Toshiya Fujita (director)
| Toshiya Fujita | |
|---|---|
| Born |
January 16, 1932 Pyongyang, Korea during the Japanese occupation |
| Died | August 29, 1997 (aged 65) Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan |
| Other names | Shigeya Fujita, Binpachi Fujita |
| Years active | 1955–1997 (death) |
| Spouse(s) | Miyoko Akaza |
Toshiya Fujita (藤田 敏八 Fujita Toshiya, January 16, 1932 – August 30, 1997), also known as Shigeya Fujita (藤田繁矢 Fujita Shigeya), was a Japanese film director, film actor, and screenwriter. He is well-regarded in Japan for his youth films but is best known abroad for Lady Snowblood and Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance, films ironically not typical of his usual style.
Fujita was born in Pyongyang, Korea. After graduating from Tokyo University, he joined the Nikkatsu studio in 1955. At Nikkatsu, he worked as a publicist, screenwriter, cinematographer and assistant director until he made his debut as a director in 1967. His first film, about a juvenile delinquent, Hikō shōnen: Hinode no sakebi, won him the 1967 New Directors Award from the Directors Guild of Japan. After a successful sequel, Hikō shōnen: Wakamono no toride , Fujita was tapped by Nikkatsu to direct two installments in their youth-oriented Alleycat Rock series which had been initiated in 1970 by director Yasuharu Hasebe with Alleycat Rock: Female Boss. Fujita's two episodes, Stray Cat Rock: Wild Jumbo and Alleycat Rock: Crazy Riders '71, both starred actress Meiko Kaji.
Fujita's August 1971 film for Nikkatsu, Wet Sand in August, a melodramatic look at disenchanted youth in a beach setting, was both a popular hit and a major critical success. Three months later Nikkatsu inaugurated their Roman porno era of big budget softcore pink films. Fujita stayed on with Nikkatsu and his two sequels to Wet Sand in August, the 1972 Scent of Eros in August and the 1973 Sweet Smell of Eros were both produced as part of the Roman porno line. Fujita, however, was able to forge a compromise with the sex and nudity demands of the Roman porno genre to bring these films, especially Sweet Smell of Eros, close to mainstream acceptance.
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