Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour (when scheduled). Designed for juniors/seniors. Exploration of postwar Japanese history through medium of film and film criticism. Much of postwar Japanese cinema can be seen as reflecting on and questioning place of Japan in world reshaped by catastrophic war and its lingering specter. Through screenings and critical discussion of select films spanning half-century following World War II, consideration of cultural, aesthetic, and sociopolitical significance of postwar as demarcated category in Japan. Reflection on ways in which filmic presentations of state of being postwar engaged with lived history, memory, and present time. P/NP or letter grading.