1. Student's full name: DO PHUONG TRANG 2. Gender: Female
3. Date of birth: April 13, 1991
4. Place of birth: Hanoi
5. Decision on recognition of students No.: Decision No. 2948/2021/QD-XHNV dated December 28, 2021 of the President of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi
6. Changes in training process: No
7. Thesis topic: Shunji Iwai's directorial style from the author's theoretical perspective through three films "Love Letter", "Hana & Alice" and "All about Lily Chou Chou"
8. Major: Theory, history of cinema and television; Code: 8210232.01
9. Scientific advisor: Dr. Hoang Cam Giang, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi
10. Summary of thesis results:
The thesis uses auteur theory to analyze Shunji Iwai's films, demonstrating the consistency in his ideas, themes, and cinematic style. Shunji Iwai's distinctive personal imprints show his pioneering ability in combining the languages of many mass media, accessing technical means to enrich the expressive capacity of cinema. This style is applied throughout his career to construct narratives about adult trauma and fractured identity.
In conjunction with author theory, the thesis applies trauma theory in analyzing the narrative elements of three films. The characters in Shunji Iwai's films are often victims of psychological trauma in their journey to adulthood. To express these stories, the plots in Shunji Iwai's films do not follow the classical three-act structure with strict causality and reaping. His coming-of-age narratives often have non-linear plots, arranged according to the character's inner consciousness. Shunji Iwai is consistent with the coming-of-age film genre and the context of modern Japan. This shows his concern with the question of Japanese identity in a fractured culture and identity crisis.
The thesis also examines the imprints of Shunji Iwai's poetic and tragic aesthetic film style. In staging, Shunji Iwai tends to break the realism of spatial perception. The setting, props, and lighting in his films always waver between the real and virtual worlds. Shunji Iwai's films are often shot using handheld techniques and are innovative in the use of frame sizes. This filming style reveals a distinctly Japanese aesthetic thinking, capturing the fleeting emotions of phenomena and landscapes, thereby exploring human moods. Iwai's editing style is suitable for narratives about trauma. His editing subverts the sequentiality of the maturation process, while expressing the uncontrollable repetition of traumatic events in present life. The sound in Shunji Iwai's films is the sound projected from the memories, emotions, or impressions of the characters. All of these stylistic elements are the source of the unique concept of “Iwai aesthetics.”
11. Practical application:
The research results of the thesis will be a reference for introducing the achievements of Japanese cinema in particular and Asian cinema in general. At the same time, it is a reference for the current film composition and production activities in Vietnam.
12. Further research directions:
13. Published works related to the thesis: none.
INFORMATION ON MASTER'S THESIS
1. Full name: DO PHUONG TRANG 2. Sex: Female
3. Date of birth: April 13, 1991 4. Place of birth: Hanoi
5. Admission decision number: 2948/2021/QD-XHNV Dated: December 28, 2021
6. Changes in academic process: None
7. Official thesis title: The directing style of Shunji Iwai from the perspective of auteur theory (through the three films Love Letter, Hana & Alice, and All about Lily Chou Chou)
8. Major: Film and Television Studies
9. Code: 8210232.01
10. Supervisor: Dr. Hoang Cam Giang, VNU University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Hanoi)
11. Summary of the findings of the thesis:
The thesis utilizes auteur theory to study the films of Shunji Iwai, highlighting the uniformity of his ideology, themes, and cinematic style. Iwai's distinctive personal imprints reveal his innovative approach to merging the languages of various mass media and modernizing technical means to augment cinema's expressive potential. This style has been consistently consistent throughout his career to craft talks centered around the trauma of adulthood and fragmented identity.
In conjunction with auteur theory, the thesis also incorporates trauma theory to analyze the narrative components of three films. Iwai's characters are frequently portrayed as victims of psychological trauma during their transition to adulthood. His narrative, which often deviate from the traditional three-act structure with strict causality, is arranged following the characters' internal consciousness. Iwai's adherence to the coming-of-age genre and contemporary Japanese setting underscores his exploration of Japanese identity amidst cultural fragmentation and identity crisis.
The thesis further investigates the hallmarks of Iwai's poetic film style, featured by the aware aesthetic. Regarding staging, Iwai often disrupts realistic spatial perception with settings, props, and lighting that oscillate between reality and virtuality. His films, often shot using handheld techniques and unconventional shot sizes, embody a uniquely Japanese aesthetic sensibility that captures transient emotions and landscapes, delving into human moods. The “Iwai-style” montage is particularly effective for traumatic narratives. His editing style subverts the sequential nature of maturation and depicts the uncontrollable repetition of traumatic events in present life. The sound in Iwai's films is a projection of the characters' memories, emotions, or impressions. All these stylistic elements contribute to the unique “Iwai aesthetic.”
12. Practical applicability, if any:
The findings of this thesis serve as a resource for showcasing the accomplishments of Japanese cinema, and more broadly, Asian cinema. Furthermore, they provide a point of reference for contemporary film composition and production activities in Vietnam.
13. Further research directions, if any: Japanese cinema; auteur theory; coming-of-age genre…
14. Thesis-related publications: none.
