The research paper will be 8-10 pages long, double-spaced, pertaining to Japanese cinema, genres, use of Japanese film, or some other topic approved of by the instructor. Students should include at least one film to focus on in their research, quoting from and using it as a primary source. This paper should be MLA formatted and include a works cited page with at least six sources. Essays should contain the following: 1) introduction with thesis, 2) address historical and cultural influences on cinema, 3) relate topic to cinema and culture, 4) examine possible global influences and connection to worldwide cinema, and 5) a conclusion.
Sci-fi? You mean science fiction, right?
Do you mean that the Hidden Fortress influenced all sci-fi or just certain sci-fi films and directors? It impacted Star Wars, but the Hidden Fortress wasn’t the only film that George Lucas took influence from…
Was sci-fi really dying? It was pretty prominent in fiction and comics before Star Wars came out. Star Wars made science fiction something that studios focused more on, especially because of the success with marketing and product tie-ins.
How can you narrow down and make your thesis more specific? Most people wouldn’t argue against the fact that Akira Kurosawa and the Hidden Fortress were influential on Star Wars, but it is a bit much to give it full credit for impact on the entire sci-fi film genre. What are some other sci-fi films that use elements from the Hidden Fortress?
What else could you say about Japanese cinema and its influence or contributions to overall science fiction? You could then trace some specific Japanese films that would go on to influence some Western films/directors, but just keep your focus on Japanese cinema/directors. I think you could also tie in increased globalization that helped spread the influence of certain Japanese films/directors.
Here’s some sources to consider:
Iles, Timothy. The crisis of identity in contemporary Japanese film: Personal, cultural, national. Vol. 30. Brill, 2008.
Langer, Jessica. Postcolonialism and science fiction. Springer, 2011.
Gardner, William O. The Metabolist Imagination: Visions of the City in Postwar Japanese Architecture and Science Fiction. U of Minnesota Press, 2020.
Tanaka, Motoko. Apocalypse in contemporary Japanese science fiction. Springer, 2014.
La Bare, Joshua. “The Future:” Wrapped… in That Mysterious Japanese Way.” Science Fiction Studies (2000): 22-48.
Csicsery-Ronay Jr, Istvan. “Dis-Imagined Communities: Science Fiction and the Future of Nations.” Science fiction 215 (2002): 37.
