Japanese “Silents”: Benshi Film Narration by Raiko Sakamoto
Raiko Sakamoto
Blood Splattered at Takadanobaba (Chikemuri Takadanobaba) Directed by Ito Daisuke (1929, 6 minutes)
The Adventurer
Directed by Charlie Chaplin (1917, 20 minutes)
Starring: Charlie Chaplin
Serpent (Orochi)
Directed by Buntaro Futagawa (1925, 75 minutes)
Starring: Tsumasaburo Bando, Misao Seki, Utako Tamaki
Shown with English subtitles and a music soundtrack
An informal Q&A session will follow the performance
The term “benshi” refers to a live performer who provides dramatic narration and commentary, and lends his or her voice to characters during silent film screenings. Benshi were an essential part of early film culture in Japan, performing the dual roles of entertainer and interpreter of meaning in the cinematic image. The most popular benshi were stars in their own right who often received top billing over the actors onscreen, and who were known to exercise influence even over the scripting and editing of films in the interest of tailoring the images to their own narrative artistry. When the talkie eventually gained ground in Japan in the mid-1930s, the institution of the benshi went into decline, though to this day a number of highly skilled practitioners continue to ply their craft through revival screenings of silent films. The Matsuda Film Company is the primary organization that has worked to preserve and convey this part of Japan’s cinematic heritage.
Raiko Sakamoto began his benshi training in 1997 when he joined a narrative group managed by Matsuda Film Productions. He made his formal debut in December 2000. The main venues of his live katsuben performances include small theaters, mini-movie theaters, welfare facilities, shrines and temples. His has approximately 50 films in his repertoire including films such as Kurama Tengu, Banba no Chutaro Mabuta no Haha (Banba no Chutaro, In Search of Mother), Kunisada Chuji, Kodakara Sodo (The Treasure That Is Children), Das Kabinett des Doktor Caligari, and The Adventurer. His passion for drawing suddenly resurfaced in 2004 and starts a new style of performance, which involves putting katsuben performance on his self-produced animation work. Sakamoto is a benshi who performs both classic and modern works. Currently, he is an independent benshi.