Glass Johnny
Jul 25 - Jul 26, 2008
Koreyoshi Kurahara, Japan, 1962, 35mm, 108 min
NO BORDERS, NO LIMITS: 1960s NIKKATSU ACTION CINEMA
Inspired by Federico Fellini’s LA STRADA, and a sharp departure from the Nikkatsu Action norm, GLASS JOHNNY stars Jo Shishido as a bike track manager whose mission in life is to make a winner out of a struggling rider (Akihiko Hirata) and become rich. Before he can achieve this, he becomes the unwilling savior of a pure-hearted, simple-minded prostitute (Izumi Ashikawa) on the run from her pimp. Prior to GLASS JOHNNY, Ashikawa’s portrayals of cute-but-spunky girls had won her a devoted male following--animator Hayao Miyazaki even later used her as a model for his anime heroines. In this film, however, she moves brazenly from childhood to womanhood, while following Giulietta Masina’s journey in LA STRADA from victimhood to transcendence.