Tokyo Story (5/18/12)

Movie One Hundred Twenty Two

Tokyo Story is a seemingly simple film about an elderly Japanese couple that travel to Tokyo to visit their grown-up children.

When the aging couple makes the trip from the county into Tokyo to visit their son and his family, we know nothing of what is to come. When the son and daughter have no time to spend with their parents, the daughter sends them off to a resort. Unhappy with that arrangement, the couple comes back and still find their children unable to make time for them. The widow of their dead son is the only one that can make time for them. Shortly after their return journey, the mother falls ill.

On the surface, Tokyo Story seems like a movie about nothing, but it’s actually an incredibly deep film about relationships, parenthood, adulthood, grief, joy, love, loss, and life. Each character is unique and relatable in their own way. I had two concerns going into Tokyo Story: the Japanese customs would muddle the plot and that the film wouldn’t really go anywhere. For the first half hour or so my concerns remained, especially the latter. Where Tokyo Story ends up is incredibly moving. Ozu has a tremendous talent for making very realistic situations and his style of camera work is unique and completely objective, almost sterile in viewing these relationships. The camera is completely non-manipulative in what is showing to you, allowing the actors to really shine.

When I started watching Tokyo Story I was skeptical. “How is this supposed to be such a great movie?” I thought to myself. By the end, I was a total wreck. Few films absolutely floor me emotionally, but Tokyo Story is possibly the most human, most endearing film I’ve ever seen. At first, what seems like an unremarkable film about a family becomes something truly beautiful.

I give it 5 sitting seasides out of 5.

Links:

Rotten Tomatoes

IMDB

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