GISHIKI (THE CEREMONY)
Japan, 1971, 123 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Nagisa Oshima.
The Ceremony is an impressive film by the prolific Japanese writer-director Nagisa Oshima. In this film he looks back at the history of Japan in the previous thirty years or more. He looks at the solemnity of Japanese life and its rituals before the war, the war in Manchuria, the effect of World War Two, the immediate aftermath as well as looking at life in Japan in the 1950s.
He takes the opportunity to look at manners, mores, morals. This is associated very much with the rather reserved manner of the Japanese, the strict traditions from the time of the emperor, the transition from the rule of the emperor to the contemporary period and the effect on relationships, love, marriage, sexuality, death.
Oshima became notorious in the 1970s with his two rather frank films, The Empire of the Senses and The Empire of Passion. He directed an international cast led by David Bowie and Jack Thompson in the World War Two film, Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence.
1. The highlighting by the title of the whole theme of the film? Ceremonies as a time when special characteristics of the Japanese spirit are revealed? The ceremonies of marriage and death? The significant selection of these ceremonies, the emphasis on the sixties?
2. The film's use of colour, widescreen, atmosphere and style? The meticulous presentation of the ceremonies?
3. The structure of the films the journey and the suspense about the death? The flashbacks to significant ceremonies? Audience response to this partial and contrived view of a Japanese family?
4. The initial presentation of Japan of the seventies? The westernized look, the Japanese background? The indications of the family in the conversations of Masuo and Ritsuko? The nature of their relationship? The significance of the journey they are on? Anxiety, phone calls, tickets?
5. What did the film highlight about the significance of Japanese families? The theme of families and dynasties? Influences throughout the generations? The varieties of love and hatred? Marriage, sexual relationships? Relations and the intertangle of their relationships? How well did the film visualize this sense of family? Its inbred nature, its destructive aspects?
6. The film's emphasis on death and the ceremonies and rites associated with death? The number of violent deaths? The Increasing number of violent deaths through the generations? War, suicides, the death wish inherent in the Japanese way of life and these families? The audience left with the death wish at the end?
7. How was the history of this family a history of modern Japan from the forties to the -seventies? Comment on each of the periods visualized and their meaning for Japan? Comment on the gradual westernization of Japan as seen during these decades? What did this say about Japan's status in the modern world? Traditional Japanese coping with this?
8. The initial flashback to memories of war, Japan in Manchuria, Tojo, the Emperor renouncing his divinity, the effect on loyal Japanese, even to suicide? War crimes, Japanese fleeing Manchuria, even killing younger children? The impact on the people who escaped? The spectres of guilt and survival hanging over post-war families?
9. 1947 and the return from Manchuria? The ceremonies at the anniversary of the father's suicide? Comment on each of the persons present at the ceremonies, their dominance in the family, their subjugation to the grandfather and patriarch? His hold over them all? The significance of the memories of the war, Japanese pride, facing the future?
10. The transition to 1952? The baseball atmosphere of Japan? Masuo growing up? His infatuation for his aunt, Setsuko? Her praising him for example at the baseball? Masuo’s growing in love with Setsukov, and his realization of the incestuous overtones of this? What was being revealed about the next generation of the family?
11. Comment on each of the younger generation: Ritsuko and a Japanese girl growing up, Tadashi, the younger boy, his place in the family, his future? The importance of Terumichi? His place in the family? Relationship to Masuo and Ritsuko? Terumichi’s love for the aunt?
12. 1956 and ten years after the war? The impact of Masuo’s mother's death? The sexual relationship with his aunt? His relationship with the other generation? How had he changed?
13. The violence of Tadashi’s death and the ceremony, Masuo’s melodramatic reaction, the effect on Ritsuko?
14. The mock-marriage of Masuo? The absurdity of Japanese ritual carried out in extreme formalism? The effect of this?
15. The characters who went berserk? Madness Inherent in this way of life?
16. The impact of the grandfather's death? The impact of Masuo’s taking over the firm? The death of the imperialistic capitalist? The contrast with the pro-communist members of the family?
17. The communist uncle's marriage and its formalism? Japan toying with socialism?
19. The significance of Terumichi’s suicide? The reasons for this? His betrayal of Masuo and Ritsuko? The meaninglessness of his life? The younger Japanese death wish? The ending with Masuo and his memories on the beach? What had happened? Is this a fatalistic outlook on life? The pessimism of the film?
20. The insight into society and its values, religion and the lack of religion?
21. Themes of death, suicide, violence? Does this film deserve status as a classic?
