Tadashi Imai

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Tadashi Imai
Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan
DiedNovember 22, 1991(1991-11-22) (aged 79)
Sōka, Japan[1]
NationalityJapanese
OccupationFilm director
Years active1939–1991

Tadashi Imai (今井正, Imai Tadashi, January 8, 1912 – November 22, 1991) was a Japanese film director known for social realist filmmaking informed by a left-wing perspective.[2] His most noted films include An Inlet of Muddy Water (1953) and Bushido, Samurai Saga (1963).

Life

Although leaning towards left-wing politics already at

Meiji era, Night Drum (1958), scripted by Kaneto Shindo, denounced the Samurai honour codex in a tale about adultery and revenge during the Edo period.[3][4] Imai returned to the latter subject in the critically acclaimed Bushido, Samurai Saga
(1963) and in Revenge (1964).

Legacy

Japanese critics tended to define Imai's way of storytelling as "nakanai realism", a "realism without tears", a fact questioned by film historian Joan Mellen who saw his work repeatedly "close to the sentimental".[4] In an interview, Imai himself summed up his films as "centered on human tragedies", which locates them close to the works of Keisuke Kinoshita who addressed similar topics (though in a less political manner) and whom Imai admired.[6] While film historians acknowledge Imai's solid directorial skills, the lack of a consistent style, and tendency to focus more on consequences than analysis of his themes, have been recurring subjects of criticism.[3][4]

Selected filmography

Awards

Berlin Film Festival

Imai won the

Jun'ai monogatari.[7] At the 1963 13th Berlin International Film Festival his film Bushido, Samurai Saga won the Golden Bear.[8]

Blue Ribbon Awards

Imai won the

Best Film
category.

Kinema Junpo Awards

Imai received the Kinema Junpo Award for Best Director for Mahiru no ankoku, The Rice People and Kiku to Isamu. All three films plus Until We Meet Again and An Inlet of Muddy Water were also awarded Best Film.

Mainichi Fim Awards

Imai was awarded Best Director for An Inlet of Muddy Water at the 1953 8th Mainichi Film Awards, where An Inlet of Muddy Water was also awarded Best Film.[14]

References

  1. ^ "Film Director Tadashi Imai Dead at 79". Associated Press (in Japanese). 22 November 1991. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  2. ^ "Imai Tadashi". Nihon jinmei jiten (in Japanese). Kōdansha. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
  3. ^ a b c Anderson, Joseph L.; Richie, Donald (1959). The Japanese Film – Art & Industry. Rutland, Vermont and Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle Company.
  4. ^
    ISBN 978-1-933330-53-2
    .
  5. ISBN 1-56098-157-1
    .
  6. ISBN 978-4-7700-2995-9
    .
  7. ^ "Berlin Film Festival: Prize Winners". berlinale.de. Retrieved 2010-01-02.
  8. ^ "Berlinale: Prize Winners". berlinale.de. Retrieved 2010-02-13.
  9. ^ "ブルーリボン賞ヒストリー" (in Japanese). Cinema Hochi. Archived from the original on 2013-04-15. Retrieved 2010-01-17.
  10. ^ "ブルーリボン賞ヒストリー" (in Japanese). Cinema Hochi. Archived from the original on 2009-02-07. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
  11. ^ "ブルーリボン賞ヒストリー" (in Japanese). Cinema Hochi. Archived from the original on 2010-12-27. Retrieved 2010-01-17.
  12. ^ "ブルーリボン賞ヒストリー" (in Japanese). Cinema Hochi. Archived from the original on 2008-10-22. Retrieved 2010-01-17.
  13. ^ "ブルーリボン賞ヒストリー" (in Japanese). Cinema Hochi. Archived from the original on 2009-02-07. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
  14. ^ "8th Mainichi Film Awards 1953" (in Japanese). Retrieved 19 December 2020.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tadashi_Imai&oldid=1171893188"