Posted by Solomon on 5/31/2019, 8:02 am
This man has 63 credits on IMDb. Most have Japanese titles without an accompanying English title. Most are obscure. A good many are in the Crime genre, probably b-films, but well-done and interesting to see. Some are directed by Fukasaku.
The 60s films are the main ones to research, but gems may be anywhere.
From some of the very few reviews by users and critics, and looking at some associated stills, we can be sure that there is first-rate noir cinematography present in some of these films.
This is a gold mine waiting for re-releases with English subtitles.
As an example of this man's work with Fukasaku, see https://archive.org/details/HakuchuNoBuraikan1961
The film can be downloaded or viewed but it has no subtitles. The source has one review and IMDb has another, both calling it noir. Both the IMDb reviews are dated 2001.
From what I've seen, there is real and relatively undiscovered/unheralded noir here, much as in Greek cinema and, to a lesser extent, some other countries like Yugoslavia, Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia.
Re: Ichirô Hoshijima (cinematographer)
Posted by Don Malcolm on 6/4/2019, 6:14 pm, in reply to "Ichirô Hoshijima (cinematographer)"
Here is a list of crime films Hoshijima photographed from 1951-68, 38 films:
Year, Film, Length, Director, Studio, Rank, Col, AR, English Title
1951, Oriental Evil, 64, Breakstson-Stahl, Breakstson-Stahl, 4.1, bw, 1.37:1,
1955, Kenju tai kenju, , Shigehiro Ozawa, Toei, , bw, , Gun vs. Gun
1956, Nippon G-Men, , Elichi Koishi, Toei Tokyo, , bw, 1.37:1,
1956, Mitsu-kubi-tou, 88, Kobayashi-Ozawa, , , bw, ,
1958, Gekko kamen, 102, Tsuneo Kobayashi, Toei Tokyo, 4.9, bw, 2.35:1, The Man in the Moonlight Mask
1960, Shiroi kona no kyofu, 88, Shinji Murayama, Toei, , bw, , Chase After Opium Smugglers
1961, Hana to arashi to gyangu, 83, Teruo Ishii, New Toei Tokyo, , be, 2.35:1, The Flower, The Storm, and the Gang
1961, Neon no umi no aberenbo, , Atsundo Wada, Toei, , bw, , Thunder of the Sea of Neon
1961, Hakuchi no buraikan, 82, Kinji Fukasaku, Toei Tokyo, 7.1, bw, 2.35:1, Greed in Broad Daylight
1961, Ginza yaro, , Atsundo Wada, Toei, , bw, , Ginza Outlaw
1962, Kiri no miato no akai hana, 94, Shinji Murayama, Toei, , bw, , Love at the Foggy Harbor
1962, Hokori takaki chosen, 69, Kinji Fukasaku, Toei Tokyo, 5.3, bw, , The Proud Challenge
1962, Yumin-gai no Judan, 85, Masuichi Iizuka, Toei Tokyo, , bw, 2.35:1, Bullets of Slacker Street
1963, Tokubetsu kido sosatai, 59, Koji Ohta, Toei Company, , col, ,
1963, Tokubetsu: Tokyo eki ni harikome, 66, Koji Ohta, Toei Company, , col, ,
1963, Ankikugai saidai no ketto, 101, Umetsugu Inoue, Toei Company, , col, , Duel of the Underworld
1963, Waga kyokatsu no jinsei, 89, Kiyoshi Saeki, Toei, , bw, , Life of Blackmail
1963, Tokyo aantachiburu-basishun chika soshiki, Masuichi Iizuka, Toei, , bw, , Tokyo Untouchable-Organized Fashion Model Prostitutes
1963, Kizu darake no futeki na monon, , Setsuya Kondo, Toei, , bw, , Fearless Man's Bloody Wounds
1964, Zoku Tokyo antachaburu, 83, Masuichi Iizuka, Toei Tokyo, , bw, 2.35:1,
1964, Okami to buta to ningen, 95, Kinji Fukasaku, Toei Tokyo, , bw, 2.35:1, Wolves, Pigs and People
1964, Mesu, , Yusuke Watanabe, Toei Tokyo, , bw, , Female
1964, Judo ichidai: kodokan no oni, 85, Kiyoshi Saeki, Toei, , bw, , Judo Life-Jideo Hall Demon
1965, Showa zankyo-den, 90, Kiyoshi Saeki, Toei Tokyo, , col, 2.55:1, Brutal Tales of Chivalry
1965, Buraikan jingi, , Yusuke Watanabe, Toei Tokyo, , bw, , Villain's Code
1965, Ankoku gai jingi, 98, Yusuke Watanabe, Toei Company, , col, , Underworld Code
1966, Tairiku nagaremono, 92, Kasaku Yamashita, Toei Company, , col, , Continental Drifter
1966, Aoku onna bangaichi, , Michio Konishi, Toei, , bw, , Return to Women's Native Ground
1966, Showa saidai no kaoyaku, 90, Kiyoshi Saeki, , , col, , Greatest Boss of the Showa Era
1966, Kyokaku san gokushi-satoke shima no taiketsu, Kiyoshi Saeki, Toei, , col, , Chivalry of Three Provinces-Duel on Satoke Island
1967, Kaisan shiki, 93, Kinji Fukasaku, Toei Tokyo, 7.0, col, , Ceremony of Disbanding
1967, Arappoi no ha gomen daze, 91, Masaharu Segawa, Toei, , col, , Pardon My Violent Ways
1968, Yoru no kayo-Nagasaki buruusu, 89, Ryuichi Takamori, Toei, , col, , Song of the Night--Nagasaki Blues
1968, Yoru no kayo-Isezakicho blues, 88, Shinji Murayama, Toei, , col, ,
1968, Gokuchu no kaoyaku, 90, Yasuo Furuhata, Toei, , col, , Boss in Jail
Very busy in the 60s, proving again that noir migrated around the world and found two extremely significant "surrogate movements" in France (prior, during and after the "classical" noir cycle of 1941-58) and in Japan (beginning in the 50s but proliferating at an accelerating rate during the 60s). The need is acute for a systematic project in restoring and subtitling the various Toei Studios noir titles--it's clear that Toei was at least as prolific as Nikkatsu...
Re: Ichirô Hoshijima (cinematographer)
Posted by Solomon on 6/5/2019, 5:19 am, in reply to "Re: Ichirô Hoshijima (cinematographer)"
Very good, thank you. FNF should be involved. If that's not its charge or scope, then there should be an FNFI (FNF, International edition).
The Proud Challenge (1962) is in 2.35:1. John Grant has some stills and reviews it here: https://noirencyclopedia.wordpress.com/2019/05/29/hokori-takaki-chosen-1962/
Responses