MovieChat Forums > Banshun (1972) Discussion > Favorite Ozu film (vague spoilers)

Favorite Ozu film (vague spoilers)

posted 18 years ago by MovieMan0283part2
11 replies | jump to latest

At this point I've only seen Tokyo Story, both versions of Floating Weeds and this, so it's a bit early to say, but I think this is the film I get the most out of. I saw it years ago in a film class and was really moved by the ending but otherwise the film seemed a little too limited for my taste - having not really warmed up to Ozu's minimalist style yet.

But after watching it (and Tokyo Story) again I can say that while there's plenty of sadness and no real happy ending, there's more warmth here than I found in Tokyo Story and there's also a spellbinding piece of cinema with the Noh play - a sequence which completely bored me the first time I saw Late Spring but fascinated me this time. The bicycle-riding scene also sticks out to me as an especially "cinematic" moment...and I know that's not what we're supposed to look for from Ozu, but I still have my needs...

[–] kerpan 18 years ago

The bike-riding scene shows Ozu channeling Hollywood -- big-time. (after all, he played hookie from making propaganda films -- by watching all sorts of contraband US and UK films while posted in Singapore).

Lots of movement, and large-scale close-ups of Setsuko Hara as a sweater girl.

MEK

Every dream is a prophecy: every jest is an earnest in the womb of Time.

[–] MovieMan0283part2 18 years ago

"The bike-riding scene shows Ozu channeling Hollywood"

Ha ha, well maybe that's why I respond to it so easily...

It did hit me as an archetypal forties moment for some reason.

[–] kerpan 18 years ago

He said that he watched almost NO Japanese films in his youth, only Hollywood ones.

In the late 30s, the breakdown of relations between the US and Japan meant that virtually no Hollywood films made it to Japan -- so Ozu had lots of catching up to do when he was posted to singapore late in the war -- and found a stash of hundreds of confiscated Western films. His favorite -- Citizen Kane. ;~}

MEK

Every dream is a prophecy: every jest is an earnest in the womb of Time.

[–] HemingwayHero 18 years ago

Was Citizen Kane really Ozu's favourite (Western) film?

To respond to the original post, Late Spring is my favourite Ozu film as well.

[–] kerpan 18 years ago

...Ozu said CK was his favorite from the big stash of contraband films he watched in Singapore (and he said he watched it the most times). I'm not sure that Ozu said this was his favorite Western film of all time. ;~}

He also apparently especially liked Lloyd and Lubitsch films -- and admired various things Ford did in some of his films.

MEK

Every dream is a prophecy: every jest is an earnest in the womb of Time.

[–] brendastern 16 years ago

I would watch Early Summer and then make up your mind. You might find it more approachable than Late Spring. But the three movies -- Late Spring, Early Summer and Tokyo Story -- are marvels of film making.

[–] Jes' Sayin' (5958) a year ago

He probably studied Citizen Kane for its technical aspects such as deep focus, framing and so on.

"If you are going to show a street scene at night, make sure the pavement is wet." --Orson Welles

[–] zurichpoet 12 years ago

Claire Denis' 35 Shots of Rum. Ozu with a focus, a soul.

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] coolbrett 11 years ago

I found the story of Late Spring very un-interesting. They may as well have told the story of a family trying to decide what to have for dinner. I thought the Noh sequence was fascinating too though. And Late Spring did have some good things about it, but overall I just wasn't enthralled by the dull plot. Tokyo Story was better.

No expectations, no disappointments.

[–] ibbi 9 years ago

I've definitely always found it a stronger film than Tokyo Story. It's equally powerful, but far less forcefully and obviously yanks at your heartstrings.

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