In the Tracks of Shizjun - Wakako Sakai and the Dawn of Youth Cinema (1960-1970s)
Wakako Sakai (born in 1949) is an actress of the purist type who symbolized the Japanese film industry during the period of rapid economic growth. In "Meguriai" (1968), she played a factory worker and portrayed a life-size woman torn between love and labor against the backdrop of the realities of an increasingly urbanized and industrialized society. This film symbolized a turning point from the conventional image of a "domestic woman" to that of a "woman who stands for society.
She also broadened her range with mature performances as a pure but strong-minded woman in such films as the "Wakadaisho" series and "Brilliant Family" (1974). While her contemporary Sayuri Yoshinaga embodied an idealized image of purity, and Chieko Matsubara the paleness of youth, Sakai was a "quiet innovator" with a realistic, understated strength. At a time when society was rapidly becoming both affluent and confused, Sakai's figure became a symbol for Japanese youths who were looking at themselves.
Her gentle gaze and appearance are still impressive today as a symbol of hope for the future beyond the confusion of the postwar era.
No comments:
Post a Comment