Corporal Norakuro

About the production

Themes

Themes & topics

Historical background

Made in its country of production around its period, Corporal Norakuro belongs to early cinema. Its story of on a holiday the newly promoted corporal norakuro naps in a park after a heavy meal and dreams that mountain monkey soldiers have stolen confidential papers spoke to audiences of the day through familiar genres and topical settings.

Why this film matters

Archivists and historians still cite Corporal Norakuro when tracing how early cinema filmmakers staged holiday and newly on screen.

Making of

Production details for Corporal Norakuro are sparse in surviving records. Direction is attributed to Yasuji Murata.

What critics said

Reviews from the period weighed Corporal Norakuro on pacing, performance, and novelty. Later criticism reads its emphasis on holiday, newly, promoted through modern standards of craft and representation.

Did you know?

• Directed by Yasuji Murata.
• Production country: Japan.

Visual style

Photography follows the early cinema era conventions for animated film staging.

Innovations

Surviving prints help researchers study editing and camera placement typical of the early cinema era.

Music

As a silent production, music was supplied by theater musicians or recorded scores.

What audiences thought

Patrons who saw Corporal Norakuro during initial runs judged it alongside other animated film releases of the day.

Film restoration

Preservation status varies; consult major film archives for surviving materials.

Where to watch

• Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yasuji%20Murata-%20Corporal%20Norakuro%20(1934).ogv