Nobuo Nakagawa
Encyclopedia
was a Japanese
film director
, most famous for the stylized, folk tale-influenced horror films he made in the 1950s and 1960s.
, Nakagawa was early on influenced by proletarian literature
and wrote amateur film reviews to the Kinema Junpō
film magazine. He joined Makino Film Productions
in 1929 as an assistant director and worked under Masahiro Makino
. When that studio went bankrupt in 1932, he switched to Utaemon Ichikawa
's production company and made his debut as a director in 1934 with Yumiya Hachiman Ken. He later moved to Toho
, where he made comedies starring Enoken and even documentaries during the war. It was at Shintōhō
after the war that he became known for his cinematic adaptations of Japanese kaidan
, especially his masterful version of Tokaido Yotsuya kaidan
in 1959.
To Western audiences, his most famous film is Jigoku
(1960), which he also co-wrote
. The film was released on DVD by the Criterion Collection in 2006.
He also filmed many kaidan for television. His last film was 1982's Kaidan: Ikiteiru Koheiji.
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, most famous for the stylized, folk tale-influenced horror films he made in the 1950s and 1960s.
Career
Born in KyotoKyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, Nakagawa was early on influenced by proletarian literature
Proletarian literature
Proletarian literature refers to the literature created by working-class writers for the class-conscious proletariat, published by the communist parties. It was a literature without literary pretensions....
and wrote amateur film reviews to the Kinema Junpō
Kinema Junpo
, commonly called , is a Japanese film magazine which began publication in July 1919. The magazine was founded by a group of four students, including Saburō Tanaka, at the Tokyo Institute of Technology . In that first month, it was published three times on days with a "1" in them. These first three...
film magazine. He joined Makino Film Productions
Makino Film Productions
Makino Film Productions was a successful early film producing company active in Japanese cinema in the 1920s and 1930s. It was founded by the pioneering film director Shozo Makino in 1923....
in 1929 as an assistant director and worked under Masahiro Makino
Masahiro Makino
was a Japanese film director of more than 260 films, primarily in the chanbara and yakuza genres. His real name was Masatada , but he took the stage name Masahiro, the kanji for which he changed multiple times .-Career:...
. When that studio went bankrupt in 1932, he switched to Utaemon Ichikawa
Utaemon Ichikawa
was a Japanese film actor famous for starring roles in jidaigeki from the 1920s to the 1960s. Trained in kabuki from childhood, he made his film debut in 1925 at Makino Film Productions under Shōzō Makino. Quickly gaining popularity, he followed the example of Makino stars such as Tsumasaburō Bandō...
's production company and made his debut as a director in 1934 with Yumiya Hachiman Ken. He later moved to Toho
Toho
is a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It is headquartered in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group...
, where he made comedies starring Enoken and even documentaries during the war. It was at Shintōhō
Shintoho
was a Japanese movie studio. It was one of the big-6 film studios during the Golden Age of Japanese cinema. It was founded by defectors from the original Tōhō Company...
after the war that he became known for his cinematic adaptations of Japanese kaidan
Kaidan
Kaidan is a Japanese word consisting of two kanji: 怪 meaning “strange, mysterious, rare or bewitching apparition" and 談 meaning “talk” or “recited narrative.”-Overall meaning and usage:...
, especially his masterful version of Tokaido Yotsuya kaidan
Tokaido Yotsuya kaidan
is a 1959 Japanese horror film, directed by Nobuo Nakagawa and based on the 19th century Japanese Kabuki play by Nanboku Tsuruya of the same name.-Plot summary:A greedy young warrior plots to murder his wife, suffers ghastly consequences....
in 1959.
To Western audiences, his most famous film is Jigoku
Jigoku (film)
is a 1960 Japanese horror film, directed by Nobuo Nakagawa and starring Utako Mitsuya and Shigeru Amachi. Jigoku was re-made in 1970 by Tatsumi Kumashiro, and later re-made again under the title of Japanese Hell by Teruo Ishii in 1999....
(1960), which he also co-wrote
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
. The film was released on DVD by the Criterion Collection in 2006.
He also filmed many kaidan for television. His last film was 1982's Kaidan: Ikiteiru Koheiji.
Filmography
(incomplete)- Gekka no wakamusha (1938)
- Itahachi jima (1938)
- Shinpen Tange Sazen: Sekigan no maki (1939)
- Tange Sazen: sekigan no maki (1939)
- Rinchi (1949)
- Shinya no kokuhaku (1949)
- Wakasama samurai torimonochô: nazo no nômen yashiki (1950)
- Kyo wa kaisha no getsuyobi (1952)
- Kinsan torimonochô: nazo no ningyôshi (1953)
- Shishun no izumi (1953)
- Horafuki tanji (1954)
- Wakaki hi no takuboku: Kumo wa tensai de aru (1954)
- Natsume Soseki no Sanshirô (1955)
- Ningyo Sashichi torimonocho yoen roku shibijin (1956)
- Kaii Utsunomiya tsuritenjo (1956)
- Koi sugata kitsune gotenKoi sugata kitsune gotenis a 1956 black and white Japanese film directed by Nobuo Nakagawa.- Cast :* Hibari Misora as Maruya, Tomone* Haruhisa Kawada as Akinobu* Senjaku Nakamura* Chieko Naniwa as Okon* Chikage Oogi as Akemi* Shunji Sakai as Heihachi* Kyu Sazanka as Fujimaru...
(1956) - Vampire MothVampire Mothis a 1956 black and white thriller and Japanese film directed by Nobuo Nakagawa. The film is based on novel by Seishi Yokomizo.The plot involves a series of murders where the victims have their necks punctured. This film is said to be the first Japanese film in the vampire genre....
(Kyuketsuki-ga) (1956) - The Depths aka The Ghost of Kasane (Kaidan Kasane-ga-fuchiKaidan Kasane-ga-fuchi, also known as The Depths, The Ghost of Kasane, and The Ghosts of Kasane Swamp, is a 1957 black-and-white Japanese horror film directed by Nobuo Nakagawa.- See also :* Kaidan Kasane-ga-fuchi by Kimiyoshi Yasuda...
) (1957) - Borei kaibyo yashikiBorei kaibyo yashikiaka Black Cat Mansion aka The Mansion of the Ghost Cat is a 1958 color Japanese film directed by Nobuo Nakagawa....
(1958) - Dokufu Takahashi oden (1958)
- Kenpei to yureiKenpei to yureiis a 1958 black-and-white Japanese horror film directed by Nobuo Nakagawa.- Cast :* Shōji Nakayama* Naoko Kubo* Shigeru Amachi* Akira Nakamura * Yōko Mihara* Fumiko Miyata* Shin Shibata* Nagamasa Yamada* and others...
(1958) - Kyōen KobanzameKyōen Kobanzameis a 1958 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Nobuo Nakagawa.There are two parts of the film: the first part and the second part . Both parts have the same staff and the same actors.- Cast :* Kanjūrō Arashi * Misako Uji...
(侠艶小判鮫) - first part is Kyōen Kobanzame zenpen (侠艶小判鮫 前篇) and the second part is Kyōen Kobanzame kōhen (侠艶小判鮫 後篇). - Tokaido Yotsuya kaidanTokaido Yotsuya kaidanis a 1959 Japanese horror film, directed by Nobuo Nakagawa and based on the 19th century Japanese Kabuki play by Nanboku Tsuruya of the same name.-Plot summary:A greedy young warrior plots to murder his wife, suffers ghastly consequences....
(1959) - Nippon romansu kyuko (1959)
- Onna kyuketsuki (1959)
- JigokuJigoku (film)is a 1960 Japanese horror film, directed by Nobuo Nakagawa and starring Utako Mitsuya and Shigeru Amachi. Jigoku was re-made in 1970 by Tatsumi Kumashiro, and later re-made again under the title of Japanese Hell by Teruo Ishii in 1999....
(1960) - Hatamoto kenka taka (1961)
- Nendo no omen' yori: kaachan (1961)
- Inazuma to uge no kettô (1962)
- Kaidan hebi-onna (1968)
- Yoen dokufuden: Hitokiri okatsu (1969)
- Yoen dokufuden: okatsu kyojo tabi (1969)
- Kaidan: Ikiteiru Koheiji (1982)
External links
- "Hell on Earth" essay by Chuck Stephens for The Criterion CollectionThe Criterion CollectionThe Criterion Collection is a video-distribution company selling "important classic and contemporary films" to film aficionados. The Criterion series is noted for helping to standardize the letterbox format for home video, bonus features, and special editions...