Tokyo Story
3/4
Starring: Chishu Ryu, Chieko Higashiyama, Setsuko Hara, Haruko Sugimura, So Yamamura, Kyoko Kagawa
Not Rated (contains nothing offensive)
Time.
It is the one constant in the universe. No matter how much we would like to, we cannot control it. Time moves on regardless of whether or not we are ready for it. Some people change, some do not. Cultures evolve, relationships shift, but the one thing that everyone can count on is that time moves forward.
One of the main themes of Yasujiro Ozu's classic 1953 film "Tokyo Story" is that it illustrates how the passage of time can be so destructive. Of course, people age, your hometown isn't the same as it was when you grew up, and so on. Ozu acknowledges this, but he also shows how painful a mistake it can be to take time for granted. You never know what you have until it's gone.
Elderly couple Shukichi (Ryu) and Tomi (Higashyama) are making the long journey from their hometown of Onomichi to the big city of Tokyo, where the majority of their children live. However, their son Koichi (Yamamura) and daughter Shige (Sugimura) are "too busy" to spend time with them, and do their best to keep them out of the way and unload them onto another sibling. Only their widowed daughter-in-law Noriko (Hara) is willing to welcome them. Shukichi and Tomi do not protest (at least on the surface) and are never less than polite, but they reflect on the gulf that has grown between them and their children. Life has moved on for them, and in many ways they have been left behind.
The best quality of "Tokyo Story" is its subtlety. Ozu never overtly explains his themes or manipulates us into the right reaction. Instead, he lets the situations speak for themselves. Ozu never moves the camera, which is often placed near the ground at a person's eye level when they are kneeling. This fly-on-the-wall approach allows us to be intimate, yet unseen, observers. In fact, characters often speak into the camera directly. Thus, there are times when I felt like I was an active participant.
The performances are exceptional. Both Chishu Ryu and Chieko Higashiyama are uncanny in the way that they can suggest how they feel without explicitly revealing it. In tone of voice and behavior, the couple is biddable and ineffectual, refusing to be a burden to their children. Yet there is a deep resignation and sadness in the poor way they are being treated. By contrast, the scenes between them and Noriko have joy because she is the only one who truly values them. The other characters don't leave much of an impression, which may be kind of the point. However, Haruko Sugimura is perfectly reprehensible as the patron saint of selfishness and hypocrisy.
"Tokyo Story" demands patience. There is very little plot to speak of, and certainly not one that is ever explicitly addressed. This is a slice-of-life drama that does not lend itself to passivity. I've long felt that many films that are considered boring or slow-moving are thought of as such because the audience expects to be drawn in with no personal engagement. For some films, that's true, but others, such as "Tokyo Story," demand what I call "active viewing." You can't expect a movie like this to draw you in all by itself. It takes an effort on your part to pay attention and be willing to be engaged.
This movie is not for everyone. Moviegoers who like their movies active and expressive like "The Dark Knight" or "Mad Max: Fury Road" will find this movie deadly dull. I remember the first time I saw it, and I was bored to tears. Even now, I was still checking the clock occasionally. But if you stick with it and are willing to meet it halfway, the rewards are undeniable.
Starring: Chishu Ryu, Chieko Higashiyama, Setsuko Hara, Haruko Sugimura, So Yamamura, Kyoko Kagawa
Not Rated (contains nothing offensive)
Time.
It is the one constant in the universe. No matter how much we would like to, we cannot control it. Time moves on regardless of whether or not we are ready for it. Some people change, some do not. Cultures evolve, relationships shift, but the one thing that everyone can count on is that time moves forward.
One of the main themes of Yasujiro Ozu's classic 1953 film "Tokyo Story" is that it illustrates how the passage of time can be so destructive. Of course, people age, your hometown isn't the same as it was when you grew up, and so on. Ozu acknowledges this, but he also shows how painful a mistake it can be to take time for granted. You never know what you have until it's gone.
Elderly couple Shukichi (Ryu) and Tomi (Higashyama) are making the long journey from their hometown of Onomichi to the big city of Tokyo, where the majority of their children live. However, their son Koichi (Yamamura) and daughter Shige (Sugimura) are "too busy" to spend time with them, and do their best to keep them out of the way and unload them onto another sibling. Only their widowed daughter-in-law Noriko (Hara) is willing to welcome them. Shukichi and Tomi do not protest (at least on the surface) and are never less than polite, but they reflect on the gulf that has grown between them and their children. Life has moved on for them, and in many ways they have been left behind.
The best quality of "Tokyo Story" is its subtlety. Ozu never overtly explains his themes or manipulates us into the right reaction. Instead, he lets the situations speak for themselves. Ozu never moves the camera, which is often placed near the ground at a person's eye level when they are kneeling. This fly-on-the-wall approach allows us to be intimate, yet unseen, observers. In fact, characters often speak into the camera directly. Thus, there are times when I felt like I was an active participant.
The performances are exceptional. Both Chishu Ryu and Chieko Higashiyama are uncanny in the way that they can suggest how they feel without explicitly revealing it. In tone of voice and behavior, the couple is biddable and ineffectual, refusing to be a burden to their children. Yet there is a deep resignation and sadness in the poor way they are being treated. By contrast, the scenes between them and Noriko have joy because she is the only one who truly values them. The other characters don't leave much of an impression, which may be kind of the point. However, Haruko Sugimura is perfectly reprehensible as the patron saint of selfishness and hypocrisy.
"Tokyo Story" demands patience. There is very little plot to speak of, and certainly not one that is ever explicitly addressed. This is a slice-of-life drama that does not lend itself to passivity. I've long felt that many films that are considered boring or slow-moving are thought of as such because the audience expects to be drawn in with no personal engagement. For some films, that's true, but others, such as "Tokyo Story," demand what I call "active viewing." You can't expect a movie like this to draw you in all by itself. It takes an effort on your part to pay attention and be willing to be engaged.
This movie is not for everyone. Moviegoers who like their movies active and expressive like "The Dark Knight" or "Mad Max: Fury Road" will find this movie deadly dull. I remember the first time I saw it, and I was bored to tears. Even now, I was still checking the clock occasionally. But if you stick with it and are willing to meet it halfway, the rewards are undeniable.
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