Keisuke Kinoshita facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Keisuke Kinoshita
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Keisuke Kinoshita (early 1950s)
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Masakichi Kinoshita
December 5, 1912 Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
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| Died | December 30, 1998 (aged 86) Tokyo, Japan
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| Nationality | Japanese |
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| Years active | 1933–1988 |
Keisuke Kinoshita (木下 惠介, Kinoshita Keisuke, December 5, 1912 – December 30, 1998) was a famous Japanese film director and screenwriter. While some other Japanese directors were more known around the world, Kinoshita was very popular in his home country. Both critics and regular movie watchers loved his films from the 1940s to the 1960s.
Some of his most well-known movies include Carmen Comes Home (1951), which was Japan's first full-length color film. Other famous works are Twenty-Four Eyes (1954), You Were Like a Wild Chrysanthemum (1955), and The Ballad of Narayama (1958).
Contents
Biography of Keisuke Kinoshita
Early life and film dreams
Keisuke Kinoshita was born Masakichi Kinoshita on December 5, 1912. He was the fourth of eight children in his family. His family owned a grocery store and made pickles in Hamamatsu, Japan.
From a young age, Keisuke loved movies and decided he wanted to become a filmmaker. However, his parents did not agree with his dream at first.
One day, a film crew came to Hamamatsu to shoot a movie. Keisuke became friends with an actor named Bando Junosuke. Bando helped him run away to Kyoto, where many historical films were made. But Keisuke's grandfather brought him back home the very next day.
His strong desire to make films finally convinced his parents. His mother helped him get an introduction to the Shochiku Kamata studios. This was a famous film studio where directors like Yasujirō Ozu worked.
Starting his film career
Since Keisuke did not go to university, he could not start as an assistant director right away. He had to begin as a photographer. He went to photography school and then joined Shochiku.
At the studio, he first worked in the film lab. Then he became a camera assistant. Later, he became an assistant director for other filmmakers. In 1940, Kinoshita was called to serve in the Second Sino-Japanese War in China. He returned the next year because of an injury.
Becoming a director
Kinoshita returned to Shochiku and became a full director in 1943. His first film was a comedy called The Blossoming Port. It had a big cast and budget. Another new director, Akira Kurosawa, also started that year. But Kinoshita won the New Director Award.
Like many Japanese filmmakers during the war, Kinoshita directed a film called Army (1944). This movie seemed to support the government's war efforts. However, the final scene showed a mother crying as her son left for war. This was different from cheering him on.
Even though the film passed the censors, Kinoshita faced strong criticism. He was not allowed to direct another film until after World War II. He later said he could not lie in his movies. He went back to his hometown, Hamamatsu, and waited for the war to end.
Post-war films and success
His first film after the war was Morning for the Osone Family (1946). It was about a family divided by the war. The American censorship board made him add a scene where the family greeted the rising sun.
In the years that followed, Kinoshita made many different types of movies. These included comedies, dramas, ghost stories, and thrillers. His romantic comedy Here’s to the Young Lady (1949) was very popular.
In 1951, Kinoshita traveled to France to meet his favorite director, René Clair. He also wanted to see Japan from a new point of view. That same year, he released Carmen Comes Home. This musical comedy was Japan's first feature film made in color. A black-and-white version was also released due to technical reasons.
Carmen Comes Home was the first time Kinoshita worked with actress Hideko Takamine. She appeared in many of his later films. Kinoshita often worked with the same group of actors and crew members. His brother Chuji wrote music for many of his films.
Acclaimed films of the 1950s
The mid-1950s brought some of Kinoshita's most famous movies. Twenty-Four Eyes (1954) tells the story of a school teacher. It shows how her young students' dreams are affected by money problems and the war.
You Were Like a Wild Chrysanthemum (1955) is a historical drama. It is about a sad love story between two teenagers. Another popular film was Times of Joy and Sorrow (1957). This movie was about a lighthouse keeper and was remade several times.
The Ballad of Narayama (1958) was a very artistic historical drama. It was about an old Japanese custom. This film was shown at the Venice International Film Festival.
By the mid-1960s, Kinoshita started working mainly on television. Film experts consider The River Fuefuki (1960) and The Scent of Incense (1964) to be his last major films.
Kinoshita stayed loyal to the Shochiku film studio for most of his career. Other directors often worked for many different studios.
Keisuke Kinoshita passed away on December 30, 1998, from a stroke. His grave is in Engaku-ji in Kamakura, near his fellow director Yasujirō Ozu.
Main themes and film style
Kinoshita made many different kinds of movies. His main styles were comedy and melodrama. He often showed Japanese history through the stories of families or communities.
His films often focused on the struggles of children in difficult situations. He also showed sympathy for people who were not well-off in society. His movies like Twenty-Four Eyes and You Were Like a Wild Chrysanthemum are considered very touching.
Kinoshita was also known for his unique film style. He tried different camera angles and ways of framing shots. For example, in The River Fuefuki, he used colors to make the film look like Japanese woodblock prints. In A Japanese Tragedy, he added real news footage. He also used special effects from kabuki theater in The Ballad of Narayama.
Many of his screenplays came from his own ideas. He said that ideas for films just popped into his head. Some of his scripts were even used by other directors.
Influence on other filmmakers
In 1946, Masaki Kobayashi became Kinoshita's assistant. Later, Kinoshita, Kobayashi, Akira Kurosawa, and Kon Ichikawa formed a group called Shiki no kai (The Four Horsemen Club). They wanted to make films for younger audiences. However, only one project from this group was made.
Director Tadashi Imai greatly admired Kinoshita's work. Nagisa Ōshima said that Kinoshita's film The Garden of Women made him decide to become a filmmaker.
Awards and recognition
Keisuke Kinoshita received many honors from the Japanese government. He was given the Order of the Rising Sun in 1984. In 1991, he received the Order of Culture and was named a Person of Cultural Merit.
After he passed away, he received special awards from the Blue Ribbon Awards and the Mainichi Film Concours in 1999. His hometown of Hamamatsu created the "Keisuke Kinoshita Memorial Museum" to remember him.
In 2012, 15 of his films were shown at a special event in New York. In 2013, five more of his films were shown at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Award-winning films
- Morning for the Osone Family: Won the Kinema Junpo Award for Best Film.
- Carmen Comes Home: Won the Mainichi Film Concours for Best Screenplay.
- A Japanese Tragedy: Won the Blue Ribbon Award and Mainichi Film Concours for Best Screenplay.
- Twenty-Four Eyes: Won many awards, including Best Film and Best Director from various groups. It also won a Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Film. Readers of Kinema Junpo voted it as one of the best Japanese movies of all time.
- The Garden of Women: Won the Blue Ribbon Award for Best Screenplay and Mainichi Film Concours for Best Director and Best Screenplay.
- The Rose on His Arm: Won a Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Film.
- The Ballad of Narayama: Won Best Film and Best Director from Mainichi Film Concours and Kinema Junpo.
- Immortal Love: Was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Images for kids
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Keisuke Kinoshita (early 1950s)
See also
In Spanish: Keisuke Kinoshita para niños
