457:", other performers have chosen to adopt the title "movieteller" as an alternative. They believe it emphasizes the multicultural past and future(s) of the form, while inviting further experimentation with the medium, such as a live narration of one's own films, the implementation of instruments as narrative devices, or any instance where a human contingent mediates between an audience and an image.
118:
for the high ticket prices charged by theaters relative to other public entertainment, while also giving technical and cultural context to the audience. The operation of the projector itself would be described before the showing, and then explanations of
Western culture would accompany the film with
452:
There are groups in the United States seeking to revive this form and to continue exploring the possibilities of altering the form in the spirit of experimentation from which the practice emerged. Likewise, new attempts to subvert traditional notions of storytelling and film watching are underway.
448:
The underlying concept of benshi, live narration of film, continues to work its way into performance practices. The actual practice of "benshi" is most commonly referenced in relation to live film narration largely due to it having been and when the practice was more formalized and financed. As
20:
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to introduce the film, even giving a brief lecture about the history of the setting. This meant that filmmakers could assume that a live narrator, accustomed to improvisation, would be present at the showing to explain scenes or even explain missing scenes or unfilmed action.
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Some performers interject commentary into films, drawing from a century of social critique, often presenting popular films along with new dialog and narrative intended to juxtapose their ideas with those of the audience. While some have adopted the term "
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performed without external amplification, they had to carefully coordinate with the orchestra to be heard. At that time, theaters typically seated 1000, so a trademark of successful
357:
was the aspect of the film presentation that drew in the audience, more so than the actors appearing in the film, and promotional posters would frequently include a photo of the
108:
The earliest films available for public display were produced by
Western studios, portraying brief scenes of everyday life, often less than a minute long. The first
449:
evidenced by the (above) listings of "benshi" in other cultures, the art of cinema accompanied by a live performer was as international then as it is now.
290:
came to be part of the film. Benshi read the intertitles on silent films and voiced all on-screen characters. Perhaps most significantly for filmmakers,
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would add their own commentary, explaining what was happening in a shot or describing what had happened in confusing edits or sudden transitions. Some
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252:
821:
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376:(in addition to the high costs to the cinemas and production companies). Though the tradition has mostly faded, there are a few remaining active
862:
738:
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standing to the side of the screen. This commentary was as much part of the theater-going experience as the film itself. In one instance, a
788:
Benshi, Japanese Silent Film
Narrators, and their Forgotten Narrative Art of Setsumei A History of Japanese Silent Film Narration
372:
in full-length films in the late 1920s. The adoption of this new technology was slowed by the popularity and influence of the
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often spoke for the characters on-screen in theatrical style and played multiple roles. Stemming from the traditions of
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were known to interpret and add to a script, for example reciting poetry to accompany a moving visual.
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as accompaniment, Japanese films had a score which supported the traditional
Japanese instruments of a
181:'s narration and general commentary were an important part of the Japanese silent film experience. The
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Much like in the West, Japanese silent films were often accompanied by live music (in addition to the
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Introduction to
Japanese silent cinema with an interview from a modern-day benshi
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who traveled to sugar cane plantations in Hawaii during the early 20th century.
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were famous in their own right and garnered great acclaim. The presence of a
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55:
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As the film industry and art form developed in Japan, the presence of a
887:"Dancing shadows of film exhibition: Taiwan and the Japanese influence"
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624:
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369:
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The silent film era lasted until the mid-1930s in Japan in part due to
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from the first decade of the twentieth century where they were called
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chorus—a grave, dramatic, exaggerated style. Due to the influence of
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244:
51:
19:
435:
170:
138:
749:, Issue 10 (March 2005). ISSN 1780-678X. Accessed 12 April 2009.
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also provided translation for foreign (mostly
American) movies.
16:
Japanese performers who provided live narration for silent films
333:
voicing male and female roles, regardless of the gender of the
236:
154:
665:
A New
History of Japanese Cinema: A Century of Narrative Film
47:
863:"Classifying Performances: The Art of Korean Film Narrators"
747:
Image and
Narrative: Online Magazine of the Visual Narrative
736:"Classifying Performances: The Art of Korean Film Narrators"
534:
means "moving pictures", i.e., an old term for films, and
625:"Benshi and the Introduction of Motion Pictures to Japan"
196:). However, unlike Western films, which tended to have a
162:
822:"The Benshi's New Face: Defining Cinema in Taisho Japan"
690:"About Japan: A Teacher's Resource | Japan Society"
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performed roles strongly influenced by the narrators in
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Perhaps because most early
Japanese films were simply
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141:in Western culture to be as casual a greeting as a
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313:plays adapted to film, the characterization style
685:A Brief History of Benshi (Silent Film Narrators)
901:
145:. As film plots became longer and more complex,
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30:
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329:, audiences were not distracted by a single
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131:was able to avoid government censorship of
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814:The Benshi Tradition: Cinema = Performance
717:, New York: W. W. Norton & Company.
301:In addition, it was traditional for the
18:
443:
902:
884:
819:
504:All these forms are abbreviations of
549:is an orator or public speaker; see
861:Maliangkay, Roald H. (March 2005).
790:. Edwin Mellen Press. p. 312.
785:
622:
13:
767:The Oxford History of World Cinema
599:, New Japanese-English Dictionary)
568:(in Japanese) (5th ed.). 岩波書店
14:
936:
806:
602:(in Japanese) (5th ed.). 研究社
231:active in the silent era include
460:
243:theaters), Saburō Somei (at the
786:Dym, Jeffrey A. (August 2003).
763:Nowell-Smith, Geoffrey (1996).
755:
419:
728:
707:
677:
657:
616:
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1:
667:. New York: Continuum, 2005.
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50:performers who provided live
349:, including 180 women. Many
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715:A History of Narrative Film
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282:Influence on film aesthetic
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114:were thus hired to provide
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31:
10:
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345:In 1927, there were 6,818
341:Influence on film industry
925:Entertainment occupations
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513:
410:
397:tradition was adopted in
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79:
40:
915:History of film of Japan
856:Matsuda Film Productions
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388:Benshi in other cultures
816:" by Tosh Berman (1995)
741:April 16, 2007, at the
713:Cook, David A. (1990).
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606:
572:
561:
507:katsudō-shashin-benshi
361:announcing the movie.
247:), Rakuten Nishimura,
27:
867:Image & Narrative
820:Gerow, A. A. (1994).
734:Maliangkay, Roald H.
683:Dym, Jeffery (2008).
623:Dym, Jeffery (2000).
370:introduction of sound
251:(at the Teikokukan),
70:are sometimes called
22:
444:New benshi practices
220:project their voices
849:List of Performing
630:Monumenta Nipponica
222:into large spaces.
218:was the ability to
920:Silent film people
663:Standish, Isolde.
589:Shin-waei-daijiten
28:
262:In the 1995 film
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869:. Archived from
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143:pat on the back
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26:, famous benshi
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637:(4): 509–536.
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368:, despite the
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270:Toshirō Mifune
233:Musei Tokugawa
175:theaters, the
137:by describing
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73:katsudō-benshi
60:Japanese films
24:Musei Tokugawa
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890:. Retrieved
875:. Retrieved
871:the original
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850:
834:. Retrieved
830:the original
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756:Bibliography
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698:. Retrieved
694:the original
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241:Musashinokan
224:
206:play. Since
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56:silent films
32:
29:
885:Deslandes.
551:"katsuben"
272:portrays a
249:Raiyū Ikoma
904:Categories
892:2014-04-29
877:2007-05-04
836:2009-05-29
700:2008-04-07
493:References
471:Yuko Saitō
455:Neo-Benshi
415:Pe̍h-ōe-jī
607:Kenkyūsha
581:"benshi"
52:narration
739:Archived
519:, where
245:Denkikan
235:(at the
134:The Kiss
88:katsuben
66:films).
48:Japanese
826:Iconics
651:2668250
612:. 2004.
578:. 2000;
436:byeonsa
420:piān-sū
407:Chinese
225:Famous
171:bunraku
139:kissing
64:Western
910:Benshi
851:benshi
794:
775:
721:
671:
649:
596:新和英大辞典
562:Kōjien
537:benshi
514:活動写真弁士
427:Benshi
417::
409::
403:piansu
399:Taiwan
395:benshi
378:benshi
374:benshi
366:benshi
359:benshi
355:benshi
351:benshi
347:benshi
335:benshi
331:benshi
327:kabuki
319:kabuki
315:benshi
311:kabuki
303:benshi
296:benshi
292:benshi
288:benshi
275:benshi
255:, and
237:Aoikan
228:benshi
215:benshi
209:benshi
203:kabuki
193:benshi
184:benshi
178:benshi
155:kabuki
148:benshi
128:benshi
122:benshi
111:benshi
68:Benshi
58:(both
33:Benshi
854:from
647:JSTOR
439:(변사).
431:Korea
321:or a
46:were
792:ISBN
773:ISBN
719:ISBN
669:ISBN
529:活動写真
393:The
239:and
167:and
119:the
104:Role
80:活動弁士
62:and
54:for
639:doi
557:広辞苑
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323:noh
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906::
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633:.
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413:;
411:辯士
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259:.
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