Conclusion

The decline of film, the rise of television, and the transition to an internet society—the world has seen a tremendous amount of change in the past half century or so. While the Golden Age of Japanese Film has long since passed, many of the works from that time have found their way onto formats like VHS and DVD, still surviving today. “Revival houses” and similar movie theaters are still going strong, featuring unique films in their showings, and you can easily find plenty of video rental stores in town.

I admit, I do miss the big screen of times past, and so I like to go to the movies to see those works whenever I can. But regardless of whether or not it’s a film that I myself appeared in, whenever I’m watching those old movies, the thing I find the most moving is the realization of how so many of those actors have passed away. I often find myself counting them on my fingers. “Ah, that actor just passed last month…” “Oh, he’s not here anymore either…”

I’m going to be 85 this year so I suppose it’s only obvious, but now even actors from the generation below me have begun to pass away. As an old man, it breaks my heart to see these faces I hold dear to me departing, one after the other. But just as Zeami Motokiyo likened the actor’s craft to that of a flower, so it must also be the fate of a flower—that has within its lifespan blossomed in full glory—to one day wither and disappear. It is, after all, the law of nature.

Be that as it may, there certainly were a lot of actors in the past who truly had “taste.” They didn’t have to say a word or even move an inch—their presence alone would speak volumes about these people. Am I alone in thinking there aren’t many actors like that around anymore? In other words, by “taste” I mean the flavor of life. No two flavors are ever quite the same. Being able to convey that in one’s performance… For an actor, that must be the mark of true excellence.

Nakadai Tatsuya