From the article of 'Petrel'
No.694 / September 20, 1998
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Glorifying Bourgeois Individualism and Pacifism
The Communist Party's View of Kurosawa
Akira Kurosawa, Japan's representative film director, died on@September 6. Kazuo Yamada of the Japan Communist Party (JCP) discusses Kurosawa's films in an article entitled "The Brilliance of a Cinematic Self Dedicated to Social Justice: The Charm of Kurosawa's Art" (September 11 issue of Red Banner), and unconditionally glorifies Kurosawa's position of bourgeois individualism and pacifism. However, seen from the class standpoint of the workers, this individualism and pacifism illustrates the limits of Kurosawa's films.
Yamada Praises the "Establishment of Self"
Yamada was deeply impressed by Kurosawa's first postwar film "No Regrets For Our Youth" (1946). He writes:
"The scenario for "No Regrets For Our Youth" was written by Eijiro Kusaka, a writer with a background in proletariat literature, and paints the story of a youth who participated in the anti-war movement. In this first postwar film, all of the thoughts which Kurosawa had kept hidden during the war came pouring out. Two things that he wrote at that time are impressive: "Japanese must first securely establish a self", and "in Japanese films the camera must be used more energetically".
"The heroine, played by Setsuko Hara, keeps her faith in the man she loves, and doesn't become disheartened despite many difficulties. Her power to hold on to her beliefs is overwhelming. She works with the her dead husband's family, who are farmers. At night she is working hard tilling the earth. With each of her movements the camera moves violently up and down. It is as if the force of her past frustration was transferred to the lively motion of the camera. I'll never forget the memory of seeing before me the power 'real cinema'. Kurosawa so-called 'establishment of self" coincided with the birth of his own rare cinematic self. Thus, his messages is not something to be explained, but rather is conveyed along with the excitement of seeing. This power had a great impact on me."
Leaving aside the description of the camera, Yamada greatly extols Kurosawa's "establishment of self". But is this something that really merits such praise?
This idea is mentioned in Kurosawa's autobiography. In this book Kurosawa says that because postwar liberalism and democracy were something given by someone else rather than the fruit of subjective struggle, one must sincerely study and modestly make a new start to acquire this for oneself. In Japan, however, democracy was only swallowed whole and thoughtlessly brandished about. Until the emperor announced that the war had ended, there was an atmosphere in which 100 million people were ready to give their lives instead of surrender.
However, once they heard the news that the war had ended, these same people cheerfully converted.
Kurosawa continues, "Is this because of the flexibility of the Japanese character, or weakness? I couldn't help thinking that the Japanese character includes both of these sides. Both of these sides are also inside of myself. We Japanese were taught that the self is wicked, and that it is good sense to abandon this self. We were used to this way of thinking, and did not question it. I thought that as long as this self is not established, liberalism and democracy would not be possible. The theme of my first postwar film "No Regrets For Our Youth" was this theme of the self." This is Kurosawa's so-called "establishment of the self".
Kurosawa's "establishment of the self" is the establishment of bourgeois individualism. Kurosawa believed the Japanese lack of this was a big problem, and that the reason that they could not stop the war was because the Japanese had not yet "established a self"-This is clearly what Kurosawa is saying. However, making the individual and the self into something absolute is the standpoint of petty bourgeois individualists, definitely not the standpoint of the workers.
This war was an imperialist war which was inevitably born from the intensification of the contradictions of capitalism symbolized by the Great Depression. In the midst of the raging crisis, the interests of the imperialist countries collided and this opposition intensified leading to the outbreak of war. The cause was not what Kurosawa called the individuals lack of an "established self".
This sort of vulgar conception of history is peculiar to petty bourgeois individualists and intellectuals, and Kurosawa also has this view. The standpoint of Kurosawa is also firmly linked to the humanism and pacifism of his films. Yamada unconditionally praises Kurosawa's standpoint, and this is of course because the position of the JCP and the position of Kurosawa are a perfect fit.
From What Standpoint Did Kurosawa Fight From?
Yamada says that "Kurosawa honestly reflected on his own non-resistance to militarism and his wartime self. Moreover, during the repressive period of the terrible Public Security Laws, Kurosawa painted pictures of the workers movement as a member of the Proletariat Artists League, and was even engaged in illegal propaganda activity." However, the question is: what was Kurosawa's class position-its content.
In his autobiography, Kurosawa wrote about his engagement in the Communist Party's illegal activity in the following way:
"It gave me a thrill to do that, and I enjoyed myself. It was fun to disguise myself by putting on different clothes or wearing glasses. When the number of arrests increased and proletariat newspapers were in short supply, I (new recruit Kurosawa) assisted in editing for a period of time. One of the chief editors at this time said to me, 'you know, you aren't really a communist'. He was exactly right. I had read Capital and about historical materialism, but because a lot of things were not clear, it was impossible for me to analyze and explain Japanese society from that standpoint. I just had a vague sense of dissatisfaction and dislike for Japan, and in order to resist this I joined the movement that was putting up the most resistance." "From the beginning my enthusiasm (for activism) was not that great."
Kurosawa's words don't really require any commentary. In no way at all did Kurosawa stand with the class position of the workers, think seriously about socialism, or devote his energy to realizing it. He was just carried away by youthful enthusiasm! Kurosawa's vulgar view of history is natural considering that he never had the intention to seriously study Marxism.
Yamada simply glorifies the fact that Kurosawa engaged in activity in spite of the nonsensical and vague feelings of this petty bourgeois. He completely ignores Kurosawa's concrete standpoint and its content!
Kurosawa's petty bourgeois standpoint was also revealed at the time of the Toho (movie studio) struggle, But even here Yamada praises Kurosawa. He writes:
"At the time of the 1948 Toho struggle, while criticizing the labor union movement, Kurosawa in the end fought on the side of the unions in their confrontation with Toho capital"
Here again Yamada completely ignores the standpoint from which Kurosawa joined in the Toho struggle. Let's look at what Kurosawa wrote in his autobiography. Here his petty bourgeois standpoint appears clearly.
"If you think about this strike now, it seems like a children's' quarrel. It was like two children were fighting for a doll, and ended up ripping off its arms, legs, and head. The two children were the company and the labor union, and the doll was the studio."
"Those of us who were trained there had a special fondness for the studio, we had a close connection to the stage and the machinery and were desperate to protect them."
Where on earth is Kurosawa's working class standpoint? This is merely the petty bourgeois sentimental emotion of not wanting to lose his beloved workplace. This is the only reason that he opposed Toho capital.
It is true that Kurosawa had sympathy for the labor union, but it is clear that he had not progressed one step beyond his prewar position of youthful abandon. How can this position of Kurosawa be glorified! Yamada, however, has no qualms in doing this because the JCP understands Kurosawa's petty bourgeois emotions well, and they are carrying out the same struggles.
The JCP's Unconditional Praise for Kurosawa
Yamada praises Kurosawa in the following manner:
"Throughout his life his sense of social justice and honesty. In films like "Bad Sleep Well" (1960) and "Red Beard" (1965), his heart is overflowing with anger at the corruption of those in power and the extravagance of the rich. From "I Live In Fear" (1955) to "Dreams" (1990) and "Rhapsody in August" (1991), his fear and hatred of nuclear weapons was never extinguished. Even in his last work "Not Yet" (1993), a peaceful and warm story of a love between teacher and pupil, the words to the song at the teachers party criticize present day corruption."
Certainly in Kurosawa's films protagonists appear who hate the evils of society and struggle against them, but this only reflects his bourgeois humanism and sense of justice. In his films, Kurosawa doesn't search for how social problems inevitably emerge from this capitalist system. Rather, there is only the appearance of some bad person thinking bad thoughts who is pulling the strings of power.
It is probably not necessary to explain once again that his fear of nuclear weapons is also a reflection of his petty bourgeois pacifism, and is not the position of workers. Kurosawa's way of thinking about war and nuclear weapons was expressed clearly when he said, "First, governments aren't doing it nowcbut if you simply think about it, instead of using all of this money for an expensive nuclear arms race, I think it could be used for human happiness." Kurosawa pleads for the realization of social justice and an end to war and nuclear weapons, but he thinks that this can only be brought about by good will of each individual and through changing mistaken ways of thinking. The Japan Communist Party, which unconditionally praises Kurosawa, has the same position.
For a period of time after the war, Kurosawa's films painted a vivid picture of life in Japan at that time. As works of entertainment, they remain fresh and unsurpassed, even today. Even though workers recognize this point, they must also recognize the limitations that stem from his class standpoint. The JCP, however, sinking ever deeper into opportunism and drifting further away from the class standpoint of the workers, can only uncritically glorify and follow Kurosawa.
(Written by Takumi Yakuwa)
(Translated by R. West)