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Post by svsg on Sept 17, 2009 18:29:37 GMT
I haven't even watched a single film of his... shame... considering the ratings in this thread. Four of his films are 8 films below from the top of my netflix queue.
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Kino
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Post by Kino on Sept 17, 2009 18:40:22 GMT
I haven't even watched a single film of his... shame... considering the ratings in this thread. Four of his films are 8 films below from the top of my netflix queue. Start with Early Spring. What films are queued above the Ozus? |
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Post by svsg on Sept 17, 2009 21:31:43 GMT
This is my Q (truncated at the last Ozu enqueued):
Taste of Cherry
Pickpocket
A Man Escaped
Diary of a Country Priest
Akira Kurosawa's Dreams
La Jetee / Sans Soleil
Private Fears in Public Places
Late Ozu: Early Spring
Late Ozu: Tokyo Twilight
Late Ozu: The End of Summer
Late Ozu: Late Autumn
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Kino
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Post by Kino on Sept 17, 2009 23:21:50 GMT
SVSG, my recommendation (in order):
Early Spring
Late Spring
Tokyo Twilight
Floating Weeds (if Netflix doesn't have it, then go for the original Story of Floating Weeds which has a terrible score by Criterion...better to find some music you like or watch it in silence)
Early Summer
Tokyo Story
The End of Summer
Late Autumn
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Post by quentincompson on Sept 18, 2009 3:43:57 GMT
I would suggest anyone start with Early Summer, but I'm glad you liked Early Spring that much, thought it was great. Interesting to see Tokyo Twilight that high on your rankings.
Yep watched it in silence. I think it's much better than the talkie.
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Kino
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Post by Kino on Sept 18, 2009 22:52:35 GMT
I would suggest anyone start with Early Summer, but I'm glad you liked Early Spring that much, thought it was great. Interesting to see Tokyo Twilight that high on your rankings. The first Ozu I recommend depends on the person. I don't have a go-to Ozu for newbies. For SVSG, given his affinity with certain subject matter and themes, Early Spring is the best bet, I think. But yes, I think Early Spring is tremendous and as major a work as the Big Three - Tokyo Story, Early Summer, and Late Spring. Tokyo Twilight is Ozu's most melodramatic film I've seen. I was kind of underwhelmed by it the first time because I like my Ozu low-key. However, on a revisit, putting aside what I prefer from Ozu, the film is excellent on its own terms. It's also his darkest film and it goes to show how varied his work is contrary to preconceived notions of Ozu films. I also think the silent is better than the talkie, but I think the talkie is Ozu's best looking color film. |
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Post by Anasazie on Sept 19, 2009 1:53:42 GMT
Late Spring (along with Weekend) as one of those always love and lauded films that i save for further down the track! But may need to check them both out finally soon.....
Have you seen Flavour of Green Tea Over Rice kino? Got it rented for this weekend....
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Post by quentincompson on Sept 20, 2009 14:31:39 GMT
I just bought that one, now I wish I would've waited.
Late Spring may be my # 1 ever but I don't think you'll like it as much as Tokyo Story, but of course you'll still love it.
Yep same. I also think it's his darkest, outside of Tokyo Story, but it just didn't move me as much as the others.
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Post by svsg on Nov 16, 2009 19:13:53 GMT
Early Spring  Didn't sweep me away, but really liked the film - very subtle and kept me absorbed, especially the theme of "salaried man". Glad that it was an urban story, it always helps me to hook on to a director's work more easily. |
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Post by svsg on Nov 23, 2009 4:01:20 GMT
Early Spring Tokyo Twilight  I am beginning to like his style. |
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Capo
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Post by Capo on Nov 23, 2009 10:29:21 GMT
Tokyo Story's on at my arthouse soon...
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Post by Anasazie on Nov 24, 2009 5:26:53 GMT
Do it Capo....do it!
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Post by svsg on Nov 29, 2009 18:15:52 GMT
Early Spring Tokyo Twilight Late Spring I was close to tears by the end, great treatment of the father-daughter bond. For his reputation for the static-camera style, this film has plenty of tracking shots, all in a good way. I find it a bit tough to differentiate between roles of actors playing very similar characters - like the father role played by the same actor in both Tokyo Twilight and Late Spring, with similar settings (Tokyo, Kamakura) and having a daughter (no less played by the same actress - but luckily looking very different). BTW, what is the logic behind the seasonal names of his films? |
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Post by svsg on Dec 6, 2009 17:21:17 GMT
Early Spring Tokyo Twilight Late Spring Story of floating weeds  My first silent film ever - I was pleasantly surprised that after a while I wasn't bothered by the silence and started enjoying it. The theme surrounding the stigma of traveling actors did not appeal to me. The drama that results as a consequence of this, therefore, is unrelatable for me. |
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Post by svsg on Dec 13, 2009 3:22:04 GMT
Early Spring Tokyo Twilight Late Spring Story of floating weeds Early Summer Didn't quite leave the same impact as Late Spring, though I thoroughly enjoyed it. Somewhere earlier in this thread I mentioned (before I saw any of his films) that I was opposed to the idea of comic relief. Now I am a big fan of his humor, especially in this film. I don't think he uses humor as "relief" at all - he uses it in the right places, making me like a character all the more. I love his use of major ellipses in all his films. I also felt that Noriko's decision came from nowhere |
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Post by svsg on Dec 21, 2009 3:16:37 GMT
Early Spring Tokyo Twilight Late Spring Story of floating weeds Early Summer Tokyo Story |
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Kino
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Post by Kino on Dec 24, 2009 19:36:20 GMT
Early Spring Tokyo Twilight Late Spring Story of floating weeds Early Summer Tokyo Story I don't think you rate films that high without an emotional or thematic connection so what I'm wondering about is what do you think of his films' aesthetic? |
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Post by svsg on Dec 25, 2009 3:24:13 GMT
In the light of the recent discussion in Avatar thread over the word "aesthetic", I am not sure what you mean by that here... So I'll explain in different terms.
I definitely made connection with his films, emotionally, thematically and stylistically.
Emotionally, I related most to "Tokyo Story". The day I watched it, I was talking to my mother later over phone and some conversation reminded me of the movie later in the night and I broke down and wept like a baby. I also connected with his "Late spring" emotionally, having observed similar feelings in people I know.
Thematically, other than the obvious emphasis on family relationships (which I like BTW), I feel that he dealt with very modern topics. I am not an expert on how post-war Japan looked like, but his female protagonists are remarkably modern in their thoughts, which I liked a lot. That way, "Early Summer" and "Late Spring" strike a chord within me. Also, he was bold enough to show the younger generation to be underachievers of sorts - "Early Spring" and "Tokyo Story" come to mind. The dark portrayal of generations dealing with similar problems also struck me significantly in "Tokyo Twilight".
Stylistically, I have become a major fan of his simple camera movements and careful framing. Now when I see other films, I keep questioning gratuitous camera movements. I like the music used too, which generally creates a calm background (for emotions to modulate upon) and is never manipulative. I am really curious to see a color film of his, to see how he handled it. I notice that he keeps switching his camera to different angles around the living room (which seems to be the most common location for his scenes) or a sake bar. So his camera is far from being stuck at one place, like I had imagined before seeing his films. I also like his editing, with major ellipses in narrative. Even though I am familiar with that, having seen these many films of his, it still surprises me every time there is an ellipsis. I can't think of anything negative to say about his style at this point. Did you notice (in the top 5 thread) that I already have him in my top 3 ?
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Capo
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Post by Capo on Dec 26, 2009 1:06:45 GMT
Okay. Ozu is top of my to-see list as of now.
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Post by svsg on Dec 27, 2009 4:33:52 GMT
Early Spring Tokyo Twilight Late Spring Story of floating weeds Early Summer Tokyo Story End of Summer Loved the last few minutes, but it had no lasting impact on me. |
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