Kōji Wakamatsu
Kōji Wakamatsu | |
---|---|
Pinku eiga |
Kōji Wakamatsu (若松孝二, Wakamatsu Kōji, 1 April 1936 – 17 October 2012) was a Japanese film director who directed such pinku eiga films as Ecstasy of the Angels (天使の恍惚, Tenshi no Kōkotsu, 1972) and Go, Go, Second Time Virgin (ゆけゆけ二度目の処女, Yuke Yuke Nidome no Shojo, 1969). He also produced Nagisa Ōshima's controversial film In the Realm of the Senses (1976). He has been called "the most important director to emerge in the pink film genre,"[1] and one of "Japan's leading directors of the 1960s."[2]
His 2010 film, Caterpillar, was nominated for the Golden Bear at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival.[3]
Early life
Kōji Wakamatsu was born in
Career
Between 1963 and 1965, he directed 20 exploitation films for the studio, based on sensational topics of the day. He became interested in the Pink Film genre after the success of Tetsuji Takechi's 1964 Daydream. Nikkatsu submitted his Skeleton in the Closet (壁の中の秘事, Kabe no Naka no Himegoto) (also known as Secrets Behind the Wall) (1965) to the 15th Berlin International Film Festival[6] while the film was still under review by Eirin, the Japanese film-rating board. This submission before passing Eirin's review was doubly embarrassing for the government since pink films, though already emerging as the dominant domestic cinematic genre, were not regarded as worthy of critical attention or international export.[7] The film received an enthusiastic reception at the festival, but Nikkatsu, fearful of governmental retaliatory action, gave it a low-profile domestic release. Disappointed, Wakamatsu quit the studio to form his own company.
Wakamatsu's independent films of the late 1960s were very low-budget, but often artistically done works, usually concerned with sex and extreme violence mixed with political messages. Some critics have suggested that these films were an intentional provocation to the government, in order to generate free publicity resulting from censorship controversies.[8] His films were usually produced for less than 1,000,000 yen (about $5,000), necessitating extreme cost-cutting measures including location shooting, single-takes, and natural lighting. His early films were usually in black and white with occasional bursts of color for theatrical effect.[9]
His first self-produced film was
United Red Army (連合赤軍, Rengo Sekigun, 2008) was based on the "Asama-Sansō incident". Long and harsh, this movie includes a long documentary part about the political background that led to this tragedy and the self-destruction of the Japanese radical left.
While directing many successful and critically praised Pink Films, Wakamatsu also became known for giving young filmmakers their first experience in working in the industry. Among those whose early careers were helped by Wakamatsu are Banmei Takahashi, Genji Nakamura and Kan Mukai.[14]
His 2010 film, Caterpillar, competed for the Golden Bear at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival.[3]
In 2011, a new film on the last days of acclaimed novelist and political activist
Death
Wakamatsu died on 17 October 2012 after being hit by a taxi cab in Tokyo on 12 October on his way home after a budget meeting to discuss his next project, a movie about the Japanese nuclear lobby and Tepco.[18][19][20][4]
Partial filmography
English title | Japanese | Year |
---|---|---|
Sweet Trap | 1963 | |
Naked Shadow | 恐るべき遺産 裸の影 | 1964 |
Lead Tombstone | 1964 | |
Frenzy | 1964 | |
Secrets Behind the Wall | 壁の中の秘事 | 1965 |
The Embryo Hunts in Secret | 胎児が密猟する時 | 1966 |
Vagabond of Sex | 性の放浪 | 1967 |
Violated Angels | 犯された白衣 | 1967 |
New Underground History of Japanese Violence: Vengeance Demon | 1968 | |
Sensual Game | 1969 | |
Go, Go, Second Time Virgin | ゆけゆけ二度目の処女 | 1969 |
Dark Story of a Japanese Rapist | 日本暴行暗黒史 | 1969 |
Running In Madness, Dying In Love | 1969 | |
Naked Bullet | 1969 | |
Violence Without A Cause | 1969 | |
Violent Virgin | 1969 | |
Season of Terror | 1969 | |
Shinjuku Mad | 1970 | |
Sex Jack | 性賊 | 1970 |
Sekigun PFLP: Declaration of World War | 1971 | |
Secret Flower | 1971 | |
Ecstasy of the Angels | 天使の恍惚 | 1972 |
100 Years of Torture: The History | 1975 | |
Torture Chronicles Continue: 100 Years | 1977 | |
Sacred Mother Kannon | 聖母観音大菩薩 | 1977 |
Serial Rapist | 1978 | |
A Pool Without Water | 1982 | |
Ready to Shoot | われに撃つ用意あり | 1990 |
Erotic Liaisons | エロチックな関係 | 1992 |
Singapore Sling | 1993 | |
Endless Waltz | エンドレス・ワルツ | 1995 |
Perfect Education 6 | 完全なる飼育 赤い殺意 | 2004 |
United Red Army | 連合赤軍 | 2008 |
Caterpillar | キャタピラー | 2010 |
11:25 The Day He Chose His Own Fate | 11・25自決の日 三島由紀夫と若者たち | 2012 |
Petrel Hotel Blue | 海燕ホテル・ブルー | 2012 |
The Millennial Rapture | 千年の愉楽 | 2012 |
References
- ISBN 0-253-31961-7.
- ISBN 0-87011-815-3.
- ^ a b "Hollywood Reporter: Berlin festival unveils full lineup". hollywoodreporter.com. Archived from the original on February 5, 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-07.
- ^ a b c Crispim, Pedro (2022). "Kōji Wakamatsu: Alienation and the Womb" (PDF). Disegno: Journal of Design and Culture. 1 (01): 49.
- ISBN 1-56931-681-3.
- ^ "IMDB.com: Awards for Secrets Behind the Wall". imdb.com. Retrieved 2010-02-21.
- ^ Desser, p.99.
- ISBN 1-889288-52-7.
- ^ Desser, p.100, 103.
- ^ Desser, p.100-101.
- ISBN 0-498-01565-3.
- ^ in an interview published in Sex Star System n°14 (1976)
- ^ Weisser, p.101, 288, 357.
- ^ Weisser, p.287.
- ^ "若松孝二監督最新作 11.25自決の日 三島由紀夫と若者たち". Wakamatsukoji.org. Archived from the original on 2012-04-26. Retrieved 2012-06-08.
- ^ "2012 Official Selection". Cannes. Retrieved 2012-04-22.
- ^ "11.25 The Day He Chose His Own Fate". Nippon Cinema. Archived from the original on 2012-04-04. Retrieved 2012-04-22.
- ^ "Koji Wakamatsu, Self-Taught Movie Director, Dies at 76". The New York Times. 20 October 2012. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
- ^ 映画監督:重傷の若松孝二さん死去 タクシーにはねられ (in Japanese) Archived 2012-10-19 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Wakamatsu e l’Impero senza veli
Sources
- Desser, David (1988). Eros Plus Massacre: An Introduction to the Japanese New Wave Cinema. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. ISBN 0-253-31961-7.
- Hunter, Jack (1998). Eros In Hell: Sex, Blood And Violence In Japanese Cinema. UK: Creation Books. pp. 37–39. ISBN 1-871592-93-3.
- Kōji Wakamatsu at IMDb
- Mes, Thomas (December 4, 2007). "Koji Wakamatsu: Interview". www.midnighteye.com. Retrieved 2008-01-15.
- ISBN 0-87011-815-3.
- Sedia Giuseppe Interview with Kōji Wakamatsu at Asia Express, (Italian), September 2007.
- "若松孝二 (Wakamatsu Koji)" (in Japanese). Japanese Movie Database. Retrieved 2007-07-21.
- Weisser, Thomas; Yuko Mihara Weisser (1998). "Spotlight: The Pink Godfather: Koji Wakamatsu". Japanese Cinema Encyclopedia: The Sex Films. Miami: Vital Books : Asian Cult Cinema Publications. pp. 287–290. ISBN 1-889288-52-7.
- Watanabe, Rintarō (2009-01-27). "DVD Pickup 若松孝二 (Interview with Wakamatsu)" (in Japanese). Creators Movie Magazine. Retrieved 2009-06-17.
- Sharp, Jasper (2008). Behind the pink curtain: The complete history of Japanese sex cinema. UK: FAB Press. pp. 79–130. ISBN 978-1-903254-54-7.
- Boari, Nicola (2012). Wakamatsu Koji, Il Piacere Della Distruzione. Italy: Falsopiano Edizioni. ISBN 978-8889782408.
- Crispim, Pedro (2022). "Kōji Wakamatsu: Alienation and the Womb", in Disegno V1/01_ Total Cinema: Film and Design.
External links
- Official website
- Kōji Wakamatsu at IMDb