Japanese Cinema and Orientalism

From
Asian Cinemas; A Reader & Guide, Dimitris Eleftheriotis & Gary Needham
- Japanese Cinema and Orientalism -

"Japanese cinema has been the object of constant and consistent fascination in Europe and particularly the United States."

We need to gain a clear idea of what 'orientalism' is, in order to understand it, and its influence on Western Culture. Western cultures may feel that they acknowledge and understand the culture and substance of their geographical counterparts, but "Imaginations, fantasies, gross misrepresentations and stereotypes serve not to define the other, but rather to enable the self to be more clearly defined by what it is not."

"Ideas, representations, criticisms, and selections of Asian films in the West is not a neutral venture", meaning, essentially that we cannot judge Asian films from our cultural point of view. Here is the idea of 'cultural relativism' - meaning that something must be judged on by the culture from which it originates.

It's also important to acknowledge 'historical discourses' that have, in essence, 'shaped and distorted East/West self/other relations' e.g. our imperialistic past and empire.

The first, and main body for importing and distributing world cinema titles to Europe and the U.S. is Tartan Asia Extreme. It's range of titles includes movies from Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and Hong Kong.

Many Japanese films transgress the norms and expectations of Hollywood cinema with their subversive and explicit treatment of sex and violence. "These are based on Western notions of the self, as they are firmly contextualised in relation to Hollywood and therefore may not be shared by audiences, Japanese or otherwise, whose cultural limits and boundaries are altogether different."