A very cursorary introduction to Japanese cinema, this focusses more on its origins. Most of the films featured are pre-1950, and very little is written about the Nikkatsu studios, or the Godzilla movies or less respectable 'genre films'. Instead this is useful as an introduction to serious film students , but it is hampered by its academic bias towards 'culturally important' film makers such as Ozu and Mizugochi, and is a little dry. For its size.