This thesis examines a body of contemporary Japanese films in order to unpack the various portrayals of some of Japan’s socially marginalized groups including women, alienated and rebellious youth, mentally unstable and socially withdrawn individuals, immigrants, and others who don’t adhere to the rigorous standards of social hierarchies and cultural traditions. Postmodernism provides the theoretical framework for the analysis of these films. I argue that Japanese postmodern films and their celebrations of the periphery are essential to contemporary Japan for three related reasons: These postmodern films represent sites of renewal - a positive view of the periphery; a neutral definition of the periphery as part of everyday life; and lastly, as a negative critique of an illusory meta-Japan. The intended outcome of this paper will be to find contrasting/contradictory representations of the periphery - as portrayed by Japanese filmmakers. Japan’s filmic representations of the complex social difficulties faced by the peripheral groups that exist within contemporary Japanese society can provide valuable social awareness and commentaries that are not readily found in other facets of Japanese society. / Graduate
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:uvic.ca/oai:dspace.library.uvic.ca:1828/3243 |
| Date | 19 April 2011 |
| Creators | Van Loon, Joel |
| Contributors | Iles, Timothy |
| Source Sets | University of Victoria |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | Available to the World Wide Web |
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