As a conscientious artist, although he has practiced his own life, not marrying and filial piety, Mr. Ozu obviously does not intend to force the audience to think about something. It can even be said that he used quite plain language to describe this which could have been very sensational The story seems to be to tell the audience, not to praise anyone, not to blame anyone, just to talk about life. Whether it is the angle of storytelling or the selection of content, it seems to be impartial, that is, sympathy for the lost old man, and sympathy for the busy children, which makes it seem that decades later, we still feel the value of the film.
In other words, this movie is too suitable for us who live in the Celestial Dynasty 60 years later to watch. World War II destroyed the belief of a generation in Japan, and the reconstruction put every urbanite into a sweatshop. The Cultural Revolution made the whole of China lose faith, and from then on, only the belief of "alive" was left floating under the red flag. Sixty years ago, the chimneys in Tokyo were row upon row, and sixty years later, the reinforced concrete jungle in Shanghai.
What followed was the collapse of the entire social fabric of the city. In that traditional Japan, the privilege created by generation and gender was great, but the person exercising it was not so much a dictator as a trustee. With the process of urbanization, big families are falling apart, and the spiritual bond between parents and children no longer exists. The parents who have unloaded their burdens naturally feel at a loss. The burden of thousands of years disappears overnight, and the parents feel lost in the film. Visible.
Is it okay to let parents carry their own burdens? I think this is not good, at least in China, we have seen serious side effects. Different from the mild Japanese parents, Chinese parents have a great coercive force to interfere with their children. Behind the strength is a clear purpose. The "phoenix man" that can be seen everywhere is an excellent example. Even moderate parents, living in a country with Buddhist traditions, often have hidden purposes that imply karma, not to mention the sensational behavior of controlling parents.
In contrast, the elderly in Western countries do not have these problems - you can hardly see the sadness of the parents in "Tokyo Story" in an American old man. Having said that, I still think that if we want to summarize, the relationship between parents and children is still a relationship between people. People are complex and changeable, and only individual cases are meaningful. Put aside legal and moral constraints, use your own heart. It's best to make a decision.
The title at the end of the article, "The more important the luggage, the heavier the more difficult it is to carry" is the title of an episode of "Gintama" Spider Arc. Spider-Hand Reia has been carrying heavy burdens throughout his life, including the ties with his disciple Yueyong, and when he is about to die , Yueyong carried him on his back and said, "Master, you are so light, Master..."
I like this ending.
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