What was your reaction to viewing “Tokyo Story”? Explain why you have the reaction and, using Roger Ebert’s review as a guide, comment on something he has said in your reaction.
As a married man of some 30 years I felt this movie deeply indeed. Roger Ebert ends his review with a line of dialogue from a grieving husband that I will remember for a long time: "Living alone like this, the days will get very long." Yasujiro Ozu knows people, that I can say for sure. Through his quiet work in “Tokyo Story,” the director made me feel like an observer of reality, a reality that helps us, as Ebert says so eloquently, to “make small steps against our imperfections.” I recognize all the kinds of people I meet regularly in my working life as a teacher and in my personal life as well. And, like Ebert, I am always “near tears” for much of the last 30 minutes on screen. On returning home the first time I watched the film I said to my wife that we must watch “Tokyo Story” together some time. It will not be easy and I am not ready to do it just yet. But, for sure, it will be a richly rewarding experience for us who will soon face many of the same challenges as the adult children in the film.
NOTE: My reaction today was much the same as my first viewing two years ago (this comment was published then with minor changes). Thanks to all of you for your patience with Ozu's slow pace and unique visual presentation. I must admit that my wife and I have still not watched the film together, but we will!
“Yasujiro Ozu’s ‘Tokyo Story’ tells a tale as simple and universal as life itself. It is about a few ordinary days in the lives of some ordinary people, and then about the unanticipated death of one of them. What it tells us about the nature of life or death is not new or original—what could be?—but it is true.” – Roger Ebert Gray, slow, and simple developing is my impression about “Tokyo Story”. The director told us such a realistic even cruel human life, especially the end of people maybe after series of ups and downs in their lives. And automatically I think of what is my parent’s thinking, and what’s the situation when I get old. As I always enjoy movies as entertainment, I don’t like its subject which is so heavy and boring, as well as death was some kind smelt. Yet I admire the director’s excellent technique. Simplicity has a higher realm while explication is a good skill, I think. Ozu took shots of simple scenes, brief dialogues, and short period of story time. With nods and agreements that’s maybe not sure, Shukichi just spat few words stingily, we really clearly understand what’s meaning hidden. Brightness is attractive to our sight, but I have to admit Ozu’s plain tinct more matches their atmosphere in the daily lives. It seems that Ozu liked the style of side by side: people sitting side by side, shoes displaying side by side. There are still something stretched out upon these simple arrangements. Anyway, by such a simple way, Ozu delivered a profound theme.
The movie, “Tokyo Story”, is a different movie from what I have seen before. In China, I think “Manhunt” is the most famous Japanese movie which has influenced many Chinese lives. However, “Tokyo Story” is like a poem, which is peaceful but stirring. I see something similar to my own life from this movie. “Ozu’s lifelong theme is the destruction of the Japanese family through work and modernization”—Roger Ebert. The movie’s style is so distinct that I am attracted deeply by it. We have a more close relationship with our parents as adults in China than many other cultures. It is a tradition that the parents live with their children when they are seniors. Due to the similar situation with the movie, the families begin to become smaller to make the chain between the parents and their children and grandchildren broken. We pay attention to our own lives and neglect our parents’ feeling. In “Tokyo Story,” A person tells Keizo(the youngest son) that he should look after his parents before they leave this world behind, otherwise he would regret it. I believe that is what I can do for my parents. The rhythm of this movie is slow, and there is no strong conflict. Nevertheless, I don’t feel boring during I see the movie. Shukichi and his wife are disappointed at Koichi and Shige, but they feel warm when Noriko treats them like her own parents. Setsuko Hara’s great performance gives this movie a bright spark that I think it is hard to find a star like her in modern society. The difference between Noriko and Shukichi’s three children when they return their hometown makes me see a pure goodness, and I also hope to have an opportunity to watch this film with my family one day.
It was inconceivable that I felt finishing visiting a museum when I actually watched a film. This is my reaction after watching “Tokyo Story” directed by Yasujiro Ozu. I prefer to believe it is an artist slide show, because all the scenes seem to be arranged as one picture frame followed by another. Roger Ebert explained that “the low camera position eliminates depth and makes a two-dimensional space”. The stable slightly elevated angled camera enhanced the frame stage effect. The whole process when I watched this film was as tender as dull, rather than a highly sensational plot. Harmonizing with simple, quiet music, I had a burden of saying something out, but was disturbed by "puff-puff" sound sometimes from the fans or the steamboat. Because nobody spoke out, I was so repressed and suffering. Especially when the “puff-puff” reminded me to "move on", the feeling of being urged made me no choice, but “life goes on”. The old couple is as great as every other ordinary parent. I agree with Ebert’s comment on grandma about her endured life, but not because of her overweight. In about 50 - 60 years ago, many of these older women’s physical appearance were similar like that. However, from the dialogue among the friends and with the children, her endure great likely came from her husband’s domination to the family. The attitude of the grandchildren, and the response from their own children, largely reflected the family culture and house rule. Not to say that the old couple was intentional, but when parents put the wish of glorifying family on children, rather than making them more responsible to and loving on family, the conduct of grownups will be deviant somehow.
I’m haunted by kind of upset and helpless feeling, after watching the film “Tokyo Story”. As the middle generation between my parents and my adult child, I totally understand each situation in which family members. I would use “helpless” to describe both of “too busy” generation and disappointed parents. Although the film had shot in more than six decades ago, it is reproduction of our real life today. I can easily find such kind of similarity around us. Indeed! We are drawn to be a captive of “work, and modernization”, moreover it gradually destroys the human relationship and our family, even the love loses its pure meaning. Like a mirror, the film inspires us to reflect on our own, do we have the regret for our parents? If so, how do we compensate our fault if we have chance? I still remember my parents always like –“in such guarded words, punctuate with so many nods and agreement”-- whenever I said buys. I agree with Roger Ebert’s comment, “Ozu is not only a great director but a great teacher”. Yes! The film is a lesson and I learned how to “deal with the big questions of love, work and death”. I like its shots from eye lever because it shortens the distance between audiences and scenes. It makes visual effect more reality and nature so that I could feel which it close to me, as if I living in the story.“Tokyo Story” deserves its “The Greatest Films of All Time”.
As a married man of some 30 years I felt this movie deeply indeed. Roger Ebert ends his review with a line of dialogue from a grieving husband that I will remember for a long time: "Living alone like this, the days will get very long." Yasujiro Ozu knows people, that I can say for sure. Through his quiet work in “Tokyo Story,” the director made me feel like an observer of reality, a reality that helps us, as Ebert says so eloquently, to “make small steps against our imperfections.” I recognize all the kinds of people I meet regularly in my working life as a teacher and in my personal life as well. And, like Ebert, I am always “near tears” for much of the last 30 minutes on screen. On returning home the first time I watched the film I said to my wife that we must watch “Tokyo Story” together some time. It will not be easy and I am not ready to do it just yet. But, for sure, it will be a richly rewarding experience for us who will soon face many of the same challenges as the adult children in the film.
ReplyDeleteNOTE: My reaction today was much the same as my first viewing two years ago (this comment was published then with minor changes). Thanks to all of you for your patience with Ozu's slow pace and unique visual presentation. I must admit that my wife and I have still not watched the film together, but we will!
ReplyDelete
Reaction to Tokyo Story
ReplyDelete“Yasujiro Ozu’s ‘Tokyo Story’ tells a tale as simple and universal as life itself. It is about a few ordinary days in the lives of some ordinary people, and then about the unanticipated death of one of them. What it tells us about the nature of life or death is not new or original—what could be?—but it is true.” – Roger Ebert
Gray, slow, and simple developing is my impression about “Tokyo Story”. The director told us such a realistic even cruel human life, especially the end of people maybe after series of ups and downs in their lives. And automatically I think of what is my parent’s thinking, and what’s the situation when I get old. As I always enjoy movies as entertainment, I don’t like its subject which is so heavy and boring, as well as death was some kind smelt. Yet I admire the director’s excellent technique.
Simplicity has a higher realm while explication is a good skill, I think. Ozu took shots of simple scenes, brief dialogues, and short period of story time. With nods and agreements that’s maybe not sure, Shukichi just spat few words stingily, we really clearly understand what’s meaning hidden. Brightness is attractive to our sight, but I have to admit Ozu’s plain tinct more matches their atmosphere in the daily lives. It seems that Ozu liked the style of side by side: people sitting side by side, shoes displaying side by side. There are still something stretched out upon these simple arrangements. Anyway, by such a simple way, Ozu delivered a profound theme.
The movie, “Tokyo Story”, is a different movie from what I have seen before. In China, I think “Manhunt” is the most famous Japanese movie which has influenced many Chinese lives. However, “Tokyo Story” is like a poem, which is peaceful but stirring. I see something similar to my own life from this movie. “Ozu’s lifelong theme is the destruction of the Japanese family through work and modernization”—Roger Ebert. The movie’s style is so distinct that I am attracted deeply by it. We have a more close relationship with our parents as adults in China than many other cultures. It is a tradition that the parents live with their children when they are seniors. Due to the similar situation with the movie, the families begin to become smaller to make the chain between the parents and their children and grandchildren broken. We pay attention to our own lives and neglect our parents’ feeling. In “Tokyo Story,” A person tells Keizo(the youngest son) that he should look after his parents before they leave this world behind, otherwise he would regret it. I believe that is what I can do for my parents. The rhythm of this movie is slow, and there is no strong conflict. Nevertheless, I don’t feel boring during I see the movie. Shukichi and his wife are disappointed at Koichi and Shige, but they feel warm when Noriko treats them like her own parents. Setsuko Hara’s great performance gives this movie a bright spark that I think it is hard to find a star like her in modern society. The difference between Noriko and Shukichi’s three children when they return their hometown makes me see a pure goodness, and I also hope to have an opportunity to watch this film with my family one day.
ReplyDeleteA Comment on "Tokyo Story"
ReplyDeleteIt was inconceivable that I felt finishing visiting a museum when I actually watched a film. This is my reaction after watching “Tokyo Story” directed by Yasujiro Ozu. I prefer to believe it is an artist slide show, because all the scenes seem to be arranged as one picture frame followed by another. Roger Ebert explained that “the low camera position eliminates depth and makes a two-dimensional space”. The stable slightly elevated angled camera enhanced the frame stage effect. The whole process when I watched this film was as tender as dull, rather than a highly sensational plot. Harmonizing with simple, quiet music, I had a burden of saying something out, but was disturbed by "puff-puff" sound sometimes from the fans or the steamboat. Because nobody spoke out, I was so repressed and suffering. Especially when the “puff-puff” reminded me to "move on", the feeling of being urged made me no choice, but “life goes on”.
The old couple is as great as every other ordinary parent. I agree with Ebert’s comment on grandma about her endured life, but not because of her overweight. In about 50 - 60 years ago, many of these older women’s physical appearance were similar like that. However, from the dialogue among the friends and with the children, her endure great likely came from her husband’s domination to the family. The attitude of the grandchildren, and the response from their own children, largely reflected the family culture and house rule. Not to say that the old couple was intentional, but when parents put the wish of glorifying family on children, rather than making them more responsible to and loving on family, the conduct of grownups will be deviant somehow.
I’m haunted by kind of upset and helpless feeling, after watching the film “Tokyo Story”. As the middle generation between my parents and my adult child, I totally understand each situation in which family members. I would use “helpless” to describe both of “too busy” generation and disappointed parents. Although the film had shot in more than six decades ago, it is reproduction of our real life today. I can easily find such kind of similarity around us. Indeed! We are drawn to be a captive of “work, and modernization”, moreover it gradually destroys the human relationship and our family, even the love loses its pure meaning. Like a mirror, the film inspires us to reflect on our own, do we have the regret for our parents? If so, how do we compensate our fault if we have chance? I still remember my parents always like –“in such guarded words, punctuate with so many nods and agreement”-- whenever I said buys. I agree with Roger Ebert’s comment, “Ozu is not only a great director but a great teacher”. Yes! The film is a lesson and I learned how to “deal with the big questions of love, work and death”.
ReplyDeleteI like its shots from eye lever because it shortens the distance between audiences and scenes. It makes visual effect more reality and nature so that I could feel which it close to me, as if I living in the story.“Tokyo Story” deserves its “The Greatest Films of All Time”.