Wednesday, April 7, 2010
The Japanese Aesthetic
For many moviegoers, the films of Ozu are typically Japanese, drawing on a history of theater, printmaking, and Zen rituals that are very different from the West. Do you find an aesthetic or "feel" to Tokyo Story that is different from American or even European films? If you know anything about Japanese culture, do you see parallels between this film and other Japanese art or rituals? Do you gain a sense of mono no aware, the appreciation of the inherent sadness of life due to the transcience of beauty?
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It seems from what we have viewed in class, all three regions have distinctly different aesthetics. While American and European share certain factors, Ozu's Japanese Tokyo Story is extremely different from the other films. It seems to focus less on plot and the telling of a story. In American films, the movie is all about the story it is telling. As American viewers, I feel we fixate on the story more than the visual aesthetics. There are countless movies that have been beautifully done but cast away by people I know due to a less than stellar plot. While Tokyo Story had a plot, it did not seem to be the focus of the movie. Instead the movie revolved around the mundane action, or perhaps better said in this case, inaction of life. Long drawn out scenes are common in the movie and they often depict nothing more than the characters fanning themselves or packing.
ReplyDeleteI feel these techniques used to create a sense of mono no aware to suceed in creating a sense of sadness but not through passing beauty. I gained the sadness more through the characters interactions with each other. The children were so put out by their parents visit and the parents could feel the resentment their children were feeling. Theres no beauty in such tense relationships, its really just sad to see such weak bonds between family.
I agree that Tokyo Story is far different than any of the other films we have viewed. It brings a different view from the acting to the scenery. I believe the acting is what gives us this sense of sadness. The plot is somewhat boring and not much happens, therefore it is up to the actors to make the rest of the movie interesting. Even though this type of acting is far different from that in American films, I believe it is mostly a cultural tradition. The actors do not show the emotions that they are feeling even in the most dramatic of situations. This is shown by the mother’s death as the children do not cry for the most part except for the daughter in law. The director could also be insinuating that this is the reason she is somewhat withdrawn from the family, because she is not completely traditional. However, she is the only one that treats the parents well and welcomes them to Tokyo. The children mostly seemed bothered by their visit even after the mother dies, they make it seem like it’s a nuisance to come home for the funeral. I think that there is a sense of mono no aware especially after the mother dies, because her husband loved her so dearly, more than the children did it seems. This is especially evident in the end when he is sitting alone fanning himself as he looks sad and lost.
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