Isn't life disappointing?

[Urinal Cake]

Yeah I'm in that mood. But what a great film.

[Funcrusher]

I've got 'Late Spring' to watch on DVD at some point.

[Wet Blanket]

Late Spring is fantastic.

[El Unicornio, mang]

What movie is that?

[Wet Blanket]

Tokyo Story

[El Unicornio, mang]

Ok, thanks. I have that on a list of films I want to see (have seen it mentioned in quite a few best of lists), will probably watch it this week.

[Unoriginal]

Ozu is fantastic. Maybe the greatest.

[Urinal Cake]

It is a slow moving film.

[vrailaine]

I watched Late Spring last night, wasn't really doing much for me then it suddenly all clicked near the end. Seem to recall Tokyo Story being similar, but better throughout and clicking into absolutely fucking magnificent near the end.


Not so convinced about whatshername as an actress, she's perfect for the Ozu films though.

[Unoriginal]

She's not the greatest Japanese actress of all time, that mantle going to Hideko Takamine, but she's brilliant, especially in Late Spring. If anyone here is interested enough in Japanese film to care, try and watch as many Mikio Naruse films as possible. His films are a lot darker than Ozu's and tend to portray a more negative view of humanity, so I can imagine that you Verbwhores may be interested. And Takamine stars in most of them which makes them essential viewing.

[Urinal Cake]

Since I watched 'Millennium Actress' [nb]and read a bit about her[/nb] before watching any of her films it's obviously coloured my opinion of her.

She fits in a wider narrative of post-war Japan itself. Broadly speaking the opposite of Monroe and the US.

[Unoriginal]

Since I watched 'Millennium Actress' [nb]and read a bit about her[/nb] before watching any of her films it's obviously coloured my opinion of her.

She fits in a wider narrative of post-war Japan itself. Broadly speaking the opposite of Monroe and the US.

Oh, definitely. One of the most remarkable things about Late Spring is that it was released in 1949.

[Urinal Cake]

Now that I've watched 'When a woman ascends the stairs' as well as 'Flowing'[nb]some time ago[/nb] I feel I can comment.

I think Naruse might be more to 'modern'[nb]or Western[/nb] tastes. There's a lot more exposition[nb]which I normally dislike but the plots/background a more complicated so understandable[/nb] and faster moving. I'd recommend WAWATS.

Spoiler alert

It's seems it's heavily influenced by La Strada

[close]

but I'd say it's much better film because the characterisation is so damn brilliant.

Naruse's films are darker because they involve the seedier parts of post-war Japan. The remarkable thing about Ozu is his ability to make you give a shit about normal everyday life[nb]mundane at best and soap-opera/melodrama at worst[/nb].

[Funcrusher]

Late Spring is fantastic.

Inspired by this thread I watched it tonight and it was indeed great. Ozu really tugs your heartstrings like no other - the ending is so moving. Performances so contained and nuanced, and every shot exquisitely framed.

[Urinal Cake]

I watched Floating Clouds. I don't know. Everything was great apart from the plot. It was just so melodramatic and soapy. There was acerbic and dark humour to cut through it but there were too many melodramatic turns.