Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by tinear (A) on February 01, 2006 at 05:18:40

The films of Ozu are the hardest to review because their magic is so subtle. When one analyzes the "plot," one realizes that it's often as insignificant as any common tv melodrama. Seldom does anyone raise a voice in violent anger. Scenes go on for long periods with static shots predominating. Characters rapidly are introduced sometimes with little to differentiate them, leading to a confusion which can take an entire film to dissipate.
But... there are few pleasures more serene than relaxing and letting this master take you deep within Japanese culture.
In this movie, the "action" centers at first on some funds missing from a women's guild and then, glacially, moves on to the rebellious acts of two brothers who feud with their parents over the purchase of a tv. A drunken neighbor who is fighting the boredom and loss of income after retirement, a lonely, shy, underemployed bachelor--- these are the lives are illuminated by the gentle light of Ozu.
But within these pale colors, much as Utrillo or Corot did in their paintings, Ozu captures the world.
The energy, vitality, and spirit of children, the sacrifices necessary to succeed even in poverty, the challenges of aging, the impact work has on women, the problems that arise when people are forced to live in cramped quarters on top of each other--- all of these issues profoundly are addressed through a series of delightful scenes.
The American artist closest to Ozu, at least in spirit, may be Thornton Wilder or Sherwood Anderson. Like him, seemingly common events hold the keys to human nature and are made fascinating.