was a Japanese film director and screenwriter known for his work in
yakuza film
is a popular film genre in Japanese cinema which focuses on the lives and dealings of ''yakuza'', Japanese organized crime syndicates. In the silent film era, depictions of '' bakuto'' (precursors to modern yakuza) as sympathetic Robin Hood- ...
s and ''
jidaigeki
is a genre of film, television, and theatre in Japan. Literally meaning "historical drama, period dramas", it refers to stories that take place before the Meiji Restoration of 1868.
''Jidaigeki'' show the lives of the samurai, farmers, crafts ...
''.
Career
Born in
Tōgane, Chiba, he attended
Hibiya High School and then the
University of Tokyo
The University of Tokyo (, abbreviated as in Japanese and UTokyo in English) is a public research university in Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. Founded in 1877 as the nation's first modern university by the merger of several pre-westernisation era ins ...
before joining the
Toei studio in 1959.
Working at Toei's Kyoto studio, he served as an assistant director under such directors as
Masahiro Makino
was a Japanese film director. He directed more than 260 films, primarily in the chanbara and yakuza film, yakuza genres. His real name was , but he took the stage name Masahiro, the kanji for which he changed multiple times (including , , and ). ...
,
Tadashi Imai
was a Japanese film director known for social realist filmmaking informed by a left-wing perspective. His most noted films include '' An Inlet of Muddy Water'' (1953) and '' Bushido, Samurai Saga'' (1963).
Life
Although leaning towards left-win ...
, and
Tomotaka Tasaka
was a Japanese film director.
Career
Born in Hiroshima Prefecture, he began working at Nikkatsu's Kyoto studio in 1924 and eventually came to prominence for a series of realist, humanist films made at Nikkatsu's Tamagawa studio in the late 19 ...
.
He made his directorial debut in 1964 with ''
Kunoichi Ninpō'', and won the
Directors Guild of Japan New Directors Award in 1966 for ''
Yakuza (893) Gurentai'', the first
gendaigeki shot at Toei's Kyoto studio.
He directed such popular film series as ''Kogarashi Monjirō'' and ''Nihon no Don'', and also worked in television.
His 1985 film ''
Seburi Monogatari'' was entered into the
35th Berlin International Film Festival
The 35th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 15 to 26 February 1985. The retrospective was dedicated to ''Special effects''.
The Golden Bear was jointly awarded to '' The Woman and the Strangler'' directed by Rainer Simon a ...
.
From 1987 to 2008 he served as a professor of the
Osaka University of Arts.
He directed over 60 films in his career.
Nakajima died from pneumonia on June 11, 2023, at the age of 88.
Selected filmography
*
*
*
*
* ''
Kogarashi Monjirō'' (1972)
*
*
* ''Tokyo-Seoul-Bangkok Drug Triangle'' (1973)
*
* ''Bohachi Bushido Saburai'' (1974) - script
*
*
* ''
Sanada Yukimura no Bōryaku'' (1979)
* ''Conquest'' (1982)
* - co-directed with
Kinji Fukasaku
was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. Known for his "broad range and innovative filmmaking", Fukasaku worked in many different genres and styles, but was best known for his gritty Yakuza film, yakuza films, typified by the Battles With ...
and
Jun'ya Satō
*
* ''
Seburi Monogatari'' (1985)
* - TV movie
* ''
Shogun's Shadow'' (1989) (Screenplay)
* ''
Nemuri Kyōshirō: The Man with No Tomorrow'' (1996) - TV movie
* ''Chambara: The Art of Japanese Swordplay'' (2015)
* ''Love's Twisting Path'' (2019)
References
Bibliography
*
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nakajima, Sadao
1934 births
2023 deaths
Japanese film directors
Japanese screenwriters
Samurai film directors
Yakuza film directors
People from Chiba Prefecture
People from Tōgane
University of Tokyo alumni
Academic staff of Ritsumeikan University
Deaths from pneumonia in Japan
Academic staff of Osaka University of Arts