Smithsonian’s Freer and Sackler Galleries Announce Film Retrospective and Book on Japanese Filmmaker Seijun Suzuki

This October, the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery will launch a touring retrospective of the films of Seijun Suzuki to accompany the publication of Time and Place are Nonsense: The Films of Seijun Suzuki, by Freer film curator Tom Vick. Vick’s book is the first major study of Suzuki’s work in English, and the film series is the first major Suzuki retrospective to tour the United States in 20 years. Known for his jarring style and complex personality, Suzuki had a rebellious spirit that led him to question and often break the rules of film language.

“If people know of Suzuki, it is often because of his reputation as a ‘bad boy’ of Japanese cinema,” Vick said.

Through this retrospective and book, Vick seeks to convey Suzuki’s bold artistic vision and hopes that filmgoers will come away with a fuller appreciation of Suzuki as a serious artist, one who has made an indelible impact on Japanese film.

After debuting at the Freer and Sackler galleries, the retrospective will travel to New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Toronto and other cities in North America.

The Suzuki film series is co-organized with the Japan Foundation and presented in conjunction with the Arthur M. Sackler’s exhibition “Sōtatsu: Making Waves.” The complete schedule of events is below. Film descriptions can be found at www.asia.si.edu/film/seijunsuzuki.

Schedule of Events

Greatest Hits

Friday, Oct. 9; 7 p.m.
Branded to Kill (1967, 91 min.)

Tom Vick signs copies of his book after the screening.

Sunday, Oct. 11; 1 p.m.
Tokyo Drifter (1966, 83 min.)

Sunday, Oct. 11; 3 p.m.
Youth of the Beast (1963, 91 min.)

Friday, Oct. 16; 7 p.m.
Gate of Flesh (1964, 90 min.)

Sunday, Oct. 18; 2 p.m.
Tattooed Life (1965, 87 min.)

Friday, Oct. 23; 7 p.m.
Kanto Wanderer (1963, 92 min.)

Sunday, Oct. 25; 1 p.m.
Story of a Prostitute (1965, 96 min.)

Sunday, Oct. 25; 3 p.m.
Fighting Elegy (1966, 86 min.)

Rarities

Friday, Oct. 30, 7 p.m.
The Call of Blood (1964, 97 min.)

Sunday, Nov. 1, 1 p.m.
Passport to Darkness (1959, 88 min.)

Sunday, Nov. 1, 3 p.m.
Eight Hours of Fear (1957, 77 min.)

Friday, Nov. 13, 7 p.m.
A Tale of Sorrow and Sadness (1977, 93 min.)

Sunday, Nov. 15, 1 p.m.
The Sleeping Beast Within (1960, 86 min.)

Sunday, Nov. 15, 3 p.m.
Smashing the O-Line (1960, 83 min.)

Friday, Nov. 20, 7 p.m.
Carmen from Kawachi (1966, 89 min.)

Sunday, Nov. 22; 2 p.m.
Capone Cries A Lot (1985, 128 min.)

The Taisho Trilogy

Friday, Dec. 4; 7 p.m.
Ziguernerweisen (1980, 144 min.)

Sunday, Dec. 6; 2 p.m.
Kagero-za (1981, 140 min.)

Sunday, Dec. 13; 2 p.m.
Yumeji (1991, 128 min.)

Encores

Friday, Dec. 18; 7 p.m.
Pistol Opera (2001, 112 min.)

Sunday, Dec. 20; 2 p.m.
Princess Raccoon (2005, 111 min.)

The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, located at 1050 Independence Ave. S.W., and the adjacent Freer Gallery of Art, located at 12th Street and Independence Avenue S.W., are on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day (closed Dec. 25), and admission is free. The galleries are located near the Smithsonian Metrorail station on the Blue and Orange lines. For more information about the Freer and Sackler galleries and their exhibitions, programs and other public events, visit asia.si.edu or follow twitter.com/freersackler or facebook.com/freersackler. For general Smithsonian information, call 202-633-1000.

# # #

SI-437-2015