Tokyo Story

Yasujiro Ozu's Tokyo Story (1953) is almost inevitably on every film critic's list of favourite films. It is one of the most praised Asian films all over the world. Now that I rewatched it, I can guarantee that its impact is even bigger the more you watch it. Tokyo Story is the tragic story of an elderly couple who go to Tokyo to visit their children and grandchildren. The longer they stay the more apparent it becomes that the children dont have time for them and treat them rather coldly.

As usually, Ozu creates a fantastic story about a family in Tokyo Story. He observes the Japanese honestly without any exaggeration and the difference he reveals between generations is astounding. Upon meeting their grandparents for the first time, one boy runs away in terror and the other whines about his desk having been moved to make space for the grandparents. The adults only seem to care about their own business and eventually leave the elderly couple on their own. Ozu doesnt make it melodramatic - instead he approaches the sad subject as minimalistically as it is possible. This subtle richness gives it a heartbreaking mood and that way the actual dramatic moments have a lot stronger impact on the viewer.

Ozu's brilliant form is something I will never stop admiring. His camera is always set just a little above the ground and it almost never moves - and when it does move, it's really effective (there is only one moving shot in Tokyo Story). His framing is so brilliant and he likes to come back to the same compositions a few times during the film and it gives the film more poignancy although it does not reach the levels of Hou's City of Sadness in Ozu's Tokyo Story. He breaks a few rules used in Hollywood - like having actors speak their lines directly at the camera (not for comical purposes) and he also broke the so-called 180degree rule once in a while. His films also feature transition shots ("pillow shots") that signal the change of location by using a few shots of scenery. His cinematic language full of these lovely little details that make the films a lot more fascinating to watch.

Tokyo Story is a brilliant, poignant film that deserves all of its praise. Although it might be hard to watch for some people, I would recommend it to anyone. It is one of the greatest films ever made.

Score: 10 out of 10