Japanese 2451
Compare and contrast The Tale of Genji’s book version and the animation (anime) version (film
Guide for The Tale of Genjianimated film
In adapting MurasakiShikibu’s narrative to the screen as an animation, the creators of this film have had to make certain artistic choices. Consider the following questions as you view the film.
1. What scenes/plots from The Tale of Genji have been included and which have been left out? In other words, what themes are emphasized in this animation version? In your opinion, why did the filmmakers choose this particular opening to the film?
2. Have any elements (scenes, plots, imagery) been added?
3. How are the characters individualized? How are “personalities” created? Pay particular attention to clothing, hairstyles, and furnishings in rooms.
4. How would you describe the character Genji as portrayed in this film? Does this description accord with the image of Genji formed in the tale?
5. Animation versus dramatic film (that is, a film with human actors): Imagine a film of The Tale of Genji with human actors. (Actually a number of such films exist. Most recently in 2000, a film entitled Sen’nen no koi (One thousand years of love or A thousand-year-old love) was released in Japan.) In what ways do you think an animation vis-à-vis dramatic film would be more effective or less effective in adapting The Tale of Genji?
6. In the original narrative, there is a narrator who relates the tale to us, the readers/audience, as things she has seen and heard (that is, gossip). In the animation, this storyteller has been removed. Who tells the story in the film? Or in other words, from whose perspective (viewpoint) are we experiencing the film?
7. What is the significance of scattering cherry blossoms in this film?
8. Your personal reaction: Did the film contribute to your understanding of The Tale of Genji? Explain. What gaps in cultural, historical, or literary understanding does the animation fill?