not very long ago i did an ozu marathon: a story of floating weeds (1934), late spring (1949), early summer (1951), tokyo story (1953), floating weeds (1959 which was a remake of a story of floating weeds), and good morning (1959). watching a film by yasujiro ozu is like being invited into a japanese home, and siting and watching life unfold. the common thread to all of ozu's films is the importance of family. every film is about family, and even though he is always the optimist, ozu is able to retell theses stories without an once of cliche or manipulation.
though he was a contemporary of kurosawa, ozu films were completely his own.
show me one frame of ozu's work, and I can tell you it's him. there is absolutely no camera movement. no dolly, no pans, no tilts, and yet his composition of each shot keeps you eyes glued to the screen. a story of floating weeds is a beautiful contemplative silent film. takeshi sakomoto plays the leader of a traveling theater group, who returns to the town he grew up in. it's a story of reconnecting with your youth, and realizing the truth in the old saying; once you leave home, you can never go back.
criterion's eclipse line just released a set of 3 of ozu's silent comedies. can't wait to get my hands on those.
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