I have noticed lately that movie critics as a whole seem to be losing more and more mindshare. People don’t really seem to care about what these people have to say about movies anymore. There is nothing wrong with this, but there also seems to be quite a bit of vitriol towards any critic that disagrees with the views that are held by audiences. To be honest, this bums me out because, for one, I acknowledge that my opinions are not usually in sync with the rest of the mainstream (so I know how it feels to stand out on that sort of thing), but also because movie critics can be so good at opening my eyes to something I never even would have considered before.
That is part of the reason I want to dedicate this blog to Donald Richie. His writings on Japanese cinema, and Japanese studies in general, has made my own journeys in Japan much more informed and lively.
Donald Richie started his movie criticism career in 1959 when he wrote the first English guide to Japanese cinema with Joseph Anderson. Without the hard work of Donald Richie pouring over what must of been just an enormous amount of Japanese text, everything from books, magazines, newspapers, and then having to directly ask directors for Japanese movie history that no one ever wrote down, Japanese cinema history would have been lost, at least to English speakers. His thoughts and work with directors such as Akira Kurosawa made Japanese films known and beloved all around the world.
That is part of the reason I want to dedicate this blog to Donald Richie. His writings on Japanese cinema, and Japanese studies in general, has made my own journeys in Japan much more informed and lively.
Donald Richie started his movie criticism career in 1959 when he wrote the first English guide to Japanese cinema with Joseph Anderson. Without the hard work of Donald Richie pouring over what must of been just an enormous amount of Japanese text, everything from books, magazines, newspapers, and then having to directly ask directors for Japanese movie history that no one ever wrote down, Japanese cinema history would have been lost, at least to English speakers. His thoughts and work with directors such as Akira Kurosawa made Japanese films known and beloved all around the world.
I still remember reading his critique on Yazujiro Ozu in college and being completely enchanted with how utterly thoughtful and beautiful his films are. Mr. Richie described Ozu’s films as uniquely Japanese, and it taught me how to look at films not as just a story, but as a freeze frame of the thoughts and feelings of the society it was birthed from. Watching an Ozu film is the closest a person can probably ever get to experiencing how Japan was from 1930 to 1960. It was Donald Richie who allowed me to experience and understand a culture in a way I never would have thought possible.
Donald Richie wasn’t just about telling people about how Japanese cinema or Japanese culture is, he was about encouraging people to try to see a different culture through many different lenses. His writing demands that the reader not just understand, but try to empathize with people and cultures that are different from their own. It is Donald Richie’s knowledge, wisdom, and observation that helped lead me to the appreciation of have of Japan today. Perhaps if there were more people as illuminating as Mr. Richie was, the world would be a better place.
Thank you so much Donald Richie. Please rest in peace.
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