Abstract:

A leading Western authority on Japanese cinema, Donald Richie is the author of over 40 works, including film criticism, social commentary, works for the theater, novels and journals. Collected here for the first time on DVD are the short films Richie directed during the 1960s. In WARGAMES, A group of boys playing near the seashore in Tokyo find a goat, kill it in a tug of war for ownership, bury it with ceremony, and, except for one boy, run off in heedless laughter ready for more games. In ATAMI BLUES, a young woman arrives at a resort and is soon pursued by a young man. Initially, he appears to be infatuated with her, but it becomes clear he simply wants to seduce her. Once he succeeds he leaves the resort. In BOY WITH CAT, a cat repeatedly tries to get the attention of a preoccupied young man. DEAD YOUTH is a contemplative exploration of the grief-stricken actions of several men in response to the death of a friend. In FIVE FILOSOPHICAL FABLES, elements of both Japanese and American 1960s culture combine in these five stories about human interaction inspired by skits performed by the Nihon Mime Kenkyukai. CYBELE is a pastoral ritual in five scenes.