By comparing Mikio Naruse’s postwar work Meshi in 1951 with his late work When a Woman Ascends the Stairs in 1960‌, this paper discusses the evolution of his fixed-shot aesthetics. According to Naruse’s cinematic language proposed in this paper, his focus on socially oriented realism has transitioned to a contemplative visual mode. This paper contrasts these two films’ stylistic features through analyzing camera movement, mise-en-scène and composition. There are lots of fixed medium and long shots in Meishi to describe marital predicaments and grassroots living conditions for postwar realistic topics whereas his later works changed this shooting method into a more restrained visual style. A prominent stylistic transformation shows that the fixed camera setups and frame-in-frame compositions have effectively highlighted the female protagonist’s emotional and social confinement. Repeated shots of the female protagonist climbing stairs from different perspectives encourage audience’s contemplative viewing. This paper explores the transformation of Naruse’s camera function in the 1960s, discussing how fixed framing broke away from realist narration and formed his exclusive contemplative aesthetics. By analyzing how restrained visual composition shapes Naruse’s cinematic language, this paper offers other insights on Mikio Naruse and Japanese Showa-era films.

Authors:
Yuen King Stefanie Chow, Beijing International Studies University, China

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Chow Yuen King Stefanie is currently a lecturer at the School of Japanese Studies, Beijing International Studies University, and PhD in Art Theory in Peking University.

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