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Daisuke Ito’s Masterpiece Discovered

The print of “Issatu-Tasho-Ken (一殺多生剣)”, Daisuke Ito’s 1929 film, was discovered and is scheduled to be screened at Kyoto Film Festival in October. Probably it is not a familiar title to you; even the name of the director, Daisuke Ito, is not usually among “all-time great Japanese directors” list. You might have seen the still photograph above in some of the Japanese cinema history books, though. The film was produced during the pinnacle of Jidaigeki cinema, late 1920s and early 30s, and Daisuke Ito was the central figure of the era. The reason the late 20s being the most productive …

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JAPANESE FILMS

Two More Fragments

Denjiro Okochi as Tange Sazen The previous post discussed the art of Jidaigeki in 1920s. Here are two more rare film clips of Denjiro Okochi. Zoku Ooka Seidan, Mazo, Kaiketsu-Hen (続大岡政談 魔像　解決篇, 1931) Directed by Daisuke Ito, cinematography by Hiromitsu Karasawa, this film is another variation of popular “Shin-Ban Ooka Seidan” trilogy. Pretty graphic. Daibosatsu Toge, Suzuka-Yama no Maki – Mibu Shimabara no Maki  (大菩薩峠　鈴鹿山の巻　壬生島原の巻, 1936) Based on the popular novel of the same title by Kaizan Nakazato, the film revolves around the character of Ryunosuke Tsukue (Daijiro Okochi), a psychopathic serial murderer in the last decades of Edo era. …

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JAPANESE FILMS

Going Berserk

1920’s was the era of Jidaigeki in Japanese cinema. In spite of its popularity (or rather, because of it), only handful of the masterpieces of the era survived. Matsunosuke Onoe was the first Japanese cinema star and the most popular among kids during 1910’s and 20’s, but it was the late 20’s that saw the pinnacle of Jidaigeki. So I heard. In 1925, Daisuke Ito created “Chuji Tabi Nikki (忠治旅日記)” Trilogy with Denjiro Ohkochi, one of the most influential Jidaigeki in the Japanese cinema history. “Shin-ban Ooka Seidan (新版大岡政談, 1928, Dir. Daisuke Ito)”, “Zanzin Zanba Ken (斬人斬馬剣, 1929, Dir. Daisuke …

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