir. Kenji Mizoguchi
102min, DCP, silent
Japan
The elements of director Kenji Mizoguchi’s inimitable style are evident everywhere in this galvanizing melodrama, adapted from a novel by Kyōka Izumi. Centering on a woman (Takako Irie) who sacrifices everything to ensure a bright future for a young man (Tokihiko Okada) who has captured her imagination, The Water Magician features a distinctly modern, dynamic energy.
UPCOMING Screenings
RUNNING TIME
145min
VENUE
TICKET INFORMATION
General Admission: $20
Members: $15
Leadership support for
BAM Access Programs provided by the
Jerome L. Greene Foundation
Leadership support for
BAM Film provided by
the Ford Foundation and
The Thompson Family Foundation
