Masaki Kobayashi
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| Born: | February 14, 1916 Hokkaidō, Japan |
|---|---|
| Died: | October 4, 1996 Tokyo, Japan |
| Occupation: | Film director |
Masaki Kobayashi (小林 正樹 Kobayashi Masaki?, February 14, 1916–October 4, 1996) was a Japanese director who is probably best known for Kwaidan (1965), a collection of four ghost stories drawn from the book by Lafcadio Hearn, each of which has a surprise ending.
Kobayashi also directed The Human Condition, a trilogy on the effects of World War II on a Japanese pacifist and socialist. The total length of the films is over 9 hours. Other notable films include Harakiri (1962) and Samurai Rebellion (1967). Harakiri won him an award at the 1963 Cannes Film Festival, solidifying his place in the history of cinema.
He was also a candidate for directing the Japanese sequences for Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) but instead Kinji Fukasaku and Toshio Masuda were chosen.
Kobayashi, himself a pacifist, was drafted into the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II, but refused to fight or be promoted to rank higher than private.
[edit] Partial filmography
- 1953: The Thick-Walled Room
- 1957: Black River
- 1959–1961: The Human Condition trilogy
- 1962: The Inheritance
- 1962: Harakiri
- 1964: Kwaidan
- 1967: Samurai Rebellion
- 1968: Hymn To A Tired Man
- 1971: Inn Of Evil
- 1975: The Fossil
- 1983: Tokyo Trial
[edit] External links
- Masaki Kobayashi at the Internet Movie Database
- (Japanese) Masaki Kobayashi at the Japanese Movie Database
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