Though Heinosuke Gosho (1902-1981) is remembered in Japan where his films are still occasionally shown, he is all but unknown abroad. This neglect is not due to the quality of his pictures, but rather to the inadequacies of distribution and the ignorance of critics.
Yet, any director who can create films such as "Where Chimneys Are Seen (Entotsu no Mieru Basho)" (1953), "An Inn at Osaka (Osaka no Yado)" (1954) and "Growing Up (Takekurabe)" (1955) deserves to be not only remembered but elevated to his rightful position among the very best.
This is what Arthur Nolletti accomplishes in his new book on the films of Gosho. Author of "The Films of Fred Zinneman," Nolletti examines Gosho's extant work (about a third of the almost 100 films the director made) and insists not only their worth but also the humanistic spirit in which they were made.