Ozu's Tokyo Story (Cambridge Film Handbooks)

Ozu's Tokyo Story Is Generally Regarded As One Of The Finest Films Ever Made. Universal In Its Appeal, It Is Also Considered To Be 'particularly Japanese'. Exploring Its Universality And Cultural Specificity, This Collection Of Specially Commissioned Essays Demonstrates The Multiple Planes On Which The Film May Be Appreciated. The Introduction Outlines Ozu's Career As Both A Contract Director Of A Major Studio And As A Singular Figure In Japanese Film History, And Also Analyses The Director's Cinematic Style, Particularly His Narrative Strategies And Spatial Compositions. Other Essays Situate Ozu's Cinema In Its Relationship To Hollywood Film-making: His Relationship To Aspects Of Japanese Tradition, Situating The Film Within Artistic Modes, Religious Systems And Beliefs, And Socio-cultural And Familial Formations. Also Included Is An Analysis Of How Ozu Has Been Misunderstood In Western Criticism. Introduction : A Filmmaker For All Seasons / David Desser -- Ozu's Tokyo Story And The Recasting Of Mccarey's Make Way For Tomorrow / Arthur Noletti, Jr. -- Travel Toward And Away : Furusato And Journey In Tokyo / Linda C. Ehrlich -- Ozu's Mother / Darrell William Davis -- Buddhism In Tokyo Story / Kathe Geist -- Sunny Skies / Hasumi Shigehiko. Edited By David Desser. Filmography: P. 131-143. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 169) And Index. Ozu's Tokyo Story is generally regarded as one of the finest films ever made. Universal in its appeal, it is also considered to be "particularly Japanese." Exploring its universality and cultural specificity, this collection of specially commissioned essays demonstrates the multiple planes on which the film can be appreciated. Among the topics discussed are Ozu's relationship to aspects of Japanese tradition, situating the film within artistic modes, religious systems and beliefs, and socio-cultural and familial formations; and an analysis of how Ozu has been misunderstood in Western criticism. Frontmatter List of Contributors (page vii) Introduction: A Filmmaker for All Seasons (DAVID DESSER, page 1) 1 Ozu's Tokyo Story and the "Recasting" of McCarey's Make Way for Tomorrow (ARTHUR NOLLETTI, JR., page 25) 2 Travel Toward and Away: Furusato and Journey in Tokyo Story (LINDA C. EHRLICH, page 53) 3 Ozu's Mother (DARRELL WILLIAM DAVIS, page 76) 4 Buddhism in Tokyo Story (KATHE GEIST, page 101) 5 Sunny Skies (HASUMI SHIGEHIKO, page 118) Filmography (page 131) Reviews of "Tokyo Story" (page 145) Selected Bibliography (page 169) Index (page 171) Each Cambridge Film Handbook focuses on a single film from a variety of theoretical, critical and contextual perspectives. This "prism" approach gives students and general readers valuable background and insight into the cinematic, artistic, cultural and socio-political importance of individual films by including essays by leading film scholars and critics. Filmographies and selected bibliographies are added to help the reader go further in his or her own exploration of the film under consideration.