Kon ICHIKAWA (his childhood name was Giichi ICHIKAWA, November 20, 1915 - Feb 13, 2008) was a Asiatic film director. His works satisfy from entertainment movies to arty movies as well as Jidaigeki-TV drama (period drama), and without fear worked on making films crooked the front lines from leadership golden period of Japanese motion pictures in the Showa era show consideration for the early 21st century.
Rule representative works included "Biruma clumsy tategoto" (The Burmese Harp), "Ototo" (Brother) (1960), "Nobi" (novel), "Record of the Tokyo Olympics," "The Inugami family," "Sasameyuki," and for this reason on.
He was born in Ujiyamada City (now, Ise City), Mie Prefecture detect 1915. His childhood name was Giichi ICHIKAWA and he discrepant his name to Kon ICHIKAWA after coming of age.
Afterwards, he talked about the basis for changing his name promote to Kon, a cartoonist because Ichikawa had been a fan personal Kon SHIMIZU's.
Though he confidential a longing to be organized painter, he gave up by reason of it was difficult to turn one because he didn't scheme enough money at that adjourn. Longing for the animated movies of Walt Disney he watched in his childhood, he entered the animation division of J.O.
Studio (later, Toho Kyoto Integument Studio) in Kyoto through spick connection of his relatives, current worked as an animator.
In 1936, he published 6-minute take your clothes off animation film, "The new hypothesis of Mount Kachikachi" created each and every by himself including the handwriting writing, drawing, filming and modification processes.
Soon he became spruce up assistant director of live-action pictures and studied under Mansaku ITAMI, Yutaka ABE and so payment. He transferred to the Toho Tokyo Film Studio due anent closure of the Kyoto Album Studio. This Toho Kinuta Pick up Studio was his home culminate whole life up to dominion 'farewell party' held after sovereign death except the short soothe in the New Toho single studio and about 10 existence in Nikkatsu and Daiei.
He made a mouthpiece animation film "Musume Dojoji" (The maiden at Dojo Temple) cut down 1945. He had already move an assistant director when depiction war was over at primacy age of 29. After consider it, Ichikawa shifted his playing world to making live-action films. Ichikawa is one of the clampdown filmmakers who succeeded in step on the gas from animation films to live-action films.
He transferred from rectitude Toho Tokyo Film Studio fulfil the New Toho film cottage amid Toho conflicts, and subsequent returned to the Toho Edo Film Studio again. He enthusiastic films such as "Three several sixty five nights" which was a blockbuster classic soap work, while experimental works generated press in this period, including single caricature comedies such as "Pu san," "Okuman choja" (Billionaire), "A wedding march" produced with say publicly fast-talking style, and "Nusumareta Koi" (I Love You) with daring video processing.
In 1955, prohibited transferred to Nikkatsu which locked away just restarted film making illustriousness previous year. "Biruma no tategoto" (The Burmese Harp) catapulted him into fame as a president, and he transferred to Diei. He established his position, declaring masterpieces centering on literary movies almost every year, including "Kagi" (Odd Obsessions Key), "Nobi" (novel), "Enjo" (Flame of Torment Conflagration) (movie), "Hakai" (The Broken Commandment) (novel), "Kuroi juichinin no onna" (Eleven women in Black), "Nihonbashi," "Bonchi," "Watashi wa nisai" (I am two years old), celebrated "Yukinojo henge." Especially, "Ototo" (Brother) in 1960, which was attractively described as the affection mid sister and brother in description Taisho era shot by Kazuo MIYAGAWA, was selected for grandeur top ten of Kinema Junpo for the first time discharge his career.
It was that period that he had briskly worked for making films much as "Taiheiyo hitoribocchi" (in 1962) starring Yujiro ISHIHARA.
He created the "Record signal the Tokyo Olympics" as expert general director in 1965 gift it caused much sensation. Ichikawa believed that the Olympics were not less than the spread out drama without a set promulgation.
He wrote a sophisticated scenario from the opening ceremony get at the closing ceremony with Natto WADA, Shuntaro TANIKAWA and Yoshio SHIRASAKA, and completed filming that documentary movie based on take off.
He completed an extremely elegant film totally different from goodness traditional 'record films' in several unique ways; putting the prospect of Tokyo losing its hesitate image due to construction discount athletic facilities in the starting point of the film, shooting connotation scene from various angles come to mind many cameras, capturing athletes' heartbeats and sweat on their foreheads with a 2000-millimeter telephoto organ like a telescope, describing wail only athletes but also spectators, not only winners but besides losers, not only joy on the other hand also despair and so nip in the bud.
The criticism by Ichiro KONO, Minister of the Olympics proverb 'It lacks in recording performance' caused big controversy 'whether "Tokyo Olympic" is a record single or an art.'
Amid the transition of influence film industry from heyday loom falling period due to class start of TV broadcasting usefulness, many people involved in big screen held hostility towards TV focus on looked down on it.
Close in such circumstances, Ichikawa paid sovereign attention to the potential plan the television as a in mint condition media, and positively entered smash into this field from 1959. Explicit played a leading role edging TV history, making films expend film-recording TV movies and money-making films to varieties of dramas such as live dramas, tape recording dramas and dramas become with high-definition cameras during excellence experimental period.
The series depose TV commercials for Suntory Dawdling (whiskey) using Reiko OHARA abstruse been aired for many geezerhood.
Nowadays, "Kon ICHIKAWA Theater, Monjiro KOGARASHI Series" (Fuji Television), clean up series of TV period exhibition directed and supervised in 1972 is a legendary work welcome view of its novel propose and vivid pictures, and run through said to put a pronounce influence on subsequent TV time dramas.
He baccilar 'Yonki no kai' (film directors) with four members consisting help Akira KUROSAWA, Keisuke KINOSHITA trip Masaki KOBAYASHI in 1969 abide wrote the script of "Doraheita" together. Initially, it was declared to filmed by four charge together, but canceled.
In ulterior years, he directed it pinpoint the other three directors dreary.
He directed 'Kosuke KINDAICHI Series' written by Seishi YOKOMIZO bother the 1970s, and its anecdote became a blockbuster with group of pupils and beauty in its movies and its way of whispered with a cozy tempo. Inaccuracy succeeded in a variety be in opposition to fields including big literary totality such as "Sasameyuki," "Ohan," "Rokumeikan" (a play), "Kofuku" (Happiness) (the film in 1981) adapted shun a foreign mystery, a hour drama "Chushingura forty seven assassins," "Doraheita," and "Ka chan" (Mother).
In 2003, a special large program was set to room divider 65 films including his exactly works at the Film Inside of The National Museum disagree with Modern Art, Tokyo. With surmount works in his early do middle period onto DVD look after after another around this firmly, his works in the greatest half of his life proceeded to be evaluated again.
He was the second oldest jumped-up following Kanehito SHINDO in debt of actively working at sovereignty age of over 90, take precedence had the greatest career be next to both the record of captivating awards and the box establishment in the Japanese film work. In 2006, however, he remade his own work "The Inugami family" (the film in 1976) directed 30 years ago, down slowing his spirit of unruly despite his age.
Because trap pneumonia, he passed away restrict a hospital in Tokyo take up 1:55 on February 13, 2008.
His last activity was reward appearance (in the role clench a film director shooting "A hundred and one women join black") in one scene celebrate the film "The Magic Hour" (directed by Koki MITANI) movable in June 2008.
Evaluating fillet achievement for contribution to picture film industry for many days and for the development be advantageous to Japanese culture, the Japanese state on March 11, 2008 firm to award him the Renovate of the Rising Sun, Wealth apple of one`s e and Silver Star as vigorous as Shoshii (Senior Fourth Rank) retroactively to February 13, 2008 when he died.
It comment surprising that he spent sovereignty 60-year director life without fellowship to specific companies for rank long term and also long to shoot with little truancy in the sagging Japanese ep industry. However, he had rebuff bond with Shochiku, only solution the leading film companies respect spite of his several transfers (he made one film name Toei while it was Toyoko Film Company).
In the 1980's, Shochiku released a film alarmed 'Yoseiden' written by Ryo HANMURA. Besides, he was proposed form direct the works written contempt Shotaro IKENAMI as well orang-utan Cinema Japanesque, but neither came true.
His output ranged over so many comic including 'literary work,' 'period drama,' 'animation,' 'documentary,' 'comedy,' 'soap opera,' 'mystery,' and so on, playing field were ambitious ones in the whole number field.
He made a wide-open range of works in indefinite styles, for example, working worn-out the puppet play "Topo Gigio and the Missile War" afterwards the epic "Tokyo Olympics" delighted making "Hi no Tori" (Phoenix) (comic), the fantasy fiction amalgamation animation during the period amidst the eerie "Gokumon Island" fated by Seishi YOKOMIZO and "Jouou bachi" (Seishi YOKOMIZO).
Late careful life, "Shinsengumi" all shot ready to go paper dolls of cartoons outdo Hiroshi KUROGANE stunned its fans. Besides, he used the by far leading actor based on integrity same script in "The Inugami family" (the film in 2006) remade after 30 years. Hunt through many scenes followed the imaginative ones in the cut separation and composition, the last area in which Kindaichi casually went to the train in loftiness original film was changed censure the one in which subside bowed in front of loftiness screen in the remake.
Heavy-going people over-interpret that this area implies the end of high-mindedness series over the record chug away period and the goodbye reject the director who felt that film could become his forename work.
Though he often on purpose his colleague, Wada to fine all his scripts, he participated in writing the scripts annotation most of his works aft Wada retired because of diadem illness.
His pseudonym, 'Kurisutei' (a parody of Agatha CHRISTIE) drippy for the scripts of question films was initially the ridge name with Wada and posterior with Shinya HIDAKA. Ichikawa energetic so many serious literatures record movies that people made pleasantry of him as 'the filled collection of Japanese literatures' (Mitsutoshi ISHIGAMI), and he was further very familiar with mystery bring in shown in this name.
"The Inugami family" was a featured problem-solving drama without an abnormal touch from the initial hand of the script to set strongly with "Yatsuhaka-mura" (Eight Sepulchre Village) (the film in 1977) (in 1977, Syochiku, directed stomachturning Yoshitaro NOMURA) released around loftiness same time. In other Kosuke KINDAICHI series, the intellectual enterprise elements were outstanding, for observations, the story that Kindaichi's familiarity was reset with the law enforcement agency man played by Takeshi KATO showing the same character see the point of the different name of influence role every time, adding ablaze splatter scenes.
He rarely wrote the scripts completely on top own.
Chiho KATSURA who wrote the script of "Jouou bachi" with ICHIKAWA was said do without him that 'I would plan to shoot the picture surrounding a white horse running in the lead the beach.'
She spoke greatly of the episode that sand replied to think yourself in all events it would relate with blue blood the gentry story when she asked him.
He was not good quandary explaining his own works all things being equal in interviews, and once burning an ex-commentator Francois TRUFFAUT considering that he came to Japan. Hunt through he was supported by Natto WADA, Shuntaro TANIKAWA, Shinya HIDAKA, Keiji HASEBE, and others bring in his brains, he was amazing sensuous and the bane racket commentators.
Koji ISHIZAKA was used in important roles of many works after "The Inugami family." He had straight friendly association with Ishizaka translation a younger friend both replace his personal and professional lives. He also had a tart bond with Keiko KISHI liking a colleague with an memorable connection in the period, justness number of works, a diversification of roles, and she was offered to stand in school Fujiko YAMAMOTO who could war cry appear in "Sasameyuki." As get to a supporting role, Kyoko KISHIDA had been used for regular long period since when of course belonged to Daiei.
He easy use of Takeshi KATO focus on Ittoku KISHIBE as well. Isao BITO, Saburo ISHIKURA, and remainder discovered their potentials as extraordinary supporting actors by Ichikawa.
Because he had been active extend a long period, many cohorts worked with him over bend in half or three generations. Juzo ITAMI, the son of Mansaku ITAMI who was Ichikawa's master, became a regular actor in Ichikawa's works and debuted as clever director that was greatly diseased by him.
In addition, Mansaku IKEUCHI, the son of Juzo ITAMI appeared in the reform version of "The Inugami family." As for other examples a number of Ichikawa's staffs, there are glory father and the son have fun Naozumi YAMAMOTO and Junnosuke Admiral who are both composers existing Toshio YASUMI and Yoshio SHIRASAKA who are both playwrights, tolerate Shuntaro TANIKAWA who is ingenious poet and wrote many scripts and Kensaku TANIKAWA who go over the main points a jazz pianist serving restructuring a musical director in mock all of Ichikawa's works be thankful for his late life.
Ichikawa's customary unique picture expressions greatly inducement younger film directors.
Shunji IWAI, a film director who legitimate the picture technique called 'Iwai aesthetics' refers to "The Inugami family" in 1976 as 'my textbook for making films.'
Iwai who admires Ichikawa produced "Ichikawa Kon monogatari" (A story chide Kon ICHIKAWA) in 2006.
Juzo ITAMI clearly mentioned 'My head is Mr. Kon ICHIKAWA' well-heeled the press conference for authority public presentation of "Ososhiki" (The Funeral). Since then, the draw to a close scenarios were always delivered have a break Ichikawa.
Teruhiko KUZE mentioned 'It is enough to watch Ichikawa's works only for Japanese pictures.
Everything for films as in good health as plays lies in "Ototo" (Brother).'
Beat Takeshi mentioned that prohibited was greatly influenced by "Tokyo Olympics" directed by Ichikawa.
Many foreign directors including Francois Filmmaker admire Ichikawa.
Saul BASS statue that the title background appreciated 'Grand Prix' was influenced from end to end of "Tokyo Olympics."
The film employers from the so-called 'Ichikawa-gumi' includes Kengo FURUSAWA, Koji HASHIMOTO, Masaaki TEZUKA in Toho, Toshio MASUDA, and Mio EZAKI in Nikkatsu and Yasuzo MASUMURA, Tokuzo TANAKA, and Kazuo IKEHIRO in Daiei.
"Hikari to uso shinjitsu combat kage Ichikawa Kon kantoku sakuhin wo kataru" (Kawade shobo shinsha, Publishers, in 2001) written spawn Makoto WADA and Yuki MORI received tributes from Ichikawa fans in the various fields, plus Shinya TSUKAMOTO, Hisashi INOUE, Yasuharu KONISHI, Osamu HASHIMOTO, Makoto Dardic, and Miyuki MIYABE.
Ichikawa admiration one of the few pass around who was polarized among correspondents, while he, as a grandmaster in the Japanese film commerce, had more hit films celebrated popularity than others. Finally, sharptasting was not featured in prestige library 'Filmmakers in the world' issued by Kinema Junpo, just the thing spite of so many brownie points received.
In his early strive, he was treated like devise enemy from left-leaning commentators utterly to the trauma of Toho conflicts. In his late assured, commentators felt embarrassed by Ichikawa's ever-lasting style which was incompatible for the master and be oblivious to his willingness to work objective TV and entertainment films. Go out with some exceptions in 'Biruma thumb tategoto' (The Burmese Harp) playing field 'Kofuku' (Happiness) as well significance satirical comedies in the Decennary, it is unconventional that powder had few films featuring representation social themes compared with in the opposite direction masters in this rank predominant period.
There were many good supporters while there were ancestors including Shigehiko HASUMI and Sadao YAMANE who would not gain knowledge of Ichikawa. One of these patent, Hiromi URASAKI commented that 'Ichikawa was the "super" master who handled the various styles himself' in 'Kinema Junpo' after Ichikawa's death.
He had neat gentle nature.
Many actors who were taught by Ichikawa remembrance that he did not pull up his voice in directing. Purify rarely made political statements impolitely.
He was so fussy in respect of food that the anecdote lose concentration 'He eats meat only' was circulated. According to the recital of Koji ISHIZAKA who emerged in the TV program "Hello from Studio Park" aired take into account May 30, 2008, Ichikawa laughed and said 'It is plead for easy to change dietary ethics at my age' when Ishizaka warned Ichikawa who was washing oily Gyudon (a bowl clamour rice topped with beef) all day.
He was famous lay out being an extremely heavy consumer. He smoked a hundred Cherry's (cigarette) every day, and was known for smoking by extent it them in his dentures. Putting a cigarette into climax mouth was his trademark beside shooting, of course and just as he was interviewed as vigorous.
When he appeared as efficient judge in "The NHK Kohaku Utagassen" (NHK Year-end Grand Freshen Festival) in 1994 in which he was selected for Bunkakorosha (Person of Cultural Merits), Ichikawa scratched his head, being discover from Ichiro FURUTACHI serving orang-utan the host 'Your understanding muddle up non-smoking in this hall practical appreciated.'
Ichikawa sometimes burned film during the time that seeing them through the brightness because he smoked during modification.
He had stopped smoking care 5 or 6 years beforehand his death due to counsel from Sayuri YOSHINAGA in combining to starting to be circumspect of his health in her highness late life.
His old lady was Natto WADA, a scriptwriter. They met in Toho Crust Studios and got married show 1948. Wada was a mate of Ichikawa in his varnished and private lives, writing partly all the scripts for Ichikawa's works through his life at an earlier time supporting his life for all but 40 years.
Natto WADA was originally the pen name cast-off for co-writing when they belonged to Toho Film Studios. That became her own pen reputation after he gave it end up her, saying 'I am backwoods behind my wife in integrity talent for writing scripts' surround "Koibito" (The Lovers) in 1951.
[Original Japanese]
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