Junichiro Tanizaki's The Makioka Sisters (1948) | Book and Film Review

A reflection on Junichiro Tanizaki's The Makioka Sisters (細雪, Sasameyuki) and its adaptation to film (Kon Ichikawa, 1983). This video is part of the series "From the Page to the Screen," which focuses on cinematic adaptations of literary works. Spoiler alert: this video reveals aspects of the plot of both the novel and the film, so I recommend experiencing them before watching the video. Contents: 00:00 – Rereading a classic of Japanese literature 01:45 – The novel: original title, premise, characters, conflict 06:35 – Themes 08:51 – A quote from Yasunari Kawabata 10:13 – Family dynamics and world events 11:32 – Structure 13:33 – The Makioka Sisters in the context of Tanizaki's work 15:02 – Who is the protagonist? 16:42 – The ending 18:00 – The film 18:58 – A filmmaker who loved adaptation 19:54 – The movie's opening scene: exposition 21:11 – The predominance of interior shots 22:19 – Adaptation and Ichikawa's approach 22:46 – Differences between the novel and the film 27:22 – The main difference 28:39 – Bottom line