Ozu,The greatest master of cinema in Japan

The films of Yasujiro Ozu examine the basic struggles that we all face in life: the cycles of birth and death, the transition from childhood to adulthood, and the tension between tradition and modernity. Their titles often emphasise the changing of seasons, a symbolic backdrop for the evolving transitions of human experience. Seen together, Ozu's oeuvre amounts to one of the most profound visions of family life in the history of cinema.

Ozu's career falls loosely into two halves, divided by the Second World War. His breezier early works are unafraid to acknowledge the influence of Hollywood melodramas or to flirt with farce. Such films contrast greatly with his later masterpieces, which portray a uniquely contemplative style so rigorously simplistic that it renounces almost all known film grammar.











Ozu's techniques:

As the 1940s came to an end Ozu began to fuse his early American influences with an overriding desire to reduce his techniques. In his later films, he reduced all camera movement (pans, dollying, and crabbing) to nil; he disregarded classical Hollywood cinema conventions such as the 180 degree rule (where the camera always remains on one side of an imaginary axis drawn between two talking actors) and replaced it with what critics have termed the “360 degree rule” (because Ozu crosses this axis); and he replaced traditional shot/reverse shot techniques with a system whereby each character looks straight into the camera when speaking to someone else. This had the unusual effect of placing the viewer directly in the centre of conversations—as if being talked to—instead of the Hollywood convention of alternately peering over characters' shoulders during such sequences. Furthermore, Ozu decided to reduce his choice of transition effect; gone were fades, wipes, dissolves, all replaced with the straight cut. Reducing his techniques in this way focused all attention on his characters—and their humanity shines through.
(sensesofcinema)

n addition to being motionless in his later work, Ozu's camera—from early in his career—was often placed at a very low level as if the viewer were sat crosslegged. It has been noted that this is at the same level one sits on tatami for a tea ceremony in a Japanese home, or while meditating, sitting in silence, observing, reaching meaning through extreme simplificaton. (8) It is also the height Ozu had to position his camera when making a film about children, and it is said he liked it so much that he stuck with it. Ozu clearly had many reasons for adopting such a low position for his camera and it became one of the few facets of his pared down technique.
















Filmography

Filmography
Jump to filmography as: Director, Writer, Miscellaneous Crew, Thanks
Director:

* 1960s
* 1950s
* 1940s
* 1930s
* 1920s

1. Sanma no aji (1962)
... aka An Autumn Afternoon (USA)
... aka The Widower (USA)
2. Kohayagawa-ke no aki (1961)
... aka Autumn for the Kohayagawa Family (literal English title)
... aka Early Autumn
... aka The End of Summer (International: English title)
... aka The Last of Summer
3. Akibiyori (1960)
... aka Late Autumn (USA)

4. Ukigusa (1959)
... aka Drifting Weeds
... aka Floating Weeds (USA)
5. Ohayô (1959)
... aka Good Morning (International: English title)
... aka Ohayo (Japan: alternative transliteration)
... aka Yasujiro Ozu's Good Morning (USA)
6. Higanbana (1958)
... aka Equinox Flower
7. Tokyo boshoku (1957)
... aka Tokyo Twilight
... aka Twilight in Tokyo
8. Soshun (1956)
... aka Early Spring (USA)
9. Tôkyô monogatari (1953)
... aka Tokyo Story (USA)
10. Ochazuke no aji (1952)
... aka Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice (USA)
... aka Tea Over Rice (USA)
... aka Tea and Rice
11. Bakushû (1951)
... aka Early Summer
12. Munekata kyoudai (1950)
... aka The Munekata Sisters (International: English title)

13. Banshun (1949)
... aka Late Spring
14. Kaze no naka no mendori (1948)
... aka A Hen in the Wind
15. Nagaya shinshiroku (1947)
... aka The Record of a Tenement Gentleman
16. Chichi ariki (1942)
... aka There Was a Father
17. Todake no kyodai (1941)
... aka The Brothers and Sisters of the Toda Family
... aka The Toda Brothers and Sisters

18. Shukujo wa nani o wasureta ka (1937)
... aka What Did the Lady Forget?
19. Hitori musuko (1936)
... aka The Only Son
20. Daigaku yoitoko (1936)
... aka College Is a Nice Place
... aka Tokyo Is a Nice Place
21. Kagamijishi (1936)
... aka Kikugoro no kagamijishi (Japan: long title)
22. Tokyo no yado (1935)
... aka An Inn in Tokyo
23. Hakoiri musume (1935)
... aka An Innocent Maid
... aka The Young Virgin
24. Ukikusa monogatari (1934)
... aka A Story of Floating Weeds
... aka Ukigusa monogatari (Japan: alternative transliteration)
25. Haha wo kowazuya (1934)
... aka A Mother Should Be Loved
26. Dekigokoro (1933)
... aka Passing Fancy
27. Hijosen no onna (1933)
... aka Dragnet Girl
... aka Women on the Firing Line
28. Tokyo no onna (1933)
... aka Woman of Tokyo
29. Mata au hi made (1932)
... aka Until the Day We Meet Again
30. Seishun no yume imaizuko (1932)
... aka Where Are the Dreams of Youth?
... aka Where Now Are the Dreams of Youth
31. Otona no miru ehon - Umarete wa mita keredo (1932)
... aka Children of Tokyo (USA)
... aka I Was Born, But... (International: English title)
... aka Umarete wa mita keredo (Japan: short title)
32. Haru wa gofujin kara (1932)
... aka Spring Comes from the Ladies
33. Tokyo no kôrasu (1931)
... aka Tokyo Chorus
... aka Tokyo no gassho (Japan: alternative transliteration)
34. Bijin aishu (1931)
... aka Beauty's Sorrows
35. Shukujo to hige (1931)
... aka The Lady and Her Favorite
... aka The Lady and the Beard
36. Ojosan (1930)
... aka Young Miss
37. Ashi ni sawatta koun (1930)
... aka Lost Luck
... aka Luck Touched My Legs
... aka The Luck Which Touched the Leg
38. Erogami no onryo (1930)
... aka The Revengeful Spirit of Eros
39. Rakudai wa shita keredo (1930)
... aka I Flunked But...
40. Hogaraka ni ayume (1930)
... aka Walk Cheerfully
41. Kekkongaku nyumon (1930)
... aka Introduction to Marriage
42. Sono yo no tsuma (1930)
... aka That Night's Wife

43. Tokkan kozo (1929)
... aka A Straightforward Boy
44. Daigaku wa deta keredo (1929)
... aka I Graduated But...
45. Wasei kenka tomodachi (1929)
... aka Fighting Friends
... aka Fighting Friends: Japanese Style
46. Gakusei romance: Wakaki hi (1929)
... aka Days of Youth
47. Kaishain seikatsu (1929)
... aka The Life of an Office Worker
48. Takara no yama (1929)
... aka Treasure Mountain
49. Nikutaibi (1928)
... aka Body Beautiful
50. Hikkoshi fufu (1928)
... aka A Couple on the Move
51. Wakodo no yume (1928)
... aka Dreams of Youth
52. Kabocha (1928)
... aka Pumpkin
53. Nyobo funshitsu (1928)
... aka Wife Lost
54. Zange no yaiba (1927)
... aka Sword of Penitence



1. Sanma no aji (1962)
... aka An Autumn Afternoon (USA)
... aka The Widower (USA)
2. Kohayagawa-ke no aki (1961)
... aka Autumn for the Kohayagawa Family (literal English title)
... aka Early Autumn
... aka The End of Summer (International: English title)
... aka The Last of Summer
3. Akibiyori (1960)
... aka Late Autumn (USA)

4. Ukigusa (1959)
... aka Drifting Weeds
... aka Floating Weeds (USA)
5. Ohayô (1959)
... aka Good Morning (International: English title)
... aka Ohayo (Japan: alternative transliteration)
... aka Yasujiro Ozu's Good Morning (USA)
6. Higanbana (1958)
... aka Equinox Flower
7. Tokyo boshoku (1957)
... aka Tokyo Twilight
... aka Twilight in Tokyo
8. Soshun (1956)
... aka Early Spring (USA)
9. Tôkyô monogatari (1953)
... aka Tokyo Story (USA)
10. Ochazuke no aji (1952)
... aka Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice (USA)
... aka Tea Over Rice (USA)
... aka Tea and Rice
11. Bakushû (1951)
... aka Early Summer
12. Munekata kyoudai (1950)
... aka The Munekata Sisters (International: English title)

13. Banshun (1949)
... aka Late Spring
14. Kaze no naka no mendori (1948)
... aka A Hen in the Wind
15. Nagaya shinshiroku (1947)
... aka The Record of a Tenement Gentleman
16. Chichi ariki (1942)
... aka There Was a Father
17. Todake no kyodai (1941)
... aka The Brothers and Sisters of the Toda Family
... aka The Toda Brothers and Sisters

18. Shukujo wa nani o wasureta ka (1937)
... aka What Did the Lady Forget?
19. Hitori musuko (1936)
... aka The Only Son
20. Daigaku yoitoko (1936)
... aka College Is a Nice Place
... aka Tokyo Is a Nice Place
21. Kagamijishi (1936)
... aka Kikugoro no kagamijishi (Japan: long title)
22. Tokyo no yado (1935)
... aka An Inn in Tokyo
23. Hakoiri musume (1935)
... aka An Innocent Maid
... aka The Young Virgin
24. Ukikusa monogatari (1934)
... aka A Story of Floating Weeds
... aka Ukigusa monogatari (Japan: alternative transliteration)
25. Haha wo kowazuya (1934)
... aka A Mother Should Be Loved
26. Dekigokoro (1933)
... aka Passing Fancy
27. Hijosen no onna (1933)
... aka Dragnet Girl
... aka Women on the Firing Line
28. Tokyo no onna (1933)
... aka Woman of Tokyo
29. Mata au hi made (1932)
... aka Until the Day We Meet Again
30. Seishun no yume imaizuko (1932)
... aka Where Are the Dreams of Youth?
... aka Where Now Are the Dreams of Youth
31. Otona no miru ehon - Umarete wa mita keredo (1932)
... aka Children of Tokyo (USA)
... aka I Was Born, But... (International: English title)
... aka Umarete wa mita keredo (Japan: short title)
32. Haru wa gofujin kara (1932)
... aka Spring Comes from the Ladies
33. Tokyo no kôrasu (1931)
... aka Tokyo Chorus
... aka Tokyo no gassho (Japan: alternative transliteration)
34. Bijin aishu (1931)
... aka Beauty's Sorrows
35. Shukujo to hige (1931)
... aka The Lady and Her Favorite
... aka The Lady and the Beard
36. Ojosan (1930)
... aka Young Miss
37. Ashi ni sawatta koun (1930)
... aka Lost Luck
... aka Luck Touched My Legs
... aka The Luck Which Touched the Leg
38. Erogami no onryo (1930)
... aka The Revengeful Spirit of Eros
39. Rakudai wa shita keredo (1930)
... aka I Flunked But...
40. Hogaraka ni ayume (1930)
... aka Walk Cheerfully
41. Kekkongaku nyumon (1930)
... aka Introduction to Marriage
42. Sono yo no tsuma (1930)
... aka That Night's Wife

43. Tokkan kozo (1929)
... aka A Straightforward Boy
44. Daigaku wa deta keredo (1929)
... aka I Graduated But...
45. Wasei kenka tomodachi (1929)
... aka Fighting Friends
... aka Fighting Friends: Japanese Style
46. Gakusei romance: Wakaki hi (1929)
... aka Days of Youth
47. Kaishain seikatsu (1929)
... aka The Life of an Office Worker
48. Takara no yama (1929)
... aka Treasure Mountain
49. Nikutaibi (1928)
... aka Body Beautiful
50. Hikkoshi fufu (1928)
... aka A Couple on the Move
51. Wakodo no yume (1928)
... aka Dreams of Youth
52. Kabocha (1928)
... aka Pumpkin
53. Nyobo funshitsu (1928)
... aka Wife Lost
54. Zange no yaiba (1927)
... aka Sword of Penitence