Film festival features screenings of rarely seen Japanese comedies

When American film-goers think of Japanese cinema, they might recall the classic image of the honor-driven samurai in Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai" or any of his other samurai epics. Atlanta film fans were treated to a different kind of Kurosawa in last week's showing of his 1951 Oscar-winner for Best Foreign film, "Rashomon," at the High Museum of Art. In "Rashomon," Kurosawa experiments with the notion of truth and whether there is such a thing. During a three-day Japanese film festival on campus, sponsored by film studies and the Consulate General of Japan, another Kurosawa will be presented--one who can laugh at himself and the samurai ideal he helped to create.

In addition to Kurosawa's playful "Hidden Fortress" (1958), Yasujiro Ozu's 1932 silent film "I Was Born, But..." and Nobuhiko Obayashi's "Beijing Watermelon" (1989) will be screened as part of the festival and an ongoing collaboration between Emory and the Consulate General's office. Matthew Bernstein, associate professor of film studies, noted that this series of films illustrates a long-standing tradition of comedy in Japanese cinema.

Although Japanese cinema is best known for comedies such as that of Juzo Itami's "A Taxing Woman," many American viewers are not aware of the tradition of Japanese comedy. These films demonstrate more than six decades of comedy and contain many comic elements recognizable to American viewers. "Film was introduced in Japan as a western and modern medium," said Bernstein, who teaches a graduate course on Kurosawa.

In Kurosawa's "Hidden Fortress" (1958), which appears to be the inspiration of George Lucas' "Star Wars," the film maker juxtaposes his samurai with two crude farmers who have modern sensibilities about honor and wealth. Their concern with themselves contrasts with the defeated general of civil war-torn Japan, who tries to sneak a princess through enemy lines.

This screening will allow viewers to discover the rarelyseen, wide screen version of this work. Kurosawa was the first to use the wide screen format. Those familiar with "Rashomon" will recognize Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune as the general in "Fortress."

The showing of Ozu's silent physical comedy, "I Was Born, But . . .," will be accompanied with live music, although Bernstein noted that Japanese silent film-goers would have seen the film accompanied by a narrator. This film involves the antics of two young boys who come to realize the force of the cultural hierarchy from their salaryman father.

In the tradition of the shomingeki or stories of ordinary people, Obayashi's "Beijing Watermelon" relates the story of a Japanese grocer's encounter with a Chinese student and how his life is changed by the experience. This film, like the others, addresses the struggle of the individual with tradition.

Although from distinct eras and from different film making approaches, each film represents a central argument about the place of the individual in society and the juxtaposition of tradition and modern life. In spite of where each film lands in the argument, they all recognize the universal transcendence of laughter.

The films will be shown at the following times and places. All films are free and open to the public. For more information, call 727-6761.

* "I Was Born But . . ." (1932), 7 p.m. Sept. 27. 208 White Hall.

* "Hidden Fortress" (1958), 7 p.m. Sept. 28. 205 White Hall.

* "Beijing Watermelon" (1989), 7 p.m. Sept. 29. 205 White Hall.

--Matt Montgomery