JAPN 310 - Japanese Cinema
This course provides an introductory scrutiny of major Japanese directors and genres with attention to film composition, choices of subject and character, and the relationship of cinema to Japanese culture and society. Students will analyze and discuss cinematographic elements and cultural codes among a variety of film genres, production of their historical and socio-cultural context, as well as issues dealing with popular culture and equity. Taught in English.
Meets MLO 2
Meets MLO 2
Course Reflective Narrative
Meeting MLO 2, JAPN 310 taught us about Japanese culture by viewing various Japanese films and then connecting them to scholarly articles that have dissected the adjacent film. In particular, we focused on the social commentary the directors made about important issues in Japanese society. One of the films we watched was "Departures" (2009), a modern Japanese film that followed the journey of a man who found his passion as a funeral beautician or coffin-man. While the movie mostly focused on the protagonist's experience as a coffin-man, the underlying message focused on the unfair discrimination of people who have jobs related to funeral practices. This film had the most impact on me due to the strength of the message, especially since I had been learning about Burakumin in my JAPN 311 course at the same time we watched Departures. It later became my inspiration for my final research paper in JAPN 311.
We also watched the original "Godzilla" (1954) and made connections between the film and the Castle Bravo nuclear tests the U.S. conducted in the Bikini Atoll. These tests took place not even a decade after the end of World War 2, which continues to be a sensitive topic in Japan today. After already being victims of atomic bombs, any association with nuclear warfare or power is severely resented by the Japanese public. Therefore, considering a Japanese fishing vessel was impacted by the nuclear fallout from the tests that later caused widespread panic, it was easy to see the connections between these events and a movie about a radioactive monster that terrorized Japan beginning with a fishing boat. This course taught me how societal issues and culture are often reflected in media, and how analyzing common forms of media is important in understanding the world around us.
Godzilla (1954) Reflection
We also watched the original "Godzilla" (1954) and made connections between the film and the Castle Bravo nuclear tests the U.S. conducted in the Bikini Atoll. These tests took place not even a decade after the end of World War 2, which continues to be a sensitive topic in Japan today. After already being victims of atomic bombs, any association with nuclear warfare or power is severely resented by the Japanese public. Therefore, considering a Japanese fishing vessel was impacted by the nuclear fallout from the tests that later caused widespread panic, it was easy to see the connections between these events and a movie about a radioactive monster that terrorized Japan beginning with a fishing boat. This course taught me how societal issues and culture are often reflected in media, and how analyzing common forms of media is important in understanding the world around us.
Godzilla (1954) Reflection