Obayashi's 40-year career defined by warning of war's horror

"Movies are not weak."

I am reminded of a discourse about the arts in general that I read back when Mao was still China's leader. The communists realize(d) that the arts frame how people see the world, and thus they do not allow freedom of expression, either in private life, in films, or in any way. Dictators the world over realize the necessity of controlling all forms of communication, if they are to keep their grasp on the psyche of the nation. Say what you will about Japanese society, it has much more freedom of expression than overtly dictatorial societies.

Sadly, Japan of 2019, especially the youth, is suffering from a war amnesia forced upon them by Abe san and forgot all out the horrors of war.

Those who forget history are bound to repeat it, unfortunately.

@Hillclimber

I don't Samit referenced anything about Korea at all. World War II involved far more than Japan and Korea. Furthermore, Korea was not the only country Japan did that to.

If I had to guess, I would assume he was referring to Abe's long standing push, longer than the Korea issue, to change the constitution and start building an army.

Also, IS and North Korea are far from the only countries that would invade another nation. Russia did so 5 short years ago. Also, the US did so to countries in the middle east in order to install new governments. Sometimes overthrowing the people they put in place.

I think his movie's only show self pity at loosing the war, and not the real horror's of war.

Some great comments on here.

I think in general the Japanese think they did nothing wrong during WW2.

This country has been and is so currently brainwashed that they can't think any other way.

They think that one day in August 1945 a massive bomb landed on their island for no rhyme or reason.

His strange , hallucinatory movies are certainly unique, but Ex_Res is right about their atmosphere of maudlin self-pity and their anti-war message that often gets buried beneath the self-indulgent excess of Japanese gothic phantasmagoria and sentimental decadence with which Obayashi manipulates his audience to the point of stupefaction.

Obayashi grew up in the WW2/fascism years and he probably remembers them vividly. His films seem to reflect that. I think this man has a lot to say and more people should listen to what he has to say.

That said, Obayashi is unmistakably an artist who loves his work and, by creating a visually distinctive, "over-the-top" Japan, he deservedly lays claim to his award of a "bunkasho".