Message from jcsmyth

[Anonymous]

"Tokyo Story" was made in 1953 by Ozu. It is unanimously recognized as a masterpiece. It may be a slow go for most of you in the first thirty minutes but hang in there. Sometimes the camera will hold as long as ten seconds on one scene. Ozu's primary subjects are the rituals and processes of middle class life. It you wish ato peak into middle class life see "Tokyo Story". It is an unvarnished look at Japenese life with the unit of observation being the family and extended family.
The shots are very unconventional. For instance, the train opens the scene as it is traveling off the screen and reappears in the last scene traveling the other direction. The film is about an elderly couple and their children and in-laws, and how they are treated on a vacation. The mother's health takes a turn for the worst at the resort and they travel to the small town to comfort the father. I won't tell you more--- other than to be aware of the use of symmetry by the director. There are no loose ends in this film and all scenes exercise efficiency and sparse resources to deliver a heart wrenching climax. You walk away thinking simpliciy is truly beauty.