Ozu

[poliphilo]

Ozu is like a dogme director in the way he restricts himself.

The camera never moves, it's always positioned low down, the screenplay fastidiously sidesteps drama. 

But unlike the dogme directors, he's not just exercising his virtuosity.

When his characters sit and look at one of those raked sand gardens with rocks in them, they're doing what he expects his audience to do.

The camera puts us on our knees before his people. We pay them respect.

We contemplate their lives- their very ordinary lives.

The longer we gaze on the surface the more we see into the depths.

Comments

[karenkay.livejournal.com]

raked gravel

This is a good description of Ozu. "Tokyo Story" is one of my favorite films ever.

[seaslug-of-doom.livejournal.com]

Odd you should bring him up just as I'm going to watch the latter of the two versions of his film, Floating Weeds.