Yasujirou Ozu, Tokyo Story

Theatrical Poster for Tokyo Story

The phrase, "art imitates life," at first struck me as just another cliché. However, after I found myself in my new apartment, without an internet connection (or furniture, or lights), and a copy of Yasujirou Ozu's Tokyo Monogatari (東京物語, Tokyo Story), I decided that perhaps I should go ahead and write about this film. Ozu often appears on lists of the greatest film makers, and has a strong following among cinephiles—those familiar with me know that I'm not a cinephile—however, outside of such circles, it seems that his reputation is Overshadowed by Akira Kurosawa.

For many—I assume—Akira Kurosawa stands out as the creator of some of the most memorable Japanese films to western audiences. However, according to film critic Donald Richie, Ozu is the most Japanese director. Kurosawa is known for making jidaigeki (時代劇) or period dramas. Even though they aren't action oriented in the sense of some western movies, they are driven by greater conflicts, mostly wars. Ozu's films are mostly concerned with the lives of ordinary Japanese families, and his films are almost always set within the homes of these families.

An example of a scene from the film.

Tokyo Story is considered to be Ozu's masterpiece, and in all the details of the storytelling, this shows. Perhaps, he is best known for his use of low, wide-angle shots to depict the subjects of the story in their home. Most scenes feature sitting subjects, so this positioning of the camera gives the sense that the viewer is seated in the same room as the characters-- indeed, it is also a practical constraint from filming inside the confines of a typical Japanese home, which provided relatively little space.

The genre of the film is best described as social realism—Ozu, throughout his career was keenly interested in portraying the dissolution of the Japanese family. In this story, an elderly couple travels to Tokyo to visit their children, only to find them busy with their own lives. The story moves along at it's own pace, but the plot isn't driven so much by action or dramatic tension as much as it is by the attitudes of the characters involved. That isn't to say, however, that the story isn't well written. Quite the contrary, the plot is engrossing—I felt myself absorbed almost immediately—and elegant.

Robert McKee wrote that "the archetypal story unearths a universally human experience, then wraps itself inside a unique, culture-specific expression." Tokyo Story takes something archetypal, as the family, but places them into the cultural atmosphere of post-war Japan. This is a theme that he would revisit throughout his career, often incorporating experiences from his own life into his films.

To anyone new to this film— or viewing it again— I suggest tracking down a copy of the Criterion collection's DVD, as it is accompanied by two documentaries on Ozu's films. Admittedly, a great deal of the information here comes from these sources, but it is important to see and hear this from the actors who worked closely with him.

読んで、ありがとう。