Kazuo Miyagawa
Encyclopedia
is generally recognized as having been one of the finest Japan
ese cinematographer
s.
Miyagawa is best known for his tracking shots, particularly those in Rashomon
(1950), the first of his three collaborations with preeminent filmmaker Akira Kurosawa
.
He also worked, to great effect, on films by major directors Kenji Mizoguchi
, Yasujiro Ozu
, and Kon Ichikawa
, such as Ugetsu Monogatari (1953), Floating Weeds
(1959) and Tokyo Olympiad
(1965) respectively.
Miyagawa is regarded as having invented the cinematographic technique known as bleach bypass
, for Kon Ichikawa's 1960 film Her Brother
.
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 cinematographer
Cinematographer
A cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image...
s.
Miyagawa is best known for his tracking shots, particularly those in Rashomon
Rashomon (film)
The bandit's storyTajōmaru, a notorious brigand , claims that he tricked the samurai to step off the mountain trail with him and look at a cache of ancient swords he discovered. In the grove he tied the samurai to a tree, then brought the woman there. She initially tried to defend herself with a...
(1950), the first of his three collaborations with preeminent filmmaker Akira Kurosawa
Akira Kurosawa
was a Japanese film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. Regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema, Kurosawa directed 30 filmsIn 1946, Kurosawa co-directed, with Hideo Sekigawa and Kajiro Yamamoto, the feature Those Who Make Tomorrow ;...
.
He also worked, to great effect, on films by major directors Kenji Mizoguchi
Kenji Mizoguchi
Kenji Mizoguchi was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. His film Ugetsu won the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival, and appeared in the Sight & Sound Critics' Top Ten Poll in 1962 and 1972. Mizoguchi is renowned for his mastery of the long take and mise-en-scène...
, Yasujiro Ozu
Yasujiro Ozu
was a prominent Japanese film director and script writer. He is known for his distinctive technical style, developed during the silent era. Marriage and family, especially the relationships between the generations, are among the most persistent themes in his body of work...
, and Kon Ichikawa
Kon Ichikawa
was a Japanese film director.-Early life and career:Ichikawa was born in Ise, Mie Prefecture. In the 1930s Ichikawa attended a technical school in Osaka. Upon graduation, in 1933, he found a job with a local rental film studio, J.O. Studio, in their animation department...
, such as Ugetsu Monogatari (1953), Floating Weeds
Floating Weeds
is a 1959 film by Yasujiro Ozu and shot in colour by Kazuo Miyagawa, one of Japan's most highly regarded cinematographers. It is a remake of Ozu's own black-and-white silent film A Story of Floating Weeds ....
(1959) and Tokyo Olympiad
Tokyo Olympiad
Tokyo Olympiad is a 1965 documentary film directed by Kon Ichikawa which documents the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Like Leni Riefenstahl's Olympia, which documented the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Ichikawa's film was considered a milestone in documentary filmmaking...
(1965) respectively.
Miyagawa is regarded as having invented the cinematographic technique known as bleach bypass
Bleach bypass
Bleach bypass, also known as skip bleach or silver retention, is an optical effect which entails either the partial or complete skipping of the bleaching function during the processing of a color film. By doing this, the silver is retained in the emulsion along with the color dyes. The result is a...
, for Kon Ichikawa's 1960 film Her Brother
Her Brother
Her Brother is a 1960 Japanese drama film directed by Kon Ichikawa. It was entered into the 1961 Cannes Film Festival, where it won a prize for Special Distinction....
.
Filmography
Selected:- RashomonRashomonRashomon may refer to:* Rashōmon, the former main city gate in two Japanese capital cities, Heijokyō and Heiankyō * Rashōmon , a short story by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa first published in 1915...
(羅生門 Rashōmon) (1950) - Ugetsu monogatari (雨月物語, Ugetsu monogatari) (1953)
- A GeishaA Geishais a 1953 Japanese film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi, centred around life in post-war Gion through the relationship between an established geisha, Miyoharu, and teenaged Eiko, who pleads with Miyoharu to take her on as an apprentice or maiko...
(祇園囃子, Gion Bayashi) (1953) - The Woman in the RumorThe Woman in the Rumoris a 1954 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi.-Cast:* Kinuyo Tanaka as Hatsuko Mabuchi* Tomoemon Otani as Kenji Matoba* Yoshiko Kuga as Yukiko Mabuchi-External links:...
(噂の女 Uwasa no onna) (1954) - Sansho the BailiffSansho the Bailiff-External links:* at the Japanese Movie Database* * and QuickTime trailer* essay by Mark Le Fanu...
(山椒大夫 Sanshō Dayũ) (1954) - The Crucified LoversThe Crucified Loversis a 1954 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi. It was adapted from Monzaemon Chikamatsu's 17th century play Daikyoji sekireki , hence the title.-Synopsis:...
(近松物語, Chikamatsu Monogatari) (1954) - Street of ShameStreet of Shameis a 1956 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi, his last film.The film is based on the novel Susaki no Onna by Yoshiko Shibaki.-Cast:* Machiko Kyō as Mickey* Ayako Wakao as Yumeko* Aiko Mimasu as Yasumi* Michiyo Kogure as Hanae...
(赤線地帯 Akasen chitai) (1956) - The Love of a PrincessSuzakumon (film)Suzakumon , English title: The Love of a Princess, is a 1957 color Japanese film directed by Kazuo Mori and based on novel by Matsutarō Kawaguchi.The film won 1957 Asia-Pacific Film Festival for best cinematography and best film...
(朱雀門, Suzakumon) (1957) - EnjoEnjois a 1958 Japanese film directed by Kon Ichikawa and adapted from the Yukio Mishima novel The Temple of the Golden Pavilion. It stands as one of his better known films...
(炎上, Enjō) (1958) - 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) - Odd ObsessionOdd Obsessionis a 1959 Japanese drama film directed by Kon Ichikawa. It was entered into the 1960 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Jury Prize. It was based on the novel The Key, by Japanese novelist Junichiro Tanizaki.-Plot:...
(鍵, Kagi) (1959) - Yojimbo (用心棒 Yōjinbō) (1961)
- Tokyo OlympiadTokyo OlympiadTokyo Olympiad is a 1965 documentary film directed by Kon Ichikawa which documents the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Like Leni Riefenstahl's Olympia, which documented the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Ichikawa's film was considered a milestone in documentary filmmaking...
(東京オリンピック Tōkyō Orinpikku) (1965) - MacArthur's ChildrenMacArthur's Childrenis a popular and influential 1984 Japanese motion picture. Describing the impact of the United States' occupation of Japan from the perspective of the inhabitants of a small, rural island community, the film featured the big screen debut of actor Ken Watanabe....
(瀬戸内少年野球団, Setouchi Shōnen Yakyū-dan) (1984)