--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But then foreign critics right away made…" description: "\"But then foreign critics right away made sweeping comparisons to haiku, noh theater, and directors like Ozu, as if the movie were somehow representativ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/920/hirokazu-koreeda-40756_comparison_but-then-foreign-critics-right-away-made_308520.jpg" --- # But then foreign critics right away made sweeping… ![“But then foreign critics right away made sweeping comparisons to haiku, noh theater, and directors like Ozu, as if the movie were somehow representative of Japan - which was, well, not what I was after. Similarly, with After Life, I deliberately set out to make a movie that was unlike what I…” quote by Hirokazu Koreeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/920/hirokazu-koreeda-40756_comparison_but-then-foreign-critics-right-away-made_308520.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/920/hirokazu-koreeda-40756_comparison_but-then-foreign-critics-right-away-made_308520.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/920/hirokazu-koreeda-40756_comparison_but-then-foreign-critics-right-away-made_308520.jpg) > “But then foreign critics right away made sweeping comparisons to haiku, noh theater, and directors like Ozu, as if the movie were somehow representative of Japan - which was, well, not what I was after. Similarly, with After Life, I deliberately set out to make a movie that was unlike what I imagined the foreign conception of Japan to be, and I figured non-Japanese wouldn't find it interesting at all.” [Hirokazu Koreeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hirokazu-koreeda/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The director resists foreign stereotypes, aiming to portray Japan beyond clichéd expectations, fearing non-Japanese audiences may not engage. **In simple terms:** He challenges external expectations of Japanese culture. Key Takeaway Create authentic work regardless of external labels. Themes cultural identity artistic integrity stereotypes Mood thoughtful critical Type cinema cultural commentary When to use this quote - film festivals - international marketing - creative planning Key Concepts authenticity cross-cultural perception Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance authenticity with global appeal? - What risks arise from defying stereotypes? A Different Perspective Audience expectations can limit artistic freedom. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comparison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comparison/) [Conception](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conception/) [Critics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/critics/) [Directors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directors/) [Foreign Critics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foreign-critics-2931724/) [Haiku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/haiku/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Imagined Foreign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagined-foreign-2931722/) [Interesting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interesting/) [Japan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/japan/) [Japan Similarly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/japan-similarly-2931725/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Movie Unlike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie-unlike-2931723/) [Noh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/noh-132680/) [Non Japanese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/non-japanese-2931721/) [Representatives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/representatives/) [Sweeping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sweeping/) [Theater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theater/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) ## Related quotes > [If yuh don't know God yuh goin' suffer and dead! No God Noh Partial, regardless weh yuh deh pon earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-marley/if-yuh-don-t-know-god-yuh-goin-suffer-and-dead-no-god-noh-partial/) [Bob Marley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-marley/) > [During the shooting of a scene the director’s eye has to catch even the minutest detail. But this does not mean glaring concentratedly at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akira-kurosawa/during-the-shooting-of-a-scene-the-director-s-eye-has-to-catch-even/) [Akira Kurosawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akira-kurosawa/) > [“Great art projects a sense of inexhaustibility. In literature, particularly in poetry, this may be accomplished through ambiguity: Beneath each and every meaning that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/great-art-projects-a-sense-of-inexhaustibility-in-literature/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) ## More by Hirokazu Koreeda > [If a movie is nominated for, say, an Academy award, that movie will instantly become popular in Japan. There's always been a bit of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hirokazu-koreeda/if-a-movie-is-nominated-for-say-an-academy-award-that-movie-will/) [Hirokazu Koreeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hirokazu-koreeda/) > [In the neighborhood around Waseda, there were all these movie theaters, so every morning I left the house and watched movies instead of going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hirokazu-koreeda/in-the-neighborhood-around-waseda-there-were-all-these-movie-theaters/) [Hirokazu Koreeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hirokazu-koreeda/) > [One of the more problematic aspects of the current state of cinema in Japan is that the movies playing in the theaters are by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hirokazu-koreeda/one-of-the-more-problematic-aspects-of-the-current-state-of-cinema-in/) [Hirokazu Koreeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hirokazu-koreeda/) > [In order to avoid sentimentality and to be able to write the screenplay with the kind of humor and irony necessary to keep the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hirokazu-koreeda/in-order-to-avoid-sentimentality-and-to-be-able-to-write-the/) [Hirokazu Koreeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hirokazu-koreeda/) > [I don't believe in making movies to cater to a foreign audience. You never know what the reaction is going to be anyhow. At…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hirokazu-koreeda/i-don-t-believe-in-making-movies-to-cater-to-a-foreign-audience-you/) [Hirokazu Koreeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hirokazu-koreeda/) > [I did want to become a novelist, but the program at Waseda was pretty intense in terms of language requirements - two hours of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hirokazu-koreeda/i-did-want-to-become-a-novelist-but-the-program-at-waseda-was-pretty/) [Hirokazu Koreeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hirokazu-koreeda/) > [As far as documentaries go, I believe unreservedly that they serve an important function in our culture. I'd love to be able to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hirokazu-koreeda/as-far-as-documentaries-go-i-believe-unreservedly-that-they-serve-an/) [Hirokazu Koreeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hirokazu-koreeda/) > [The contemporary Japanese directors who are well-known in the West - say, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Takeshi Kitano, Naomi Kawase - are mostly unknown to Japanese,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hirokazu-koreeda/the-contemporary-japanese-directors-who-are-well-known-in-the-west/) [Hirokazu Koreeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hirokazu-koreeda/) > [The biggest considerations I had were practical: how do you move such a large number of actors around a small space? So, for example,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hirokazu-koreeda/the-biggest-considerations-i-had-were-practical-how-do-you-move-such/) [Hirokazu Koreeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hirokazu-koreeda/) [Explore all 10 Hirokazu Koreeda quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hirokazu-koreeda/) ## More Comparison quotes > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [It is exactly in the repetition of the exercises that the education of the senses exists; not that the child shall know colors, forms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/it-is-exactly-in-the-repetition-of-the-exercises-that-the-education/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [Geometry, which should only obey Physics, when united with it sometimes commands it. If it happens that the question which we wish to examine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-le-rond-d-alembert/geometry-which-should-only-obey-physics-when-united-with-it-sometimes/) [Jean le Rond d'Alembert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-le-rond-d-alembert/) > [I like to say that women are those who form life in their wombs - and this is a comparison I make - they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/i-like-to-say-that-women-are-those-who-form-life-in-their-wombs-and/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [You are Insignificant. One of millions, neither special nor unique. I did not ask for this ignominy, and I resent the comparison. Fine. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/you-are-insignificant-one-of-millions-neither-special-nor-unique-i/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [President Obama's achievements and failures must be evaluated by comparison to those chief executives who have come before him and not be measured against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-garrow/president-obama-s-achievements-and-failures-must-be-evaluated-by/) [David Garrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-garrow/) > [Composing a piece of music is very feminine. It is sensitive, emotional, contemplative. By comparison, doing housework is positively masculine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kolb/composing-a-piece-of-music-is-very-feminine-it-is-sensitive-emotional/) [Barbara Kolb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kolb/) > [I think the first person to call me 'Britain's Obama' was Martin Bright at the New Statesman. Harriet Harman made the comparison once at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuka-umunna/i-think-the-first-person-to-call-me-britain-s-obama-was-martin-bright/) [Chuka Umunna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuka-umunna/) > [The insolence of base minds in success is boundless; and would scarce admit of a comparison, did not they themselves furnish us with one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-sterne/the-insolence-of-base-minds-in-success-is-boundless-and-would-scarce/) [Laurence Sterne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-sterne/) > [The wise man does not permit himself to set up even in his own mind any comparisons of his friends. His friendship is capable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dudley-warner/the-wise-man-does-not-permit-himself-to-set-up-even-in-his-own-mind/) [Charles Dudley Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dudley-warner/) > [It’s always going to be easy to live like others or other’s life, because creating or innovating something of own is always difficult in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anuj/it-s-always-going-to-be-easy-to-live-like-others-or-other-s-life/) [Anuj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anuj/) > [The streets, at least in this part of town, seemed impossibly clean in comparison to London. The public telephones were unvandalised. For a London…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/the-streets-at-least-in-this-part-of-town-seemed-impossibly-clean-in/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [It is only through contact and comparison that the relative value or worthlessness of the various cultural elements can be clearly and critically seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hu-shih/it-is-only-through-contact-and-comparison-that-the-relative-value-or/) [Hu Shih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hu-shih/) > [I feel I'm in 2006 form to be honest. I hear a lot of comparisons to 2004, but I never changed. Last year was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alecko-eskandarian/i-feel-i-m-in-2006-form-to-be-honest-i-hear-a-lot-of-comparisons-to/) [Alecko Eskandarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alecko-eskandarian/) > [Perhaps the comparison is closer to the Chinese cook who leaves hardly any part of a duck unserved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-greene/perhaps-the-comparison-is-closer-to-the-chinese-cook-who-leaves/) [Graham Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-greene/) [Browse all 1,152 Comparison quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comparison/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "But then foreign critics right away made sweeping comparisons to haiku, noh theater, and directors like Ozu, as if the movie were somehow representative of Japan - which was, well, not what I was after. Similarly, with After Life, I deliberately set out to make a movie that was unlike what I imagined the foreign conception of Japan to be, and I figured non-Japanese wouldn't find it interesting at all.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Hirokazu Koreeda" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hirokazu-koreeda/but-then-foreign-critics-right-away-made-sweeping-comparisons-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Comparison" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hirokazu-koreeda/but-then-foreign-critics-right-away-made-sweeping-comparisons-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/920/hirokazu-koreeda-40756_comparison_but-then-foreign-critics-right-away-made_308520.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/920/hirokazu-koreeda-40756_comparison_but-then-foreign-critics-right-away-made_308520.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/920/hirokazu-koreeda-40756_comparison_but-then-foreign-critics-right-away-made_308520.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But then foreign critics right away made sweeping comparisons to haiku, noh theater, and directors like Ozu…” — Hirokazu Koreeda", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Hirokazu Koreeda", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hirokazu-koreeda/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "But then foreign critics right away...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hirokazu-koreeda/but-then-foreign-critics-right-away-made-sweeping-comparisons-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hirokazu-koreeda/but-then-foreign-critics-right-away-made-sweeping-comparisons-to/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```