Daisuke Itō (film director)
Encyclopedia
was a Japan
ese film director
and screenwriter
who played a central role in the development of the modern jidaigeki
and samurai cinema
.
, Itō joined the actors school at Shōchiku
in 1920, but soon began writing screenplays under the recommendation of Kaoru Osanai
. He made his directorial debut in 1924 at Teikoku Kinema with Shuchū nikki. After trying to start his own production company, he settled at Nikkatsu
and established his name in 1927 with the three-part Chūji tabi nikki, which is considered one of the masterpieces of jidaigeki.
Especially in the silent era
, he was known for a very mobile camera style that earned him the nickname "Idō daisuki" (Loves Motion), which is a pun on his name. The heroes of his films, such as Tange Sazen
and Kunisada Chūji
, were often disaffected, nihilistic loners and thus Itō's early films were sometimes considered tendency films. He was criticized, however, for being more of a stylist than a thematically committed filmmaker. While being a director who was less successful after the coming of sound, Itō worked with many great jidaigeki stars, especially Denjirō Ōkōchi
, Yorozuya Kinnosuke
, Raizō Ichikawa
, and Tsumasaburō Bandō
at studios such as Nikkatsu
and Daiei
, in a career that spanned nearly half a century.
In 1991, a partial print of Chūji tabi nikki, long considered a lost film
, was discovered and screened for the public.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
who played a central role in the development of the modern jidaigeki
Jidaigeki
is a genre of film, television, and theatre in Japan. The name means "period drama" and is usually the Edo period of Japanese history, from 1603 to 1868. Some, however, are set much earlier—Portrait of Hell, for example, is set during the late Heian period—and the early Meiji era is also a popular...
and samurai cinema
Samurai cinema
While earlier samurai period pieces were more dramatic rather than action-based, samurai movies post World War II have become more action-based, with darker and more violent characters. Post-war samurai epics tended to portray psychologically or physically scarred warriors. Akira Kurosawa stylized...
.
Career
Born in Ehime PrefectureEhime Prefecture
is a prefecture in northwestern Shikoku, Japan. The capital is Matsuyama.-History:Until the Meiji Restoration, Ehime prefecture was known as Iyo Province...
, Itō joined the actors school at Shōchiku
Shochiku
is a Japanese movie studio and production company for kabuki. It also produces and distributes anime films. Its best remembered directors include Yasujirō Ozu, Kenji Mizoguchi, Mikio Naruse, Keisuke Kinoshita and Yōji Yamada...
in 1920, but soon began writing screenplays under the recommendation of Kaoru Osanai
Kaoru Osanai
was a Japanese theater director, playwright, and actor central in the development of modern Japanese theater.-Biography:Graduating from Tokyo University, Osanai founded the Free Theater with Ichikawa Sadanji II in 1909 and staged translations of Ibsen, Chekov, and Gorky, but there he experienced...
. He made his directorial debut in 1924 at Teikoku Kinema with Shuchū nikki. After trying to start his own production company, he settled at Nikkatsu
Nikkatsu
is a Japanese entertainment company well known for its film and television productions. It is Japan's oldest major movie studio. The name Nikkatsu is an abbreviation of Nippon Katsudō Shashin, literally "Japan Cinematograph Company".-History:...
and established his name in 1927 with the three-part Chūji tabi nikki, which is considered one of the masterpieces of jidaigeki.
Especially in the silent era
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
, he was known for a very mobile camera style that earned him the nickname "Idō daisuki" (Loves Motion), which is a pun on his name. The heroes of his films, such as Tange Sazen
Tange Sazen
is a fictional character of a swordsman from Japanese literature and from cinema of Japan. The character is the loyal Sōma clan samurai Tange Samanosuke who is attacked and mutilated as a result of betrayal, losing his right eye and right arm...
and Kunisada Chūji
Kunisada Chuji
was a Japanese person in the Edo period.Kunisada Chūji is depicted on 1999 Japanese stamp.- See also :* Kunisada Chūji * Kunisada Chūji * Kunisada Chūji - References :...
, were often disaffected, nihilistic loners and thus Itō's early films were sometimes considered tendency films. He was criticized, however, for being more of a stylist than a thematically committed filmmaker. While being a director who was less successful after the coming of sound, Itō worked with many great jidaigeki stars, especially Denjirō Ōkōchi
Denjirō Ōkōchi
was a Japanese film actor most famous for starring roles in jidaigeki directed by such masters as Akira Kurosawa, Daisuke Itō, Sadao Yamanaka, Teinosuke Kinugasa, Hiroshi Inagaki and Masahiro Makino. His real name was Masuo Ōbe...
, Yorozuya Kinnosuke
Yorozuya Kinnosuke
was a Japanese kabuki actor. Born , son of kabuki actor Nakamura Tokizō III, he entered kabuki and became the first in the kabuki tradition to take the name Nakamura Kinnosuke. He took on his guild name Yorozuya as his surname in 1971.In addition to his kabuki activity, Kinnosuke had an extensive...
, Raizō Ichikawa
Raizo Ichikawa
was a Japanese film and kabuki actor.He was born as Yoshiya Ōta in Kyoto on August 29, 1931.Ichikawa Raizō appeared mostly in period dramas . He is best known for the Sleepy Eyes of Death series, Ninja series and Nakano Spy School series...
, and Tsumasaburō Bandō
Tsumasaburo Bando
was one of the most prominent Japanese actors of the twentieth century. Famous for his rebellious, sword fighting roles in many jidaigeki silent films, he rose to fame after joining the Tōjiin Studio of Makino Film Productions in Kyoto in 1923.-Early life:...
at studios such as Nikkatsu
Nikkatsu
is a Japanese entertainment company well known for its film and television productions. It is Japan's oldest major movie studio. The name Nikkatsu is an abbreviation of Nippon Katsudō Shashin, literally "Japan Cinematograph Company".-History:...
and Daiei
Daiei
, based in Kobe, is one of the largest supermarket chains in Japan. In 1957, Isao Nakauchi founded the chain in Osaka near Sembayashi Station on the Keihan train line. Daiei is now under a restructuring process supported by Marubeni Corporation and ÆON Co., Ltd., another Japanese supermarket chain....
, in a career that spanned nearly half a century.
In 1991, a partial print of Chūji tabi nikki, long considered a lost film
Lost film
A lost film is a feature film or short film that is no longer known to exist in studio archives, private collections or public archives such as the Library of Congress, where at least one copy of all American films are deposited and catalogued for copyright reasons...
, was discovered and screened for the public.
Selected filmography
- Chōkon (長恨) (1926)
- Chūji tabi nikki (忠次旅日記) (1927)
- Shinpan Ōoka seidan (新版大岡政談) (1928)
- Chikemuri Takadanobaba (血煙高田馬場) (1929)
- Zanjin zanbaken (斬人斬馬剣) (1928)
- Jirokichi the RatOatsurae Jirokichi Koshiis a 1931 black and white Japanese silent film with benshi accompaniment directed by Daisuke Itō. It is the only completely preserved silent film directed by Ito and related the life of a legendary thief, Jirokichi the Rat, in an exquisite original story and through the revolutionary use of dynamic...
(御誂治郎吉格子 Oatsurae Jirōkichi kōshi ) (1931) - ŌshōOshoOshō is the Japanese reading of the Chinese he shang , meaning a high-ranking Buddhist monk or highly virtuous Buddhist monk. It is also a respectful designation for Buddhist monks in general and may be used with the suffix -san...
(王将) (1948) - The Gay MasqueradeBenten Kozo (1958 film)aka The Jovial Rascals of Edo, is a 1958 color Japanese film directed by Daisuke Itō.The film won 1959 Blue Ribbon Awards for best actor Raizo Ichikawa and for best cinematography Kazuo Miyagawa. The film also won 1959 Kinema Junpo Award for best actor Raizo Ichikawa....
(弁天小僧 Benten Kozō) (1958) - Scar YosaburoScar YosaburoScar Yosaburo is a 1960 Japanese Chambara film directed by Daisuke Itō starring Raizo Ichikawa, originally released by the Daiei Motion Picture Company .- Plot :...
(切られ与三郎 Kirare Yosaburō) (1960) - Hangyakuji (反逆児) (1961)