Eclipse Series 10 - Silent Ozu-Three Family Comedies (1982)

MOVIES THAT SHOW AMERICAN AND JAPAN ARE ALIKE IN ALOTA WAYS

Everything everybody here has said about these superb silent movies is true. Beyond that, these fine films show that silent Japanese films were every bit as good as our American movies then, and that the values, natures and problems in Japan and America then were pretty much the same. (Of course I've haven't yet run into a Chaplain, Keaton or Laurel and Hardy in Japanese silent films. But Oza certainly measures up to our best directors, then and now.)

I expect our societies and arts today are very parallel
too. People is people, times are times. Zen-sekai no." September 28, 2008

A delightful glimpse into silent Japan

After receiving high acclaim for his special cinematic style in directing movies of the `40s and `50s, it's about time the world saw some of Yasujiro Ozu's earlier work in the silent medium, and this excellent set of three films from the early 1930s balances the scales nicely. Best remembered for his realistic portrayals of family life in medium-class Japan, Ozu obviously developed his remarkable insight into human nature and relationships already in the 1920s, as these three family comedies clearly show. Although very similar to his well-known films of later decades, these silent films have a subtle touch of comedy to spice things up and - in my opinion - make them even more entertaining than his later sound films. Watching Ozu's films in general feels like stepping into the lives of real people with all their thoughts, feelings and problems as if you are right there among them. Attention to details, natural acting and a tendency to linger on what seems like mundane daily actions all add to this overall impression of being involved in the film, not just being a distant observer. This skill was already honed to perfection by the time Ozu directed these three charming family stories in the early 1930s when the rest of the world was embracing sound films, yet Ozu, it seems, wanted to perfect and continue the beautiful and artistic silent film medium for as long as possible. He directed his first sound film in 1936, beginning a series of more sombre, even somewhat depressing family dramas, making this set of comedies a pleasant and refreshing new look at Ozu's work. Keeping to the formula he knew best, Ozu's three family comedies include young children, and the focus is on how everyone interacts with one another in the family circle as well as at work and in other surroundings. "Tokyo Chorus" follows the ups and downs in the life of an average working man who becomes unemployed and struggles to keep his wife and children happy, but these real-life problems are tempered with moments of sweet, almost childlike humour, quite different from the often coarse comedy seen in the West. For me, the most entertaining of the three is "Passing Fancy", which focuses on the relationship between a father and son living in poor conditions but helped along by neighbours and friends as the bungling father tries to sort out his life. Children are the stars in the third film, "I was Born, But..." where two young brothers learn to deal with moving to a new neighbourhood and the new kids on the block, but fathers once again play a key role in the family interactions. The natural acting by both adults and children impressed me the most in these films, along with Ozu's apparent easy and casual approach of glimpsing into family life with understanding, compassion and a little bit of wicked humour. While the picture quality of "Tokyo Chorus" is not quite up to the same high standard as the others, it is still enjoyable to watch, especially with the optional piano musical score by Donald Sosin, who does a fine job adding the right ambience to each scene. The DVDs have their individual slim cases with good notes inside which help shed some more light on this overlooked early part of Ozu's impressive career. For Ozu and silent film collectors alike, this is a special and unique addition not to be missed!
May 22, 2008

A resounding scream of silence.

From the director of such classics as Late Spring, Tokyo Story, and Floating Weeds, Criterion brings us a 3-disc collection from Japanese auteur Yasujiro Ozo. Although he has not yet reached the wide-spread acclaim of fellow countryman Akira Kurosawa, Ozu is starting to gain the recognition that he rightfully deserves.

Ozu began his career as a cameraman, and with hard work and determination he finally ascended the ladder to director. Once his position was earned, Ozu poured his creativity onto film with unmatched diligence, producing nearly half of his 50+ films in the first five years of his career. Sadly, many of these films are now lost, which adds to the enjoyment of these extraordinary, previously unreleased films from Criterion.


As the title suggests, the films in this collection were released during a portion of Ozu's silent career, ranging from 1931-1933. Ozu, along with the majority of the Japanese film industry, was somewhat hesitant about entering into talkies based upon the belief that emotions could be best conveyed with movements, expressions, and atmosphere, not dialogue. Ozu's first talkie was not released until 1936, the same year as Chaplin's final silent masterpiece, Modern Times. This period of his career marked Ozu's transition into social criticism as he both subtly and blatantly expresses his discontent with the culture of pre-WWII Japan.

Included films:

Tokyo Chorus (1931) - A man is fired from his job for reasons that would normally be viewed as commendable. The film from here follows his social and financial downfall as he does anything he possibly can to support his family. As in the other films in this collection, the plot of Tokyo Chorus sounds very dramatic but Ozu has a certain way of shedding a positive light onto each situation.

I Was Born, But... (1932) - A story of the hardships of childhood and the ways in which children view their parents in unappreciative and misconstrued ways. A comedy with some serious overtones.

Passing Fancy (1933) - The final film in this collection is about the unstable relationship of a widower and his son. It focuses on a child's attempts to help an alcoholic parent while also being resentful of the unstoppable forces of change.

And just in case anyone needs to know I'll post the technical aspects of the films as well.

Black and White
1.33:1
Dolby Digital Mono 1.0
Not Anamorphic
Japanese April 25, 2008

Short and sweet

Picture quality is often patchy, but it's probably the best they could get. That's the only minus, and it's completely cancelled out by the fact that these three lovely films are available. If you're new to Ozu this probably isn't the place to start, but if you've been developing a taste for him for awhile, dive right in. April 22, 2008

A resounding scream of silence.

From the director of such classics as Late Spring, Tokyo Story, and Floating Weeds, Criterion brings us a 3-disc collection from the early work of Japanese auteur, Yasujiro Ozu. Although his films have not yet reached the widespread acclaim of Akira Kurosawa, Ozu's films are slowly earning their rightful recognition.

Ozu began his career as a cameraman, and with hard work and determination, he eventually ascended the ladder to director. Once his position was earned, Ozu poured his creativity onto film with unmatched diligence, producing nearly half of his 50+ films in the first five years of his career. Sadly, many of these films are now lost, which adds to the enjoyment of these extraordinary, previously unreleased films from Criterion.

As the name suggests, the films released in this collection cover a portion of Ozu's silent career, spanning from 1931-1933. Ozu, along with the majority of the Japanese film industry, was slow and somewhat hesitant of the transition into talkies, feeling that emotions and plot could be best conveyed with expressions and actions, not dialogue. His first sound film was not released until 1936, the same year as Chaplin's final silent masterpiece, Modern Times. These late silents mark Ozu's transition into social criticism as he both blatantly and subtly expresses his discontent with the culture of pre-WWII Japan.

Included films:

I Was Born, But... (1932) - A story of the naiveness and immaturity of childhood, and the sacrifice that parents make for their children. Ozu's first acclaimed film is a comedy with some serious overtones.

Passing Fancy (1933) - Yet another example of the early Ozu-style, which is a unique blend of comedy and what could be best described as a form of melodrama. This story centers around the unstable relationship between a father and his son, and the many mishaps between them.

Tokyo Chorus (1931) - A man unexpectedly loses his job due to reasons that should be commendable. The story from here follows his economical and social downfall and his attempts to support his family. As in the other films this sounds more dramatic than anything else, but Ozu has a certain way of bringing light to each situation.


Criterion is not clear about the special features for this collection, to be quite honest, they haven't even listed any. Supplemental features or not, this collection is definitely worth checking out, especially if you appreciate classic films.

And just in case someone needs to know, here's the basic technical aspects of the collection:
Black and White
1.33:1
Dolby Digital Mono 1.0
Not Anamorphic
Japanese



March 14, 2008

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