Description
A Dream of Resistance is the primary book in English to explore Kobayashi’s entire career, from the early films he made at Shochiku studio, to across the world-acclaimed masterpieces like The Human Condition, Harakiri, and Samurai Rebellion, and on to his final work for NHK Tv. Closely examining how Kobayashi’s upbringing and intellectual history shaped the values of his work, Stephen Prince illuminates the political and spiritual dimensions of Kobayashi’s films, interpreting them as a prayer for peace in troubled times. Prince draws from a wealth of rare archives, including prior to now untranslated interviews, material that Kobayashi wrote about his films, or even the young director’s wartime diary. The result’s an unprecedented portrait of this singular filmmaker.