Watch "The Black Ships"
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Quick Facts
| Release Date | January 1, 1970 |
| Status | Released |
| Language | EN |
| IMDb ID | tt0297795 |
| Website | Visit Site |
The Black Ships
5.0/10
Overview
Created with imagery taken from the 19th-Century Japanese woodcuts on display in the Smithsonian Institution’s exhibition “The Japanese Expedition 1852-1866 of Commodore Matthew Perry,” the film records the opening of the country to Western trade from a Japanese perspective. In Charles’ words, the film “shows something of the special and rare situations that existed when these two cultures came together…one very sophisticated, one with a highly developed technology.” The soundtrack juxtaposes the visuals, with music from the album “Banjo Kings,” an early-American fife-and-drum recording from the Smithsonian Institution archives, and traditional Japanese music from tapes provided by the Japanese embassy.
Status: Released
Language: EN