Whilst having been aware of his work since reading a detailed review in UK film mag Empire for Tokyo Story,I somehow have kept missing the chance to see a creation from auteur film maker Yasujiro Ozu. Searching for titles to view for the best films of 1942 poll taking place on ICM,I was happy to stumble on a title,which allowed me to finally watch a Ozu film.
View on the film:
Featuring a scene with snippets of patriotic songs, co-writer/(with Takao Yanai and Tadao Ikeda) directing auteur Yasujiro Ozu & cinematographer Yuharu Atsuta wisely spend the rest of the title away from the drums of WWII,instead drumming a low-key atmosphere from Ozu's distinctive styling of a camera positioned only a few feet from floor,drawing the impression of the viewer eavesdropping on conversations. Firmly holding back from any extravagance camera moves, Ozu's firmness gives the would-be big dramatic moments a earthiness,sprung from characters breaking down with their faces away from the camera and at the edges of the frame.
One of the few of his films to be set over a vast period of time, (in this case, over 25 years) the screenplay by Ozu, Ikeda and Yanai delicately use the passage of time to become intimate with Shuhei's widowed grief, which flows into the recurring themes of Ozu's work, of the generation gap building between retired teacher Shuhei and his son (who is a teacher) Ryohei. Living not only with grief for his wife but also for a accidentally drowned student, Chishu Ryu gives a great performance as Shuhei,whose reserved quietness contains shards of light for the love of his son Ryohei (a terrific Shuji Sano) who finds that there was a father.
View on the film:
Featuring a scene with snippets of patriotic songs, co-writer/(with Takao Yanai and Tadao Ikeda) directing auteur Yasujiro Ozu & cinematographer Yuharu Atsuta wisely spend the rest of the title away from the drums of WWII,instead drumming a low-key atmosphere from Ozu's distinctive styling of a camera positioned only a few feet from floor,drawing the impression of the viewer eavesdropping on conversations. Firmly holding back from any extravagance camera moves, Ozu's firmness gives the would-be big dramatic moments a earthiness,sprung from characters breaking down with their faces away from the camera and at the edges of the frame.
One of the few of his films to be set over a vast period of time, (in this case, over 25 years) the screenplay by Ozu, Ikeda and Yanai delicately use the passage of time to become intimate with Shuhei's widowed grief, which flows into the recurring themes of Ozu's work, of the generation gap building between retired teacher Shuhei and his son (who is a teacher) Ryohei. Living not only with grief for his wife but also for a accidentally drowned student, Chishu Ryu gives a great performance as Shuhei,whose reserved quietness contains shards of light for the love of his son Ryohei (a terrific Shuji Sano) who finds that there was a father.