Benshi

thumb|220px|Musei Tokugawa, famous benshi were Japanese performers who provided live narration for silent films (both Japanese films and Western films). Benshi are sometimes called or .

==Role== The earliest films available for public display were produced by Western studios, portraying brief scenes of everyday life, often less than a minute long. The first were thus hired to provide greater value for the high ticket prices charged by theaters relative to other public entertainment, while also giving technical and cultural context to the audience. The operation of the projector itself would be described before the showing, and then explanations of Western culture would accompany the film with the standing to the side of the screen. This commentary was as much part of the theater-going experience as the film itself. In one instance, a was able to avoid government censorship of The Kiss by describing kissing in Western culture to be as casual a greeting as a pat on the back. As film plots became longer and more complex, often spoke for the characters on-screen in theatrical style and played multiple roles. Stemming from the traditions of , and theaters, the 's narration and general commentary were an important part of the Japanese silent film experience. The also provided translation for foreign (mostly American) movies.