Hokusai

Hokusai

1953
Documentary
Short Film
23m
This look at the work and life of block-print artist Katsushika Hokusai (1740-1849) begins with the political context of the Edo shogunate at the time of his birth: peasants driven off their land come to the city; a merchant class is emerging; samurais' power wanes... (imdb)
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Hokusai

1953
Documentary
Short Film
23m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 49.66% from 41 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(41)
Compact view
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Rated 22 Jun 2014
5
70th
i love these criterion megapacks, they contain so much extra shit, and it's awesome when they have a bunch of the director's early short work, which can quite clearly emphasise a director's main concerns. this one is a lesson in art history through the eyes of teshigahara. there's definitely passion for hokusai's art here, full of stark contrast and bold outlines, and while i can't quite share that passion, it's still pretty interesting. i especially liked the sequence mocking the samurai.
Rated 30 Nov 2008
3
45th
The art on display here is really amazing, and I love the way the camera glides and zooms over it in detail. At first there's a lot of boring biographical narration, but after a few minutes it largely stops with words and focuses on the images. I found myself really enjoying it.
Rated 05 Feb 2018
58
50th
It's a fine documentary by Teshigahara about Hokusai, but it has a very narrow scope, particularly compared to his 1956 superb Ikebana.
Rated 19 Feb 2024
50
26th
Not bad. It is short, succinct, does not dwell on biography, and cites some interesting literature to paint a larger picture of social context.
Rated 17 Dec 2015
70
56th
In the landscape painting of the East, there is something very noetic and naturalistic; physis and techne are not yet separated and man's existence is one with the Being, but as Hokusai also focuses on the newly emerging manufacturing and merchant classes, which transform and separate the nature, the human activity starts to subjectivize naturality of the nature, hence nature ceases to be natural :)
Rated 04 Nov 2007
47
7th
Probably only of interest to Japanese art scholars. I found it a bit of a chore to slog through, even though some of Hokusai's art was very nice.
Rated 02 Sep 2009
70
53rd
A must for anyone who loves art history. Teshigahara finds a lot to like in his subject, who through the many quotes seems like just as much of a prankster and visual magician as the film's director.
Rated 21 Nov 2019
55
42nd
Interesting and inventive but I can't say it was too entertaining.

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