Episode Details

Yuki Irikura, Assistant Professor at Waseda University, mostly selects D.W. Griffith films for her 1909 list, reflecting the director’s growing powers and appeal. She concludes, however, with old-school tricks and the debut of Japan’s first film star.

Yuki’s research focuses on Japanese and American silent film history. She earned her Ph.D. in February 2024 with a dissertation on Bluebird Photoplays, examining the company’s production of five-reel feature films, their popularity in Japan, and the contributions of the company’s female filmmakers and actresses.

Visit the5bestfilmsofeveryyearever.com/list to submit your own top five for 1909!

Films mentioned:

• Those Awful Hats (1909) - D.W. Griffith
• The Country Doctor (1909) - D.W. Griffith
• Lines of White on a Sullen Sea (1909) - D.W. Griffith
• Whimsical Illusions (1909) - Georges Méliès
• Goban Tadanobu (1909) - Shôzô Makino
• A Corner in Wheat (1909) - D.W. Griffith
• True Heart Susie (1919) - D.W. Griffith
• The Birth of a Nation (1915) - D.W. Griffith
• A Trip to the Moon (1902) - Georges Méliès
• The Wizard of Oz (1939) - Victor Fleming
• Hugo (2011) - Martin Scorsese
• Metropolis (1927) - Fritz Lang
• Jiraiya the Hero (1921) - Shôzô Makino
• Orochi (1925) - Buntarō Futagawa