"Would it not be marvelous if students of film had such a fine (and inexpensive) volume for each director worth studying?" - P. H. Stacy, University of Hartford, Choice

Shohei Imamura is among the most important artists of postwar Japanese cinema. Best known in the West for his award-winning THE BALLAD OF NARAYAMA, Imamura has produced a body of work that is unequalled for its tumultuous energy and formal daring. A dozen essays by such eminent authorities of Japanese cinema as Donald Richie, Max Tessier, and Audie Bock are supplemented by interviews with and articles by Imamura, which explore his influences, themes, and working methods.

James Quandt, Senior Programmer at Cinematheque Ontario, is also editor of Kon Ichikawa and Robert Bresson.