Peter C. Pugsley – författare

This ground-breaking book explores the moral dimensions of sexual imagery in contemporary, general-release Asian films. It examines debates that arise over aesthetic styles and the cultural and traditional influences that determine the content and impact of these films. The social and regulatory environments for filmmakers across Asia reflect distinct national and cultural differences. In just the past decade, for instance, Indian cinema has rapidly moved from representations of coy and submissive female protagonists to highly eroticized leading ladies unafraid of flaunting their sexuality. On the other hand, the cinema emerging from the Chinese mainland has been much more circumspect in its representations of overt sexuality, at times in conflict with other Chinese cinemas from Hong Kong and Taiwan. This use of sexual imagery or morally questionable film content raises on-going debates into censorship and the use of state or industry controls to protect certain sectors of society from exposure to particular narratives or images. Film, like all forms of art, fulfils a number of aesthetic functions for local, regional and international audiences. As distribution and technological advances make Asian films more readily available across the globe, an understanding of the different aesthetics at play will enable readers of this book to recognize key cultural motifs in representations of onscreen sexuality and the surrounding controversies found in cinematic texts from Asia.

From the critically acclaimed Malaysian film Sepet to the on-going box office successes of the films created by Hong Kong director Wong Kar Wai, cinematic texts from the nations of Asia are increasingly capturing audiences beyond their national boundaries. Tradition, Culture and Aesthetics in Contemporary Asian Cinema explores the rise of popular Asian cinema and provides an understanding of the aesthetic elements that mark these films as 'Asian cinema'. Incorporating examples of contemporary films from China, Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and India, Peter C. Pugsley gives readers a fresh insight into the rapidly developing discourse on popular Asian media. The book's chapters focus on the aesthetic features of national cinemas and the intersections of local/global encountered in the production, distribution and consumption of contemporary Asian films. By tracking across some of the most influential countries in Asia the book is able to offer new perspectives into the visual and aural features that create greater understanding between East and West. As distribution and technological advances make Asian films more readily available, an understanding of the different aesthetics at play will enable readers of this book to recognise key cultural motifs found in cinematic texts from Asia.

Beyond the High School Film: Reaching Adulthood in Everyday Japanese Cinema investigates recent live-action Japanese films that feature young adults and how they represent today’s culture and the shifts in behaviours and attitudes toward relationships (including same-sex relationships), marriage, disability and careers. Films such as Threads: Our Tapestry of Love (2020), Ride or Die (2021) and Teasing Master Takagi-san (2024) are part of a larger cohort of films that maintain a steady flow of financial success for their studios, directors and stars.This book provides insights into a form of contemporary cinema that sits alongside Japan’s internationally acclaimed blockbuster anime and arthouse dramas. It tracks actors who have successfully transitioned from high school films to films dealing with young adulthood. These everyday films offer a look at contemporary Japan that resonates with domestic audiences and reflect the lives of young adults as they move beyond adolescence.

This ground-breaking book explores the moral dimensions of sexual imagery in contemporary, general-release Asian films. It examines debates that arise over aesthetic styles and the cultural and traditional influences that determine the content and impact of these films. The social and regulatory environments for filmmakers across Asia reflect distinct national and cultural differences. In just the past decade, for instance, Indian cinema has rapidly moved from representations of coy and submissive female protagonists to highly eroticized leading ladies unafraid of flaunting their sexuality. On the other hand, the cinema emerging from the Chinese mainland has been much more circumspect in its representations of overt sexuality, at times in conflict with other Chinese cinemas from Hong Kong and Taiwan. This use of sexual imagery or morally questionable film content raises on-going debates into censorship and the use of state or industry controls to protect certain sectors of society from exposure to particular narratives or images. Film, like all forms of art, fulfils a number of aesthetic functions for local, regional and international audiences. As distribution and technological advances make Asian films more readily available across the globe, an understanding of the different aesthetics at play will enable readers of this book to recognize key cultural motifs in representations of onscreen sexuality and the surrounding controversies found in cinematic texts from Asia.

Japanese High School Films: Iconography, Nostalgia and Discipline explores how these contemporary films capture a distinct view of Japanese adolescent life, uncovering significant links with the themes of discipline and institutionalisation that underpin Japanese society. It illustrates how Japanese high school films link directly to manga, anime, TV dramas and pop music, triggering audience recognition and nostalgia through on-screen use of iconographic images, from school uniforms to rooftop recreational spaces. This book also identifies universal themes of adolescent romance, friendship, and bullying, and the spatial and temporal changes that affect every student's journey. The casting of already-famous music and fashion celebrities as students or as teachers allows the films to capitalise on cross-generational fandom across Japan's prolific entertainment industries. For anyone who wants to understand contemporary Japanese culture, Japanese High School Films is essential reading.

Looks exclusively at high school films as valuable markers of contemporary Japanese cultureIncludes illustrated examples from dozens of films to show how they present a distinct style that draws intertextual references from Japanese manga, anime, TV and other forms of popular entertainmentUncovers the aesthetic markers of youth cultures found in the visual imagery and narrative drives of high school filmsDemonstrates how Japanese high school films represent an identifiably nostalgic view for Japanese people of all agesJapanese High School Films: Iconography, Nostalgia and Discipline explores how these contemporary films capture a distinct view of Japanese adolescent life, uncovering significant links with the themes of discipline and institutionalisation that underpin Japanese society. It illustrates how Japanese high school films link directly to manga, anime, TV dramas and pop music, triggering audience recognition and nostalgia through on-screen use of iconographic images, from school uniforms to rooftop recreational spaces. This book also identifies universal themes of adolescent romance, friendship, and bullying, and the spatial and temporal changes that affect every student's journey. The casting of already-famous music and fashion celebrities as students or as teachers allows the films to capitalise on cross-generational fandom across Japan's prolific entertainment industries. For anyone who wants to understand contemporary Japanese culture, Japanese High School Films is essential reading.

Exploring the multiple aesthetic and cultural links between French and Japanese cinema, The Cinematic Influence is packed with vivid examples and case studies of films by Akira Kurosawa, Jean-Luc Godard, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Claire Denis, Naomi Kawase, Michel Gondry and many others. It illustrates the vast array of cinematic connections that mark a long history of mutual influence and reverence between filmmakers in France and Japan.The book provides new insights into the ways that national cinemas resist Hollywood to maintain and strengthen their own cultural practices and how these national cinemas perform the task of informing and enlightening other cultures about what it means to be French or Japanese. This book also deepens our understandings of film's role as a viable cultural and economic player in individual nations. Importantly, the reader will see that film operates as a form of cultural exchange between France and Japan, and more broadly, Europe and Asia. This is the first major book to investigate the crossover between these two diverse national cinemas by tracking their history of shared narrative and stylistic techniques.

Exploring the multiple aesthetic and cultural links between French and Japanese cinema, The Cinematic Influence is packed with vivid examples and case studies of films by Akira Kurosawa, Jean-Luc Godard, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Claire Denis, Naomi Kawase, Michel Gondry and many others. It illustrates the vast array of cinematic connections that mark a long history of mutual influence and reverence between filmmakers in France and Japan.The book provides new insights into the ways that national cinemas resist Hollywood to maintain and strengthen their own cultural practices and how these national cinemas perform the task of informing and enlightening other cultures about what it means to be French or Japanese. This book also deepens our understandings of film's role as a viable cultural and economic player in individual nations. Importantly, the reader will see that film operates as a form of cultural exchange between France and Japan, and more broadly, Europe and Asia. This is the first major book to investigate the crossover between these two diverse national cinemas by tracking their history of shared narrative and stylistic techniques.