Kabuki
The Kabuki does not represent the purest form of Japanese cultural expression. But it provides a comprehensive insight into average Japanese tastes and reveals much of Japanese culture not expressed in the No or in doll theatre. (Ernst, 2)
Kabuki theatre is the third form of classical Japanese theatre and is also the most commonly recognized. This highly developed art form began as "Women's Kabuki", a popular dance performance first performed by the actress and dancer Okuni in October of 1629. Her performance was so sensual and enticingly popular to the upper classes of male society that the government became cautious and immediately banned women from the stage citing the fact that many of the female Kabuki performers were prostitutes and thereby highly immoral to society. The banning of women on the stage did not diminish the popularity of Kabuki. The female performers were soon replaced with young, long-haired attractive boys who were trained and dressed as women for the Kabuki stage. The popularity of young men onstage impersonating females and dancing sensually became enormously popular. In the 17th century, "Young Men's Kabuki" success became so great that authentic women have never return to the Kabuki stage to play themselves. Young Men's Kabuki became so popular amongst the samurai society that men began fighting over boys during performances. This breakdown within the culture of the samurai prompted the government to again place a ban on Kabuki. This time young boys were not allowed onstage. This resulted in the currently practiced form known as "Men's Kabuki" where grown men became female impersonators in Kabuki. The rise in the popularity of female impersonators made it necessary to study new make-up techniques to ensure the illusion of femininity was created. This necessity created Kumadori — a special make-up and application technique designed especially for female impersonators. A declaration from the early days of Kabuki suggests its power.
People are easily influenced by the behavior of actors and prostitutes. Recently there has been a tendency for even high ranking people to use the argot of actors and prostitutes. This habit has become a kind of fashion, and people think that those who do not use such words and phrases are rustics. I am ashamed that this is so. Such a tendency will result in the collapse of the social order. It is therefore necessary to segregate actors and prostitutes from ordinary society. (Ernst, 6)
The popularity of Kabuki continued to flourish among the higher classes of society despite governmental laws enacted to create separation between the classes. Acting became criminal. A series of laws were created to ensure that actors did not rise in the ranks of societal power as a result of the money they were paid in Kabuki.
Although Kabuki is most known for its female impersonators, numerous advancements in stage technology currently practiced around the world were created as a direct result of Kabuki, two of which are the revolving stage and the trap door. The revolving stage made it possible to change scenes quickly and more efficiently during a performance. Inspired by a spinning top, a large circular sub-floor was created just above the stage floor and placed on a rotating axis. A 360 degree set was then built atop this circular sub-floor. This advancement in stage technology allowed an audience to literally see a character walk from the front door of a house and around to the back door without interruption. The trap door is an opening in the stage's floor space which, when opened, allowed cranes of different sizes to bring everything from actors to large set pieces onto the main stage before the audience with very little disruption. Each of these technological advancements ensured the audience's enjoyment of a truly spectacular and larger than life production.
Kabuki Teaching Strategy
The film segment of Kabuki Theatre will begin with selected footage from Kon Ichikawa's "An Actor's Revenge". The chosen footage will highlight the film's opening Kabuki theatre scenes. After students have viewed and discussed "An Actor's Revenge", Yasujiro Ozu's "Floating Weeds" will be viewed in its' entirety. This film was chosen for the cinematic techniques Ozu employs and for the subtle beauty of its storyline.
An Actor's Revenge
As a punitive assignment for a string of meticulously perfectionist but commercially unsuccessful films, Kon Ichikawa was tasked with the re-adaptation of an outmoded novel by Otokichi Mikami entitled An Actor's Revenge, and consequently, together with his wife and frequent collaborator, screenwriter Natto Wada, turned the banal pulp shimpa melodrama into a delirious, highly stylized, and idiosyncratic spectacle. Originally adapted into a three-part serial film by Teinosuke Kinugasa in 1935-36 (who himself had a career as a kabuki onnagata — a stage actor of female roles — before becoming a director) and featuring the original lead from the Kinugasa adaptation, veteran actor Kazuo Hasegawa for a performance that would mark his 300th film appearance, An Actor's Revenge tells the story of Yukinojo Nakamura (Kazuo Hasegawa), a renowned 19th century, Tokugawa-era onnagata consumed with one obsession throughout his entire life: to avenge his parents' death.(Acquarello, "An Actor's Revenge." February 2003 June 10, 2006)
An Actor's Revenge is most notable for its excellent use of Kabuki Theatre. The film opens with the main character onstage during a Kabuki performance when suddenly he looks out into the audience and notices the powerful, wealthy man who is responsible for his parent's death. Throughout the film this character is seeking revenge for his parent's death through the utter destruction of this powerful man.
What I found most compelling about this film was that the fact that the main character chooses to never forgo his stage female personae in real life. In Kabuki he plays a woman and in the character's personal life he continues to carry himself as a woman. I must admit being confused that, while in female personae, he is able to attract the love and commitment of other women who desire him as a man. A man dressed as a woman. Though I realize that this plot is not completely unbelievable for some, I just question if secondary students might get off-task with discussion and commentary while viewing this film. This said I will only show the first opening scenes at the Kabuki theatre in an effort to keep my students on task and focused.
Floating Weeds
"Floating weeds, drifting down the leisurely river of our lives," has long been a favored metaphor in Japanese prose and poetry. This plant, the Ukigusa (duckweed in English), floating aimlessly, carried by stronger currents, is seen as emblematic of our own journey. And sometimes, this identity is made explicit — in the lives of traveling actors, for example." (Richie, "Stories of Floating Weeds" )
Yasujiro Ozu's Floating Weeds is a classic lesson in elegant filmmaking techniques. This movie is about a traveling Kabuki actor who returns to the small town where his estranged wife and son live. As is often the case with homecomings, the actor must face many harsh realities of life as he struggles to regain a sense of placement within the family he walked away from in search of stardom in the Kabuki Theatre.
I selected Floating Weeds as the feature film for the Kabuki theatre study for many reasons. Throughout the film are intimate scenes of the challenges and responsibilities traveling actors must face daily as a result of their profession. This film is ripe with thematic elements for my students to discuss and elaborate upon such as the conflict between age and youth, class divisions, oppression, and love. Students should easily be able to grasp the theme of "floating" and the cinematic ploys Ozu employed throughout this film to continue this theme. Ultimately, students will get a clear understanding of Kabuki Theatre and its culture as a result of viewing Floating Weeds.
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