Tokyo Story (8.7/10)

Yasujiro Ozu, 1953.
What is interesting about Ozu is that he never married nor had any children. Yet the majority of his films deal with complicated family relationships set among the backdrop of the moral and social upheaval in post war Japan. His stories explore prevalent themes in Japanese society at the time. Primarily the paradox of doing what is beneficial for the family at expense of ones own happiness and personal freedom. This is why the notion of arranged marriages is such a common topic in many of his films including Tokyo Story, along with the burden of having to deal with ones elderly parents at expense of the ones livelihood.


In reality Ozu was a heavy drinker who ran his film sets in a strict totalitarian fashion. I assume that the ideal family he created in his films is a substitute for his lack of one in reality. This notion of the director living vicariously through his films is fascinating, and adds another layer of interpretation to the film. The complexity of Ozu’s imaginary family juxtaposed with the simple story is what makes Tokyo Story a phenomenal film.

Aesthetically Ozu’s films are perfect. Every shot is simple yet perfectly balanced. He had his custom-made tripod fabricated to ensure that every shot is eye level with a person sitting on the ground, creating a very intimate atmosphere. My only criticism is that too much of the film takes place within cramped indoor spaces, giving the film an almost claustrophobic quality. I attribute this to the fact that interior shots are easier to control with less variables to contend with (weather, public, quality of natural light, background noise, etc), and that the home is where the majority of family interaction takes place.

If I ever decide to make a film, the first thing I would do is intently study Ozu. Not just simply watching his films, but becoming obsessed with them, watching them repeatedly, reading and rereading every essay written about him. I would not even attempt to make a film until his aesthetic was deeply ingrained in my consciousness to the point of being brainwashed. I think the above would be prudent advice to any new filmmaker, as well as the majority of established ones. It is not surprising that Ozu has inspired and influenced directors such as Jim Jarmusch, Abbas Kiarostami, and Wim Wenders among countless others.

Note: Wenders film Tokyo Ga (6.8/10) is a very good and entertaining introduction to the works of Yasujiro Ozu. The Criterion Edition of Tokyo Story includes it as a supplement and I strongly recommend watching it before the feature (not to mention it has amusing cameos by Werner Herzog and Chris Marker).

American Friend (6.5/10)

Wim Wenders (1977)
The combination of Wim Wenders, Bruno Ganz, and Dennis Hopper is at least a promising recipe for a great film, but ultimately falls short. Not surprisingly, Dennis Hopper is impressive as a sociopath art dealer who specializes in selling counterfeit paintings and Wenders style is on point, but the storey is weak bringing down the overall quality of the film. I also found Wenders aesthetic although beautiful, to be somewhat contrived and unnatural giving the film a slightly pretentious quality. The cinematography was not nearly as refined as his later films such as Paris Texas (8.0/10) or Wings of Desire (7.6/10). I suspect that American Friend was a film that allowed Wenders to build and develop his aesthetic which he ultimately perfects in the masterpieces mentioned above.

His madness is truly believable.

Hoppers performance was strong, because like always his insanity is believable. Playing his quintessential trademarked character of morally inept psychopath, one can not tell if he is acting or simply being himself; the best actor is the one who does not act. His madness, albeit not as believable as in Blue Velvet (8.3/10) or Apocalypse Now (8.6/10), is the only viable reason to watch the film.

Under the Volcano (7.3/10)

John Huston (1984)
Based on the novel by Malcolm Lowry it is very similar to Conrad’s Heart of Darkness; in the sense that it chronicles the classic cliché story of one mans decent into darkest realms of human existence. The protagonist being a former British diplomat living in a small Mexican Town is a superlatively educated, well spoken gentleman with a severe drinking problem. His strong character combined with the vibrantly colorful day of the dead visuals (skulls, flowers, devils, etc) give the film a great style, which is evident in the opening scenes of him walking through the streets of Quauhanhauc inebriated wearing a tuxedo and sunglasses. I recommend seeing the film if only for the amazing traditional Mexican cult of the dead images and intelligently insightful dialogue; “How unless you drink as I do, can hope to understand the beauty of an old Indian Women playing dominoes with a chicken?”