Tokyo Story
It is rare when the first few seconds of a film provide the audience with tranquil energy. Is it the audio of older movies or the intention of the sound team to keep the power of Yasujiro Ozu's film 'Tokyo Story' to keep audiences from being rattled or adjusting the volume on the television? Watching the movie for the first time, I felt like a fly on the wall watching these characters interact with one another and drawn into the family dynamics presented on screen. While the film is in black and white, the interior shots of the father and mother's home left me to visualize what the scene would look like with color because I am fascinated with the set design.
The plot of 'Tokyo Story' is an easy one to follow. We all know someone or have experienced personally dealing with our elders and the frequency at which we see them as time passes. The younger generation of characters in the film demonstrates the problem of being caught up in our professional lives, feeling like we cannot set aside time for our loved ones. While it isn't intentional, there is a sort of avoidance within ourselves because of the daunting act of telling your family about what we do in our professional lives, whether we are insecure about it or not.
'Tokyo Story' explores the idea of our parents thinking about what could have been of our lives and not staying silent when they can't anymore regarding our happiness, health, and success.
There is an introduction to the practices of a different culture, and they deal with tragic events in the family. All the characters in the film continue on with their lives by working nonstop and not acknowledging internal or external problems going on in their lives. It is the 'old school' approach to not having time to think about the issues because being emotional might be frowned upon.
The scene with a discussion between Noriko and the mother about moving on from the son who was killed in war and being happy. Noriko gives a painful smile, holding back from being her authentic self and breaking down in front of her mother. Nothing is solved during this conversation, and Mother cries herself to sleep in the background. Characters keep a strong exterior with all the suffering the family has been through.
An essential piece to the term World Cinema, "Tokyo Story," awakens good intentions from the audience and reminds us all to remember our roots and never forget those who raised us.
