SCFZ poll: Yoshishige Yoshida

[flip]

Polling the films of director Yoshishige Yoshida

The rules:

- your list can include no more than half of the Yoshida films you've seen, up to a maximum of 5. So if you've seen seven of his films, for example, you can list only a top 3. It's only if you've seen ten or more of his films than you can list the maximum of five.

- i'll assume ballots are ranked unless you tell me otherwise. unranked ballots are fine.

- deadline for ballots: next Tuesday, in seven days, whatever day that is

- if anyone is watching films for these polls, then i'll extend the deadline three days, if someone requests an extension

- next poll: whoever posts the first ballot in this thread is free to nominate the director we poll next, unless you've nominated in this round already (everyone should get a chance). Already nominated this round: greg x, rischka, dt, silga, kanafani, brian d, greennui, ofrene, mesnalty, john ryan, roscoe, evelyn, thoxans, bure, oscarwerner, arkheia, caracortada, karl, umbugbene, st gloede

umbugbene created an index on letterboxd of all of our previous polls here: letterboxd.com/umbugbene/list/index-of-all-scfz-director-polls/

one rule for nominees: at least 3 scfzers need to have seen 10+ of a nominee's films, or at least 4 scfzers need to have seen at least 8 of the nom's films, so if it isn't clear if that will be the case, we'll confirm that's true before moving forward

if 24 hours pass after a poll opens, and no one eligible to nominate has posted a ballot, then i'll nominate someone, and then we'll start over, and everyone will be able to nominate again

[brian d]

a story written with water
the affair
eros + massacre
woman of the lake
affair in the snow

[kanafani]

eros + massacre

[augusto]

seen 6.

coup d’etat
a story written with water
eros + massacre

[wba2]

seen only one (eros + massacre), which was nice. I've watched it 2 times, but I guess that doesn't count.

PS: Kazuko Inano rules!!

[flip]

augusto - you can pick the director we poll next, if you like!

[Zulawski]

Perhaps the one director to succeed in being unashamedly creative in his framings and compositions without it ever feeling forced.

1. Coup d'Etat
2. Heroic Purgatory
3. Confessions Among Actresses
4. Eros + Massacre

[josiahmorgan11]

1. heroic purgatory
2. eros + massacre

[Umbugbene]

Seen 2

EDIT: I'm rescinding my earlier vote for Eros + Massacre.

[St. Gloede]

Thank you for giving Yoshida a chance, and glad to see the votes are already ticking in. Seen all 19 films he produced and I would without hesitation call him one of the greatest directors to ever live - especially noteworthy for his unique style he presented in the back to back trio that tops my list - but he was incredibly throughout his career.

1. Heroic Purgatory
2. Eros + Massacre
3. Coup D'Etat
4. Women in the Mirror
5. A Story Written with Water

Other fantastic films:

Woman of the Lake, Akitsu Springs, Impasse, Farewell to the Summer Light

Also highly recommended:

Confession Among Acresses, Wuthering Heights, The Affair

[augusto]

augusto - you can pick the director we poll next, if you like!

i don't see tsui hark on that list, so let's do him if possible.

[Umbugbene]

Tsui Hark is #23 on the list.

[...]

watched 4, I guess the same as others did

Heroic Purgatory
Impasse

Not sure Impasse is better than the otehr two I saw, but it seems like Eros and Coup won't need the help.

[Umbugbene]

The two Yoshidas I've seen are Eros + Massacre, and Lumière & Co., to which he contributed a one-minute segment. It strikes me that it's unfair and meaningless for me to cast a ballot here, so I'm rescinding my vote for E+M.

[augusto]

augusto - you can pick the director we poll next, if you like!

i don't see tsui hark on that list, so let's do him if possible.

ok, seems tsui hark is done, so let me try again. alain resnais?

[flip]

sounds good! alain resnais poll will start on friday

[laternamagica]

Watched 12
1. Heroic purgatory
2. Confessions among actresses
3. Good-for-nothing
4. Eros plus massacre
5. Woman on the lake

[ofrene]

watched 6

1. Akitsu Springs
2. Woman of the Lake
3. A Story Written with Water

[flip]

we got past a top ten, and we also got what i think is a bit of a surprise winner (not knowing yoshida very well, i'm not sure, but i was expecting eros+massacre to win), so i'm happy we ran this poll:

results

1. Heroic Purgatory (1970) -- 17 pts
2. Eros+Massacre (1969) -- 13 pts
3. Coup d'Etat (1973) -- 10 pts
4. A Story Written With Water (1965) -- 9 pts
5. Confessions Among Actresses (1971) -- 6 pts
6. Woman of the Lake (1966) -- 5 pts
7. The Affair (1967) -- 4 pts
8. Akitsu Springs (1962) -- 3 pts
8. Good-for-Nothing (1960) -- 3 pts
10. Women in the Mirror (2002) -- 2 pts
11. Affair in the Snow (1968) -- 1 pt
11. Impasse (1967) -- 1 pt

[St. Gloede]

Thank you again for running the poll, Flip. I am very happy about the results, with 12 of his 19 films getting a mention, and 4 of my top 5 making the top 5 (and in the same order).

I hope someone who has not seen it will be tempted to explore Heroic Purgatory now. If you have never seen a Yoshida you may be shocked by how he shot Eros, Heroic and Coup. The compositions, framing and atmosphere may be unlike anything you have seen.

[flip]

up at letterboxd:

https://letterboxd.com/fliptrotsky/list ... -poll-111/