Directed by Yasujirō Ozu (Japan, 1953). Tokyo Story—director Yasujirō Ozu’s restrained masterpiece—tells the story of an elderly couple (Chishū Ryū and Chieko Higashiyama) as they travel to postwar Tokyo to visit their two adult children.
With his careful framing and attention to contemporary interiors, Ozu explores modern alienation in mid-century Japan much like Hammershøi’s enigmatic paintings did in turn-of-the century Denmark.
136 min. | In Japanese with English subtitles.
About the director
Yasujirō Ozu (1903-1963) was a Japanese film director and screenwriter who began his career during the silent film era. Ozu made 53 films, 26 of which were made in his first 5 years of directing. In addition to his feature length films, he also made a number of comedic shorts, before shifting to more serious subject matter—marriage, family, and intergenerational relationships—in the 1930s.
Ozu is known for the films Late Spring/Banshun (1949), Early Summer/Bakushū (1951), and Floating Weeds/Ukikusa (1959) as well as his static cinematographic style in which a still camera is positioned below the actors’ eye level.
After his death in 1963, Ozu’s reputation continued to grow and he is now widely regarded as one of the world’s most influential directors.
Painting Cinema
A century after his death, Vilhelm Hammershøi’s singular vision continues to resonate with that of contemporary artists, writers, and filmmakers.
This film series looks at a selection of films that highlight his aesthetic and reimagine some of his central themes.
November 6, 2015
November 6, 2015
WED – 11-4-15 – 7:00 PM
FRI – 11-6-15 – 6:30 PM