ACF 1027: Happy Birthday, Seijun Suzuki!

Screenshot of Seijun Suzuki being interviewed in Tokyo
for the Criterion DVD release of Story of a Prostitute
(C) The Criterion Collection 2005

Seijun Suzuki was born in Tokyo, on May 24, 1923. Though best known in the U.S. as a film director, Suzuki has also worked as a television director and has acted. In fact, he is reportedly better known in Japan these days for his roles in films and television than as a director.

After serving in the Japanese army during World War II, Suzuki worked as an assistant director at several studios. He began working at Nikkatsu Studios in 1954 and directed his first film in 1958. From then through 1966 he directed three to four films each year. After Branded to Kill (his fortieth film, released in 1967), Hori Kyusaku, president of Nikkatsu Studios at the time, fired Suzuki, claiming he made incomprehensible movies that didn't make any money. These difficulties basically arose because of Suzuki's boredom with the same B-movie genre material he was assigned. He sought new ways to make the material interesting.

Suzuki filed suit and a lengthy legal battle ensued. It was ultimately settled out of court. Although he received less compensation than he sought, Suzuki did obtain an apology from Hori. Still he went through a lengthy period during which he was blacklisted by the film studios and had to work in television. In the late '70's, he was again able to make films. His Zigeunerweisen (1980) won 17 awards and was nominated for 6 others.

For me the greatest recognition of his work is the inclusion of a great many of his films in The Criterion Collection. These include Youth of the Beast (1963), Story of a Prostitute (1965), Tokyo Drifter (1966), Branded to Kill (1967). Some of his other films, including Underworld Beauty (1958), Kanto Wanderer (1963), Tattooed Life (1965), and the aforementioned Zigeunerweisen are available from other distributors.

So, huge AsianCineFest thanks to Suzuki for producing a fabulous body of fascinating works, and best wishes for a "Happy Birthday!"

Seijun Suzuki at IMDb

Seijun Suzuki at Wikipedia

ACF 575: Happy Birthday, Seijun Suzuki

The above image is cropped from the cover of Asian Cult Cinema magazine,
Issue 21, 4th quarter 1998. Used by permission.

Today marks the 87th birthday of renowned Japanese director Seijun Suzuki. He was born Seitaro Suzuki on May 24, 1923, and is also an actor and screenwriter. His films include Fighting Elegy, Gate of Flesh, Kanto Wanderer, Underworld Beauty, Tokyo Drifter, and Branded to Kill, all of which are available on DVD from Home Vision Entertainment or The Criterion Collection.

By my estimate, he has more DVDs distributed by Criterion than any other Japanese director save Akura Kurosawa, which is high praise indeed.

Most of his films were B-movies that he made for Nikkatsu between 1956 and 1967. His desire to inject his personal style into these routine genre films resulted in his being fired after making Branded to Kill (1967) because his films were deemed "incomprehensible." He successfully sued the studio for wrongful dismissal, but was blacklisted for ten years.

In later years he won the Japanese Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Director for Zigeunerweisen (1980), part of his Taisho Trilogy. Zigeunerweisen is available from Kino Video. These days he is most famous in Japan for his roles as an actor in Japaneses films and TV.

So a most happy birthday wish to you, Seijun Suzuki, actor, screenwriter, master director, and a true surviver.