Following the end of World War II in the 1940s, the following decade, the 1950s, marked a 'Golden Age' for non-English world cinema,[11][12] especially for Asian cinema.[13][14] Many of the most critically acclaimed Asian films of all time were produced during this decade, including Yasujiro Ozu's Tokyo Story (1953), Satyajit Ray'sThe Apu Trilogy (1955–1959) and The Music Room (1958), Kenji Mizoguchi's Ugetsu (1954) and Sansho the Bailiff (1954), Raj Kapoor's Awaara (1951), Mikio Naruse'sFloating Clouds (1955), Guru Dutt's Pyaasa (1957) and Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959), and the Akira Kurosawa films Rashomon (1950), Ikiru (1952), Seven Samurai (1954) andThrone of Blood (1957).[13][14]
During Japanese cinema's 'Golden Age' of the 1950s, successful films included Rashomon (1950), Seven Samurai (1954) and The Hidden Fortress (1958) by Akira Kurosawa, as well as Yasujiro Ozu's Tokyo Story (1953) and Ishirō Honda's Godzilla (1954).[15] These films have had a profound influence on world cinema. In particular, Kurosawa's Seven Samurai has been remade several times as Western films, such as The Magnificent Seven (1960) and Battle Beyond the Stars (1980), and has also inspired several Bollywood films, such as Sholay (1975) and China Gate (1998). Rashomon was also remade as The Outrage (1964), and inspired films with "Rashomon effect" storytelling methods, such as Andha Naal (1954), The Usual Suspects (1995) and Hero (2002). The Hidden Fortress was also the inspiration behind George Lucas'Star Wars (1977). Other famous Japanese filmmakers from this period include Kenji Mizoguchi, Mikio Naruse, Hiroshi Inagaki and Nagisa Oshima.[13] Japanese cinema later became one of the main inspirations behind the New Hollywood movement of the 1960s to 1980s.
During Indian cinema's 'Golden Age' of the 1950s, it was producing 200 films annually, while Indian independent films gained greater recognition through international film festivals. One of the most famous was The Apu Trilogy (1955–1959) from critically acclaimed Bengali film director Satyajit Ray, whose films had a profound influence on world cinema, with directors such as Akira Kurosawa,[16] Martin Scorsese,[17][18] James Ivory,[19] Abbas Kiarostami, Elia Kazan, François Truffaut,[20] Steven Spielberg,[21][22][23] Carlos Saura,[24] Jean-Luc Godard,[25] Isao Takahata,[26] Gregory Nava, Ira Sachs, Wes Anderson[27] and Danny Boyle[28] being influenced by his cinematic style. According to Michael Sragow of The Atlantic Monthly, the "youthful coming-of-age dramas that have flooded art houses since the mid-fifties owe a tremendous debt to the Apu trilogy".[29] Subrata Mitra's cinematographic technique of bounce lighting also originates from The Apu Trilogy.[30] Other famous Indian filmmakers from this period include Guru Dutt,[13] Ritwik Ghatak,[14] Mrinal Sen, Raj Kapoor, Bimal Roy, K. Asif and Mehboob Khan.[31]
The cinema of South Korea also experienced a 'Golden Age' in the 1950s,[32] beginning with director Lee Kyu-hwan's tremendously successful remake of Chunhyang-jon(1955).[33] That year also saw the release of Yangsan Province by the renowned director, Kim Ki-young, marking the beginning of his productive career. Both the quality and quantity of filmmaking had increased rapidly by the end of the 1950s. South Korean films, such as Lee Byeong-il's 1956 comedy Sijibganeun nal (The Wedding Day), had begun winning international awards. In contrast to the beginning of the 1950s, when only 5 movies were made per year, 111 films were produced in South Korea in 1959.[34]
The 1950s was also a 'Golden Age' for Philippine cinema, with the emergence of more artistic and mature films, and significant improvement in cinematic techniques among filmmakers. The studio system produced frenetic activity in the local film industry as many films were made annually and several local talents started to earn recognition abroad. The premiere Philippine directors of the era included Gerardo de Leon, Gregorio Fernandez, Eddie Romero, Lamberto Avellana, and Cirio Santiago.[35][36
