Japanese Art and the Animated Cartoon
TAIHEI IMAMURA is one of Japans leading motion picture critics and has written a number of books on the social and aesthetic aspects of the film, as well as editing Eiga Bunka (Movie Culture), the only motion-picture magazine in Japan. The following article, which was translated from Japanese by Fuyuichi Tsuruoka, is to appear as a chapter in Mr. Imamuras On the Animated Cartoon. THE ANIMATED CARTOON has made little progress except in America, but the popularity of Disney films, rivaled in universal appeal only by the films of Chaplin, gives reason to hope that there will be a world-wide development in the field of animation, each country adapting the techniques of animation to its own artistic tradition.
Unfortunately, the Japanese animated cartoon is not as unique an art as that of America despite the fact that Japanese art in the past was distinguished by its originality. It may well be that ancient Japanese art, considered critically, is the art of a less advanced society, but this does not mean that a Japanese style of animation can or should dispense with it. Whether we like it or not, traditional art must be the foundation of a truly Japanese animated cartoon. Originality in the new form will not be attained by ignoring the past, for the animated cartoon, like other modern forms of art, is a development of inheritances from the past. It has been pointed out by S. M. Eisenstein that ancient Japanese art has characteristics closely related to those of the animated cartoon and employs similar methods.
The Japanese picture scroll, considered as a picture story, is actually a distant antecedent of the animated cartoon, the first attempt to tell a story with a time element in pictures. The chief difference between the animated cartoon and the picture scroll is that the individual pictures in the scroll do not move. On the other hand, neither does the single frame of a motion picture. The illusion of movement results, in both forms, from the differ-ence between each picture and the one that follows. Each picture (whether in the picture scroll or the movie) is inanimate, a still of arrested motion. When the pictures are seen in time, one after another, they seem to move. That objects and people appear to have motion is secondary; the essential movement is the progress of an idea. A representation of mere motion is not art unless it advances an idea, or is the visual image of original and creative thought. Both the motion picture and the Japanese picture scroll are plastic expressions of ideas, and consequently, though the picture scroll is centuries old, have fundamental techniques in common.
To illustrate, a Japanese picture scroll shows the opposite sides of a battleship simultaneously although the ship is in a position where only one side could actually be seen. By the ordinary laws of perspective, we cannot see the opposite side of an object, so the battleship is drawn twistedly. This is a negation of a monistic visual angle and of common sense. It is the same method as that of Futurism or Cubism.
To let us see both sides of an object from one point of view is to reveal the side which is ordinarily unseen or that we do not expect to see. The one side is 'real' and the other is 'unreal,' so that the unreal side should be considered to exist through the real one, to be predicated upon the real side as probable or neces-sary. It is an imaginative unification of both sides, distorting perspective to express an idea.
Double exposure in the motion picture serves the same pur-pose, allowing us to see both sides of one thing at the same time, or two objects in different places at the same time.
Both the motion picture and the picture scroll have other tech-niques that overcome the physical limitations of the human eye. The motion-picture montage is essentially the same as the un-synchronized revolving method in the picture-scroll drawing, for example, and the cutback also has its counterpart in the scroll. In the picture scroll and the motion picture we can see the living conditions of a man in the city and his lover in the country synchronously, alternately, and in parallel. Obviously, what we see in the scroll exists only in our minds; but the same is true of the motion picture, even though it shows us real objects and people and places. It is not because they are often part of an imagined story. A newsreel montage of London, Tokyo, and New York shows us real cities, but to see New York one moment and Tokyo the next is inconsistent with reality, and demands that we accept a negation of time and space. In a sense, then, double exposure, montage, and cutback are techniques which transform reality into idea.
What we actually see in a motion picture or a picture scroll is the visualization of an idea. It does not matter whether individual shots and drawings are literal representations if they help to reveal the idea. For example, the Fukinukiyakata (no-roof-house-picture) in the picture scroll allows us to look down from above on a roofless house with the interior plainly visible. In the real world, houses are roofed, but in the world of the picture scroll we accept the roofless house as real. In fact, in our imagination, the house is roofed, but we are able to see through it. Similarly, in the motion picture, we may view a room full of people from above, as in The Merry Widow (1934), in which a ballroom scene is photographed from the chandelier. In our imaginations, it is not the camera but we, ourselves, who view this scene from above. Only in the imagination can one stride over the mountain or fly over the fields quite freely, as in the picture scroll of Shigisan Temple, or in the many modern motion pictures in which we see objects from all angles. The camera, too, lets us fly over fields.
The distortion of reality is more apparent in the picture scroll because it becomes, freque
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日本艺术和动画卡通
太平今村是日本著名的电影评论家之一,他撰写了大量关于社会和美学电影方面的书籍,以及编辑Eiga日本文化(电影文化),该杂志是日本唯一的具有运动画面的杂志。下面的文章是由鹤冈冬一先生从日语中翻译过来的,作为一章记载在今村先生卡通影片中。动画片在美国取得的进步很小,但是迪斯尼电影的人气,在普遍的吸引力方面不亚于卓别林的电影,这使得人们有了充分的理由相信,美国在动画领域将有世界性的发展,每个国家都要适应自己国家传统动画艺术的技术。
不幸的是,日本动画卡通不像美国动画那样独特,尽管在过去日本艺术在创意方面是很杰出的。很可能是古老的日本艺术,批判性的被认为,是一个不太发达的社会的艺术,但是这并不意味着日本的动画风格可以或者应当摒弃它。不管我们喜欢与否,传统艺术一定是一个真正的日本动画卡通的基础。新的艺术形式独创性的获得不会以忽略动画片的过去为代价,达到像其他现代艺术形式的动画卡通,这是一种通过继承过去发展的艺术形式。据日本的钐爱森斯坦指出日本古代艺术的特点与现代动画片的特点及采用类似的方法有着密切相关的联系。
日本画卷,作为一个图片故事考虑,实际上是动画卡通,第一次尝试在图片中讲述一个与时间有关的故事的遥远的前身。动画片和画卷的最主要区别是,个别图片在画卷中不能移动。另一方面,也没有一个电影单帧。对运动结果的幻想,有两种形式,彼此之间图片差异和后面一个的差异。每张照片(不论画卷或电影),都是无生命的,也是一系列被捕捉的运动。当这些照片一个接着一个适时的看到时,他们看起来在运动。这物品和人看起来有运动是次要的;这基本的运动是一种思想的进步。一个单纯的运动的表现不是艺术,除非它是进步为一种思想,或者是原始和创造性思维的视觉形象。无论是电影和日本的画卷,都是可塑的思想表达方式,因此,虽然是百年的历史画卷,具有共同的基本技术。
为了说明这一点,一张日本画卷展现了战舰的一面,与此同时虽然该船舶在一个只有一面的位置实际上可另一面也可以被看到。通过普通法律的角度,我们看不到事物的对面,所以战列舰被绘制的很别扭。这是一种对一元论的视角和常识的否定。这与未来主义和立体主义的方法相同。
让我们看到一个事物的两个方面,一种观点是揭示的一方通常是看不见的,或者我们不希望看到的。一方面是“真实”,另一个是“虚幻”,所以“虚幻”的角度应被视为通过“真实”存在。根据事实预测为可能或着必须的真实的一面。这是一种富有想象力的两种观点的统一,以扭曲的角度来表达一个想法。
双曝光在服务于电影的同时出于相同的目的,让我们看到在同一时间,一个事物的两个方面,或两个在同一时间不同地点的对象。
电影和画卷都拥有着能克服人眼的物理限制的其他技术。电影蒙太奇本质上采用的是非同步绘制画卷的方法,例如,而削减也有其对应的滚动。在画卷和电影里,我们可以看到,一个男人在城里的生活条件和他的爱人在全国同步,交替和并行。显然,我们在画卷中看到的存在只存在于我们的脑海中,但是相同的电影中的情景却是真实的存在的,虽然它告诉我们真实的事物,人物的和地点。这并不是因为他们往往是一个想象的故事的一部分。一部关于伦敦、纽约和东京的纪录片,告诉我们真实的城市,但要看到,一会儿纽约和东京的未来是与现实不符,并要求我们接受的时间和空间的否定。从某种意义上说,那么,双重曝光,蒙太奇,和削减技术的是从现实转变为想法。
我们在电影和画卷中看到的是一个想法的可视化。无论是个人照片和图画都是文字表述如果他们有助于揭示想法。例如,在Fukinukiyakata(无屋顶的房子,照片)的画卷让我们从一个没有屋顶的房子上面往下看,内部清晰可见。在现实世界中,房子都是有屋顶的,但是我们能通过它看到。同样,在电影中,我们可以从上面看到一个房间中挤满了人,如风流寡妇(1934年)中,其中一个舞厅场景是从吊灯上拍照的。在我们的想象中,它不是摄像头,但我们自己,谁又从上面查看过这样一幕。只有在想象中,才能相当自由的跨越或飞越山区的领域,就像画卷中的Shigisan庙,或在许多现代电影中,我们从各个角度看到的事物。该相机,也让我们飞越领域。
对事实的歪曲,在画卷中显得更加的明显,因为它频繁地失真透视。例如,要达到的类似的效果,画面特写,图片滚动的艺术格特别的描绘了一些数字,与在他们周围的事物相比较。最好的例子是在山秘境看到的关于Shigisan的起源,在Egaratenjin Emaki峰会祈祷的数字。观点是故意无视和数字的夸大,使眼睛被吸引到最重要的地方,人类的数字逐渐的变得比山还大,最终似乎变得并不比那些较大的盆景大。
日本的画卷和电影使用相似的技术并不是偶然的。两者都必须是动态的,为了时时刻刻的发展一个故事,用一幅幅的照片吸引和掌握观众的兴趣。那幅Bandainagon Ekotaba 的画卷,例如,有人急于打开衣服画卷。他们皱眉,哭泣,挥手,用手指向一些东西。更多的人出现了,兴奋也相继的增加。我们看到骚动到达了一个高潮。有些的人群爬上石头冲。突然,浓浓的黑烟和火焰穿过大门,窜向长长的人群。下一刻,我们看到了打开门正燃烧着。
在火灾现场快速的节奏有助于创造人们忙于奔波的印象,以及更重要的是,加快了故事的发展走向一个高潮。大多数美国电影引人注目是因为通过在开放的场景中直接和快速的剧情发展。
在情节的进一步发展中,画卷使用的技术类似于电影里的蒙太奇。该情节被缩短和几个场景的高潮以快速交替的方式呈现。有时候,这种缩写的技术,被用来表示时间的推移,如在图案StIppen传记中的图片之间的行动,是一个正在流动的溪水,和风中的潘帕斯草原,显示了时间的飞逝。下图为一名牧师临终前躺在了伤心欲绝的人群包围中。下一张图片显示,只有圣人的脸上带着白布覆盖。他死了。
这似乎足够的清晰,这里有强烈的相似之处在日本的画卷和电影方面。日本动画片应该运用现代的媒介使用它过去的传统的继承。最重要的日本动画片可以从画卷中借鉴的是对其想象力的使用。画卷向后展开伴随着日本封建的停滞;在这样的压迫下,人们普遍的释放他们的想象而不求实际。当画卷呈现从高处呈现一个真实的场景,它意味着一个天空的角度来看,表示希望救亡和寻求在梦幻世界的想法。
较重的压迫,使得越来越多的人找到那样的躲避方法,他们生活在他们的想象中。然而,即使是最富有想象力的画卷也关注着真实的现实生活。想象并不一定能使我们忘记现实,但可以激发我们对它们的认识。画卷,胜过于想象也胜过于现实。
其中有Choju Giga Zukan(图片滚动的鸟类和野兽),Gaki - Zoshi(饥饿的魔鬼的故事书),以及Hyakki- Yako-Zu-Emaki(画卷的趣事)。在Choju Giga Zukan中对动物的解析很正确,但是画卷描绘了一千多年以前的平安年代贵族和神职人员腐败的生活条件,充分展示朝服的老鼠和青蛙穿着红色的裙子与荷叶在他们身上,等等。
该Gaki - Zoshi图片不仅是饿鬼,但实际上是四百年前在镰仓时代挨饿的人们。这一大群令人厌恶的饿鬼,他们的手和脚细如枯枝,奇怪的肿胀的腹部,蓬乱生长的头发,不可思议的眼睛徒劳的照耀着,没办法填饱他恩自己。他们吃的越多,他们就会越饥饿,他们喝的越多,他们就会越渴。他们是贪婪本身,四处闲荡只是吃喝。他们紧握着每一个肮脏的东西。因为每个人都认识到,这些丑陋的魔鬼隐藏在他的灵魂中,这些幽灵舨的场面即使现在也恐惧着我们。在这里,通过一个魔鬼虚幻的世界来描绘真实的恶习。
在百鬼-亚哥-祖Emaki是一个讽刺了十八,十九世纪的德川时代。在画卷的开始,我们看到一个大蟾蜍拖着手推车到一个盛宴。指着前边的一只老鼠。其他的两个人,抱着经台,站在另外的一方。在手推车的前面,长鼻子的小妖精的脸窥视出来,从它的后窗一个一圆脸的女人正邪恶地笑着。在她的夸张地分开的眉毛下是月牙状的眼睛和水饺状的鼻子贴在扁平的脸上仿佛被风吹在那里。画家通过从窗口展示一张极为不平衡的脸获得了一个邪恶的结果。后来,在一个狂欢的场景,餐具被人格化了。
有混淆的脸和手,眼睛和鼻子的钟声,用酒杯吹口哨,在栅栏柱顶部跳舞,周围以长鼻子的妖怪和圆脸的女人为中心。一个眼睛前嫌,把对甲,朝着一个死树,举起双手,正要逃跑。通过画卷场景描述了封建君主的自我满足,他的家臣的无知,他们的腐败的生活条件。这些场景是充满乐趣,而不是神秘,但我们发现他们没有幽默。图片的绘画样式所对应的内容,没有直线,但有专用的线表达成熟和腐烂。当被想象力被成熟的表达出来时,封建的生活条件和气氛都变得更加生动真实。
当现代日本动画漫画描绘了这样的想象力与善良的人的真实内心的感受和愿望时,这将成为一个更高阶的艺术。
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