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Posted April 19, 2010 to photo album "Western Tokyo Movies"
As part of Movie City Tokyo, FilmInFocus looks at a list of 10 diverse movies shot in Japan’s capital by Western filmmakers.
Slide 1: Introduction
When we first chose Tokyo as a destination for FilmInFocus’ Movie City series, we thought of Lost in Translation, Sofia Coppola’s brilliant depiction of the city from a Western outsider’s point of view. In the film, Tokyo is seen as a somewhat confusing and alienating place to American visitors Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray. So, taking the example of Lost in Translation, we decided to look at other films shot in Tokyo by U.S. or European directors which view the city with fresh eyes. Some titles – such as The Bad News Bears Go to Japan or Jackass: The Movie – didn’t quite make the final list of 10, but the films represented here are nevertheless diverse and fascinating in their differences. They range from a Humphrey Bogart movie from the 1940s to a Hollywood franchise threequel from the 2000s, from a pseudo-documentary film essay by erudite French filmmaker Chris Marker to one of the Toxic Avenger movies from Lloyd Kaufman’s Troma outfit.
The World's End
We Steal Secrets
Closed Circuit
The Deep
The Place Beyond The Pines
Greetings from Tim Buckley
Admission
Promised Land
Anna Karenina
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Brokeback Mountain
Lost in Translation
Pride & Prejudice
The Pianist
Gosford Park