Wafuu Matsunaga — Actor (1)
The Lion Dance (1936) [Movie] Douban TMDB IMDb WikiData
鏡獅子
6.0 (6 ratings) director: 小津安二郎 actor: 六代目尾上菊五郎 / 松永和楓
other title: 镜狮子 / 鏡獅子
This short documentary by Ozu was intended to present the artistry of kabuki dancer Kikugoro Onoe IV to both Japanese and foreign audiences. A voice-over narration introduces Kikugoro as well as the dance he performs in the film's second half, in which a young girl is transformed into a resplendent lion (the imagery of which apparently inspired Jean Cocteau as he conceived his own BEAUTY AND THE BEAST). Watching Kikugoro imitate the gestures of a demure maiden you see how he deserved his fame. Ozu shoots the performance in three simple set-ups: a roving frontal shot of the performers on stage, an angled shot from the side of the stage, and an angled longshot that acknowledges the presence of the audience in a way that is unmistakably Ozu.