This is the first Yasujiro Ozu movie I've seen, and it's by far my favorite. I still remember when I watched it for the first time, I felt that the rhythm was slow and the dialogue was lengthy at first. After the film was halfway through, I gradually began to meditate. I calmed down and thought about every frame and every line. At the end, I felt as if When there was a huge gravitational pull pulling me, my mood was extremely calm, but my eyes were already filled with tears. In this plain, calm plot, the audience can comprehend that there is too much. Later, I watched several other Ozu masterpieces one after another, such as "Late Spring", "The Taste of Autumn Saury" and "Maiqiu". Ozu is a master at portraying common people, characterized by a calm, examination of the joys and sorrows of life in detail. Compared with his other works, the theme of "Tokyo Story" is more grand—a discussion of traditional filial piety. Generally speaking, for this kind of family ethics theme, there needs to be a strong dramatic conflict to support the narrative of the film, and in "Tokyo Story", even in the face of such a grand topic, Ozu still uses his unique plain narrative method to tell. There is no family conflict that we are familiar with in the film. Its narrative framework only revolves around the Hirayama couple's trip to Tokyo. The dialogue between the characters is also composed of ordinary family chatter, and hardly any violent emotional changes. , and this is precisely what makes "Tokyo Story" superior to other films of the same theme. Ozu did not let the characters in the film tear their hearts out, slapped the table and shouted filial piety, but only focused on the perspective of An ordinary Japanese family shows its progress from the perspective of a bystander, and allows the event itself to move the audience, which truly achieves "sorrow but not sadness". I intend to talk about my viewing experience from the following aspects. 1. Audiovisual language "Tokyo Story" reflects extremely high aesthetic value in shooting and composition. In terms of technique, Ozu's unique ultra-low camera position is naturally indispensable. By adjusting the height of the lens to the height of the Japanese people sitting on the tatami, it makes the narrative appear more lifelike, and the audience's perspective is the same as the characters in the film. Flush, as if to allow us to speak directly to the characters in the film. When shooting high-rise buildings in the city, we used the technique of shooting upwards to deepen the sense of restraint brought by modern urbanization. In terms of composition, the film shows family reunion and chatting, mostly using medium shots to include all characters in the shot, and the framing is also mostly a narrow room at home, enriching the scene by changing the number of characters (also known as It is a French lens), and when there is a dialogue between the characters, the frontal switch is rarely used, and the camera is directly aimed at the face of the character. In this way, the audience can observe the facial expression changes and psychological state of the characters more comprehensively and meticulously. The transformation, at the same time, deepens the audience's sense of presence, creating a feeling that allows the characters to speak directly to the audience. In the outdoor framing, the lens focuses on the big city scenery of Tokyo, and through a series of static picture clips, it depicts the public life of Tokyo city. The use of music in the film is also a highlight. At the beginning, there is a soundtrack for several minutes, which is low, tactful, and slightly sad. After that, this piece of music is also interspersed in the film many times, trying to exaggerate the sad tone of the film. At the end of the film, the scene stops at the old man Zhou Ji alone in the empty room. At the same time, this piece of music appeared again, reflecting the old man's sense of loneliness and sadness at this moment, and it also marked a perfect final chapter for the film. But only through a sad soundtrack will obviously make the film too thin. Therefore, in the section near the end of the film, when Kiko, played by Hara Setsuko, leaves by train, the background is accompanied by a nursery rhyme. Under the crisp singing, The train is passing by at high speed, the ship is sailing on the river, and the water flows slowly. The film draws the curtain in this seemingly brisk, but actually heavy atmosphere. This part is also one of my favorite parts of the movie I have ever watched. . Second, a few details have been mentioned before. Ozu is best at knowing the small things and showing the grandeur from the details. This film is no exception. There are many plots in the film that are worthy of repeated appreciation. Here are a few things I found. 1, After returning from the Atami trip, the old couple Hirayama said, "Tokyo is so big, what if I get lost." This corresponds to what they said at the beginning of the film, "Tokyo is actually not that big." Of course, what I am talking about here is not just the vast area in the geographical sense, but more of a sense of alienation brought by the fast-paced life of the big city to the old couple. This "alienation" has also become the most critical factor in the whole tragedy. The elderly cannot integrate into the lives of their children when they enter the city, but instead break their original order of life. This sense of alienation is reflected in several details, such as the mother Every time they want to talk to their grandson, they are always indifferent; the eldest son Koichi and the second daughter Zhiquan cannot fulfill their promise to take their parents out for a stroll due to work reasons. The nightlife was so noisy that I couldn't sleep. These plots all highlight the generation gap and distance between the older generation and modern life. 2. In the dialogue with old friends, the old father learned that it has become a common phenomenon to get along with his children. Compared with other families, their family is still relatively good. This further aroused the audience's thinking, generalizing the experience of Zhou Ji's family to the whole society, and at the same time bringing it into their own thinking. After the party, the old father was rarely drunk. This is also a rare happy moment for the father in the film after he came to Tokyo. This shows that the older generation can still find real happiness in the conversation with their peers. , which further reflects its incompatibility with modern society. 3. When the second daughter found out that her mother was seriously ill, she thought about bringing her filial attire, just in case, immediately after the funeral, she thought of her mother's relics, but Kiko didn't think so, just as fast as possible. I went to Hiroshima to visit my mother. From the comparison of the two, we can better appreciate the two different characters. Third, the characters In "Tokyo Story", the portrayal of the family members is also very commendable. Even the grandson Ash, who has not appeared in many scenes, is very vivid. It seems that we can all find a character in it to substitute. The most impressive thing in the film is his daughter-in-law Noriko. Descendants often say that Hara Setsuko is Ozu's muse, and her existence seems to have become a symbol of Ozu's films. In this film, Noriko's subtle and beautiful smile melts the hearts of every audience all the time. I have to say that the image of Noriko is a very idealized existence. In her, we can see the chastity and virtuousness of traditional women, and she still insists on being a widow after her husband's death in war. She is also the best among all children in terms of filial piety. At the same time, she also sees the changes in traditional ethics brought about by the development of the times very thoroughly. In the dialogue with Jingzi at the end of the film, in the face of Jingzi's questioning, she just said lightly: "They are too busy with work." From her, we see more of a kind of hope and ideal, but it may not be seen at all in reality. But in this way, it seems that the image of Noriko is too thin, so at the end of the film, there is a talk between Noriko and her father. This section makes the character more three-dimensional and vivid. In the face of her father's praise, Noriko cried out that she was not that good, and in the face of her dead husband, there would be moments when she would not miss him at all. Everyone will have personal desires, which is inevitable and understandable. We can maintain the "self" to suppress the "id", but there is no guarantee that everyone can become an ideal "superego" state, facing the declining filial piety , what sustains Noriko's behavior is actually a trace of belief that still exists in her heart. I don't agree to interpret this film as a critique of modern society, and to think so clearly underestimates the value of the entire film. In my opinion, what the film describes is actually the change of an era. Has the traditional culture of filial piety changed under the modern urban civilization? Every character in the film is an experiencer of this change. We cannot say that several children are disobedient. Their feelings for their parents are undoubtedly sincere, even the second daughter, Zhiquan, who is the most criticized in the film. , When I heard that my mother was dying soon, my sadness also came from my heart. My understanding is that under the rapid development of modern industrial civilization, the traditional "wearing linen and filial piety for three years" has not adapted to the development of the times at all, and even simple companionship has become a luxury. The characters in the film, facing the parents who came from a distance, their demands for companionship seem pale and weak. The old father's reaction to his children can only be carried away with a smile. Everyone, facing the changes, He is an isolated and helpless witness, which is what we call "the child wants to be supported but the parent does not wait", which has become the deepest source of tragedy in this great film. Ozu used this calm and subtle approach to throw this ethical question before the world, let us reflect, and as for the answer to this question, we may need further thinking. The value of a tragedy lies in the shock to the audience and the cleansing of the mind. "Tokyo Story" tells us that a successful tragedy can be different from the magnificent epics of "Hamlet" and "King Lear". In a peaceful form, it can still convey the core of the tragedy to the world.
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