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From Screen To Page: Japanese Film As A Historical Document, 1931-1959, Olivia Umphrey

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores to what degree Japanese film accurately reflects the scholarly accounts of Japanese culture and history. It analyzes how four elements of Japanese culture, loyalty, gender roles, foreigners, and the environment, are depicted on screen in films from the 1930s to the 1950s. While there are overt examples and messages regarding loyalty and gender in film, instances of foreigners and the environment are less evident, and in some cases even absent. However, just as much information can be gleaned from their absence. By measuring the scholarly accounts against the films, a conclusion can be drawn regarding the accuracy …