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From the August issue of Shin Hon no Machi, we bring you installment 4 of “My Golden Age of Cinema,” the series by film researcher Yasutaka Tarumi. This time the focus is on House, the theatrical feature debut of director Nobuhiko Obayashi, still beloved by many film fans today.
The Birth of House and How It Was Received
House, released in July 1977, was Nobuhiko Obayashi’s first theatrical feature. At the time, the buzz among high school students centered on things unrelated to the film itself, such as the appearance of rising idol Kumiko Oba and a nude scene by Kimiko Ikegami. But as the first feature by Obayashi, who had come from the world of TV commercials, it was a film the author, Yasutaka Tarumi, recalls awaiting with great expectations.
The film was savaged by critics and well-known directors and placed only 21st in that year’s Kinema Junpo Best Ten of Japanese films. In the readers’ poll, however, it won the support of younger viewers and ranked an impressive 4th. This alone suggests that the film was ahead of its time and had captured the sensibilities of young people.
A New Generation of Filmmakers
The period from the late 1970s, when House was released, to the early 1980s also brought great change to the Japanese film world. Until then, directors who had risen through the film studios dominated, but now a new type of director unaffiliated with any studio appeared one after another: Kazuki Omori, Sogo Ishii (now Gakuryu Ishii) and Yoshimitsu Morita, among others. Nobuhiko Obayashi was one of the true pioneers of this movement. (As an aside, the article introduces director Shusuke Kaneko’s Muno Jokantoku Nikki (Diary of an Incompetent Assistant Director) as a fascinating account of the film world from 1978 to 1984, seen through the eyes of a director who came up through the Nikkatsu studio.)
A Film Whose Reputation Has Outlived Its Era
Though House sharply divided opinion when it was released, its reputation changed greatly over time. In the 21st century it was re-released in Japan and drew large audiences, and in the United States it came to be hailed as a cult film. Obayashi continued to work tirelessly after House, devoting his whole life to cinema. The passion he poured into filmmaking right up until his death remains etched in many people’s memories.
Related Books
The following books are recommended as a way into Nobuhiko Obayashi’s films and ideas.
Naze Wakamono wa Rojin ni Seki o Yuzuranaku Natta no ka (Why Did the Young Stop Giving Up Their Seats to the Elderly?) (Gentosha Shinsho, 2008): The title may sound like a criticism of young people, but the book actually sends warm encouragement to the generation that will shape the future, and offers a glimpse of the director’s outlook on life.
Among the director’s many books, the definitive volume includes “My Favorite Obayashi Film,” a collection of contributions by well-known figures.
House is more than just a horror film: it vividly reflects the times in which it was made, the transformation of the film industry, and Nobuhiko Obayashi’s singular creative vision. We hope Yasutaka Tarumi’s article has given you a fresh sense of the depth of this classic.
▶ For other installments of “My Golden Age of Cinema,” see All installments
日本語で読む — Read this article in Japanese