Introduction
The traditional Japanese cinema is very different from the Western tradition of movie making. Late Spring is one of the masterpieces created by Yasujiro Ozu. Taking into account rather unusual representation of the idea and shooting techniques, the film is considered to be a unique phenomenon in the movie making of the world.
The Synopsis of the Film
The relationship between the father and the daughter living in the old Japanese city is the central theme of the film. The creators unfold the traditional family relationships in Japan. The father recognizes that his daughter has grown up and he intends to give her in marriage.
Formal and Thematic Elements of the Clip
The Second Scene
The second scene of the film shows the talk of Noriko and her father. In the scene, we can see the manner of behavior and communication of the father and the daughter in Japanese family. (Mades07, 2012).
The relationships between the relatives are depicted against a background of national traditions because love and mutual understanding in family is one of the highest moral values. We see Professor Somiya, the father, talking with his assistant about Friedrich List (Bordwell, 1949). He is presented as both a traditionalist and a liberal (Bordwell, 1949).
“Despite Noriko’s self-reliance—an Ozu earmark from the thirties that became an axiom in Late Spring—the acquiescent, ever-smiling heroine’s desires are never considered; she explicitly asks why her contented life cannot just go on as it has been” (Atkinson, par. 6).
From the very beginning of the film, we notice the manner of connecting the scenes typical to Ozu. In particular, the train is showed before Noriko actual departure to Tokyo.
The elements of nature and Japanese landscape are used as the connections between the scenes. In addition, we notice such typical features of Ozu movie shooting as the static camera, “false” eyeline-matches and the use of 360-degree shooting space (Wood, p.109-111).
The Last Episode
The last scene shows the life of father after his daughter’s marriage. He returns to the empty house. He sits alone in his chair pealing an apple. He is unable to stanch his tears. Although all his efforts have been aimed at giving her daughter in marriage, he has become depressed after he has realized that his plan has turned out well.
The episode is followed by the scene showing the ocean which has a symbolic meaning in the film. In the Japanese tradition, the water is the symbol of the purity of relationship. Through the depiction of the water the author tries to emphasize the fairness and deepness of the relationship of the father and the daughter.
Nevertheless, there are different views of critics on this episode. “After having seen Late Spring, Satomi considered the last scene as too much contrived, as art for art sake’s, appealing to common tastes” (Late Spring, par. 3).
Conclusion
Late Spring is the interesting film, especially for those who are fond of the Japanese culture and traditions. Ozu enriched his movie with the Japanese symbolism and showed a lot of traditional household and landscape elements in his film.
Moreover, the film touches upon the social problems of the Japanese society and can be useful for better understanding of the roots of these problems because a one single family is the small representation of society as a whole. The shooting techniques typically used by Ozu are clearly observed in the film. In particular, we notice the use of static camera, the 360-degree shooting space, and others.
Works Cited
Atkinson, Michael n.d., Late Spring: Home with Ozu. Web.
Bordwell, David. Ozu and the Poetics of Cinema, Princeton, USA: Princeton University Press,1998. Print.
Late Spring. Web.
Mades07. “Tarda primavera (晩春, Banshun) è un film del 1949 diretto da Yasujirō Ozu..” Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 8 Dec. 2012. Web.
Wood, Robin. Sexual Politics and Narrative Film: Hollywood and Beyond. New York: Columbia University Press, 1998.