Department of English

This course is a survey of Japanese cinema from the silent period to the present. Students will learn about different Japanese film genres and histories, including (but not limited to) the benshi tradition, documentary, Pink Film, experimental film, documentary, J-horror, idol films, cyberpunk, and anime. Although the course will introduce several key Japanese auteurs (Mizoguchi, Ozu, Kurosawa, etc), it will emphasize lesser-known directors and movements in the history of Japanese film, especially experimental, arthouse, and documentary productions. Finally, in addition to providing background knowledge in the history of Japanese cinema, one of the central goals of the course will be to interrogate the concept of “national” cinema, and to place Japanese film history within a transnational, political, and ideological context. The course will include several written papers and a required presentation component.