The Unbreakable Frame

In 1979, film scholar Noël Burch strongly criticized the films from the 1950s by Japanese filmmaker Mikio Naruse. He would be stuck in a "western mode of representation", and his work would be "academic" and "over-edited". Maybe even almost like the soap operas on TV! What Burch failed to see is how Naruse transforms a seemingly simple decoupage into his secret form of mise-en-scene, with endless variations and modulations. Let's look at eighteen consecutive shots from Sound of the Mountain (1954)…

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Anthem

Anthem

2007

The Devil and the Statue

The Devil and the Statue

1901

Father Noah's Ark

Father Noah's Ark

1933

Playful Pluto

Playful Pluto

1934

Memory

Memory

2007

À quoi tu joues

À quoi tu joues

2011

Static Shock Blackout

Static Shock Blackout

2012

Emergence Collapse

Emergence Collapse

2021

Tropical-Rouge! Precure Petit: Dive in! Collab♡Dance Party!

Tropical-Rouge! Precure Petit: Dive in! Collab♡Dance Party!

2021

Lullaby Land

Lullaby Land

1933

Funny Little Bunnies

Funny Little Bunnies

1934

The Best in the West

The Best in the West

2024

Marry Me

Marry Me

2008

(rough cut)

(rough cut)

2016

Caroline

Caroline

2018

Chumlum

Chumlum

1963

Cut

Cut

2017

Rosa & Dara and Their Great Adventures

Rosa & Dara and Their Great Adventures

2015

Common Wall

Common Wall

1972

Four Episodes from 1984

Four Episodes from 1984

1985