Crossroads (十字路, Jūjiro), also known as Crossways, Shadows of the Yoshiwara or Slums of Tokyo, is a 1928 silent Japanese drama film directed by Teinosuke Kinugasa.[1][2][3] It is believed to be the first[4] or one of the first[5][6] Japanese films to be screened in Europe, and often mentioned in conjunction with Kinugasa's other avant-garde film, the two years earlier A Page of Madness.[4]
A young man is obsessed with courtesan O-ume, but she refuses to meet him anymore, finding him too persistent. During a fight, the young man seemingly kills his rival, and is himself blinded. He hides in the flat which he shares with his sister, not knowing that the rival's death was only staged. A man approaches the sister, pretending to be a policeman who can help her to clear her brother from the charges with money. Also, a doctor whom the sister consults declares that her brother's eyes can be cured, but only if she can pay him. To collect the money, she offers herself as a prostitute to a procuress. When the alleged policeman attempts to rape the sister, she stabs him. Meanwhile, the brother has regained his eyesight on his own, goes to O-umes house and dies under her window, foaming from the mouth and ridiculed by O-ume and his rival. The last scene shows the sister standing at a crossway, calling in vain for her brother.
Keinosuke Sawada as the rival (as Myoichiro Ozawa)
Release historyedit
Crossroads was released in Japan on 11 May 1928.[1][2] It was first screened in London on 26 January 1930 as Crossways[7] and shown in New York in July of the same year as Slums of Tokyo.[8] While favourably received by critics in Berlin and Paris,[4][9] the New York Times critic stated, the film "possesses the virtue of sincerity but its tempo is too heavy".[8] In later years, film historians repeatedly commented on the influence of the German expressionist film on Crossroads,[10][11] in particular the works of Fritz Lang.[5]
^ abc"十字路 (Crossroads)". Japanese Movie Database (in Japanese). Retrieved 22 March 2021.
^ abc"十字路 (Crossroads)". Kinema Junpo (in Japanese). Retrieved 22 March 2021.
^ ab"十字路 (Crossroads)". National Film Archive of Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 22 March 2021.
^ abcd"The Best Japanese Film of Every Year – From 1925 to Now". British Film Institute. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
^ abRichie, Donald (2005). A Hundred Years of Japanese Film (Revised ed.). Tokyo, New York, London: Kodansha International. pp. 89–90. ISBN978-4-7700-2995-9.
^Jacoby, Alexander (2008). Critical Handbook of Japanese Film Directors: From the Silent Era to the Present Day. Berkeley: Stone Bridge Press. p. 114. ISBN978-1-933330-53-2.
^Sharp, Jasper (2011). Historical Dictionary of Japanese Cinema. Lanham, Toronto, Plymouth: Scarecrow Press. p. 12. ISBN978-0-8108-5795-7.
^ ab"JAPANESE FILM IS SHOWN. "Slums of Tokyo," Silent Picture, Tells Tale of Utter Despair". The New York Times. 7 July 1930. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
^Anderson, Joseph L.; Richie, Donald (1959). The Japanese Film – Art and Industry. Charles E. Tuttle Company. pp. 55–57.
^Lloyd, Ann; Robinson, David, eds. (1984). Movies of the Silent Years. The University of Michigan. p. 200.
^Kuhn, Annette; Westwell, Guy, eds. (2012). A Dictionary of Film Studies. Oxford University Press. p. 240. ISBN9780199587261.
^"Crossroads (Jujiro)". BAMPFA. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
Gardner, William O. (Spring 2004). "New Perceptions: Kinugasa Teinosuke's Films and Japanese Modernism". Cinema Journal. University of Texas Press. 43 (3): 59–78. doi:10.1353/cj.2004.0017. S2CID 55444732. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
December 18, 2023
crossroads, 1928, film, crossroads, 十字路, jūjiro, also, known, crossways, shadows, yoshiwara, slums, tokyo, 1928, silent, japanese, drama, film, directed, teinosuke, kinugasa, believed, first, first, japanese, films, screened, europe, often, mentioned, conjunct. Crossroads 十字路 Jujiro also known as Crossways Shadows of the Yoshiwara or Slums of Tokyo is a 1928 silent Japanese drama film directed by Teinosuke Kinugasa 1 2 3 It is believed to be the first 4 or one of the first 5 6 Japanese films to be screened in Europe and often mentioned in conjunction with Kinugasa s other avant garde film the two years earlier A Page of Madness 4 JujiroJapanese movie posterDirected byTeinosuke KinugasaWritten byTeinosuke KinugasaStarringAkiko ChihayaToshinosuke BandoYukiko OgawaCinematographyKōhei SugiyamaProductioncompaniesKinugasa Film AssociationShochiku Kyoto studios Distributed byShochikuRelease date11 May 1928 1928 05 11 Japan 1 2 Running time88 minutes 3 CountryJapanLanguageJapanese intertitles Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Release history 4 Legacy 5 References 6 External linksPlot editA young man is obsessed with courtesan O ume but she refuses to meet him anymore finding him too persistent During a fight the young man seemingly kills his rival and is himself blinded He hides in the flat which he shares with his sister not knowing that the rival s death was only staged A man approaches the sister pretending to be a policeman who can help her to clear her brother from the charges with money Also a doctor whom the sister consults declares that her brother s eyes can be cured but only if she can pay him To collect the money she offers herself as a prostitute to a procuress When the alleged policeman attempts to rape the sister she stabs him Meanwhile the brother has regained his eyesight on his own goes to O umes house and dies under her window foaming from the mouth and ridiculed by O ume and his rival The last scene shows the sister standing at a crossway calling in vain for her brother Cast editAkiko Chihaya as the sister Toshinosuke Bando as the brother Yukiko Ogawa as O ume the courtesan Minoru Takase as the policeman as Ippei Sōma Misao Seki as the landlord Yoshie Nakagawa as the procuress Teruko Nijō as the wrong woman Keinosuke Sawada as the rival as Myoichiro Ozawa Release history editCrossroads was released in Japan on 11 May 1928 1 2 It was first screened in London on 26 January 1930 as Crossways 7 and shown in New York in July of the same year as Slums of Tokyo 8 While favourably received by critics in Berlin and Paris 4 9 the New York Times critic stated the film possesses the virtue of sincerity but its tempo is too heavy 8 In later years film historians repeatedly commented on the influence of the German expressionist film on Crossroads 10 11 in particular the works of Fritz Lang 5 Legacy editCrossroads was screened at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive in 1983 12 at the International Film Festival Rotterdam in 2000 13 at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival in 2008 14 and at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2014 15 It was included in the British Film Institute s The best Japanese film of every year from 1925 to now list 4 References edit a b c 十字路 Crossroads Japanese Movie Database in Japanese Retrieved 22 March 2021 a b c 十字路 Crossroads Kinema Junpo in Japanese Retrieved 22 March 2021 a b 十字路 Crossroads National Film Archive of Japan in Japanese Retrieved 22 March 2021 a b c d The Best Japanese Film of Every Year From 1925 to Now British Film Institute Retrieved 3 January 2022 a b Richie Donald 2005 A Hundred Years of Japanese Film Revised ed Tokyo New York London Kodansha International pp 89 90 ISBN 978 4 7700 2995 9 Jacoby Alexander 2008 Critical Handbook of Japanese Film Directors From the Silent Era to the Present Day Berkeley Stone Bridge Press p 114 ISBN 978 1 933330 53 2 Sharp Jasper 2011 Historical Dictionary of Japanese Cinema Lanham Toronto Plymouth Scarecrow Press p 12 ISBN 978 0 8108 5795 7 a b JAPANESE FILM IS SHOWN Slums of Tokyo Silent Picture Tells Tale of Utter Despair The New York Times 7 July 1930 Retrieved 22 March 2021 Anderson Joseph L Richie Donald 1959 The Japanese Film Art and Industry Charles E Tuttle Company pp 55 57 Lloyd Ann Robinson David eds 1984 Movies of the Silent Years The University of Michigan p 200 Kuhn Annette Westwell Guy eds 2012 A Dictionary of Film Studies Oxford University Press p 240 ISBN 9780199587261 Crossroads Jujiro BAMPFA Retrieved 25 July 2023 Jujiro IFFR Retrieved 25 July 2023 Jujiro SFSFF Retrieved 25 July 2023 Jujiro Berlinale de Retrieved 25 July 2023 External links editCrossroads at IMDb Gardner William O Spring 2004 New Perceptions Kinugasa Teinosuke s Films and Japanese Modernism Cinema Journal University of Texas Press 43 3 59 78 doi 10 1353 cj 2004 0017 S2CID 55444732 Retrieved 22 March 2021 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Crossroads 1928 film amp oldid 1175749008, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
