With the centennial of his birth this year, Promethean director Kon Ichikawa (1915-2008) is due for a revival. The upcoming Tokyo International Film Festival is accordingly screening three of his films in its new Japanese Cinema Classics section.
One is ¡°Enjo¡± (¡°Conflagration¡°), a 1958 film based on a Yukio Mishima novel that was in turn inspired by a true incident: In 1950 a mentally disturbed novice monk set fire to Kyoto¡¯s Temple of the Golden Pavilion, an architectural and cultural treasure, and it burned to the ground. Among the best of Ichikawa¡¯s many literary adaptations, the film delves into the consequences of private sins leading to indictable crimes ¡ª one of his signature themes. TIFF will premiere a digitally restored 4K print of the film.
The festival is also presenting ¡°Japan and the Japanese,¡± a documentary Ichikawa made for the 1970 Osaka Expo. The visually inventive director shot the 20-minute film for projection on eight split panels, but at TIFF it will be shown on one screen. Another Ichikawa rarity in the program is ¡°Yowamushi Chinsengumi,¡± a 1935 animated short assumed lost until a print came to light last year.
In other good news for Ichikawa fans, Marty Gross Film Productions will release a subtitled DVD of ¡°Kyoto,¡± made from a new color print. This 1968 documentary was shot in Japan¡¯s ancient capital over a period of 18 months, with a soundtrack by Toru Takemitsu, script by poet Shuntaro Tanikawa and English narration by actor Michael Redgrave.
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