Shūji Terayama

[misanthropex6]

His films were unusually surrealistic, experimental and raw. It is also known Terayama liked to make polemical works. It is said his first filmed short (now lost), "Neko-Gaku (Catology)", depicted a cat being thrown from a tall building. In another, this time one of his most known works, Emperor Tomato Ketchup, some critics accused the film of propagating pedophilia. Although, Terayama is a highly influential figure in the post World War II Japanese avant-garde, he was a versatile and prolific artist who earned notoriety in various fields, including poetry, theatre, writing, photography and filmmaking, Terayama was a true cultural innovator. From his early and often controversial involvement with traditional tanka poetry during his youth, Terayama remained steadfast in his belief that true artistic creativity stemmed from breaking existing standards in order to forge new ones.

Terayama’s exploration of masculine influence and the role of the paternal figure, a recurring theme in his art, was particularly pronounced in his films; his cinematic works became a fertile ground for this often-subversive enquiry. One of Terayama’s best-known films is Emperor Tomato Ketchup, a captivating and surreal journey that delves into the extraordinary escapades of a young monarch navigating his chaotic realm. Set in an indeterminate future in which children have overthrown adults and established their own empire, the film does not have a central narrative or identifiable character roles. Rather it depicts a series of graphic tableaux in which children engage in cruel and abusive acts against the adults under their dominion. These include scenes of child soldiers arresting, enslaving, executing, and assaulting helpless victims, often held at gunpoint. The film exemplifies the boundary-pushing performances that are central to both Terayama’s cinema and his role as the founder of the audacious Tenjō Sajiki theatre group.

Shûji Terayama | Writer, Director, Producer

Known for: Farewell to the Ark, Pastoral: To Die in the Country, Throw Away Your Books, Rally in the Streets

www.imdb.com

Possibly ENTP sp/so 7w8 748, ILE, SLUEI, VLEF, Sanguine-Melancholic