Why is Yasujirō Ozu regarded as the most "Japanese" filmmaker?
I am studying Ozu and his films, and I often come across the sentence that he is the most "Japanese" filmmaker. Ozu's style is very different and unique, however my question is what are the unique aspects of his films that make him the most "Japanese"?
Best Answer
First of all, the notion that Ozu was "Japanese" came from the Japanese themselves, initially. Recall that he started to gain popularity there in the 1940s, when it was not at all to be assumed that all Japanese movies would travel, and they definitely did not think that his would.
Ozu is famous for shooting with the camera at the eye-height of a person kneeling on a tatami mat. The pacing is slow and contemplative, and his subject is always the Japanese family and the changes that have affected it. Overt displays of emotion are never allowed, and yet the ending of Tokyo Story would wring tears from a stone.
I guess the Japanese felt Westerners couldn't relate to this style, so different from American movies. How wrong they were.
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Why is Yasujiro Ozu important?
He broke every rule there was and did it the most subtle way possible. Ozu's films exercised the most discreet rebellion against cinematic norm. Widely considered the most Japanese of all film directors, his films feature no heroes or villains. We simply witness life in motion.What was Ozu known for?
Ozu first made a number of short comedies, before turning to more serious themes in the 1930s. The most prominent themes of Ozu's work are marriage and family, especially the relationships between generations. His most widely beloved films include Late Spring (1949), Tokyo Story (1953), and An Autumn Afternoon (1962).What was Yasujiro Ozu cinematography style?
Precise compositions, contemplative pacing, low camera angles, and elliptical storytelling are just some of the signature techniques the great filmmaker used to evoke a sense of melancholy and poetry in everyday existence.Who did Ozu inspire?
Ozu himself has been an influence on such diverse Western directors as Jim Jarmusch, Paul Schrader, and Martin Scorsese. He inspired a documentary by Wim Wenders and was frequently the subject of books by Donald Richie, a scholar of Japanese cinema.Why Did Ozu Cut To A Vase?
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