Customer Reviews

Ozu and the Poetics of Cinema

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David Bordwell's extraordinarily detailed and painstaking analysis of the entire oevre of Ozu Yasujiro is one of the best studies of Japanese cinema written in English language. Bordwell does a brillian t job of demolishing the mythical image of Ozu as the "most (traditional) Japanese filmmaker," illustrating through numerous case studies that Ozu, rather than challenging the Western norms of narrative strageties in the manner of a Zen master , developed his own stylistics which is rigorous, refined and distinctively "modern." By no means the last word on Ozu scholarship, the book is nonetheless highly recommended to any serious student of Japanese cinema.

David Bordwell has prodused one of the most detailed analyses of Ozu's work available in English. Beginning with short sections on his background and career, several essays offer key advice on key motifs in the director's work.

The heart of OZU, however, lies in the comprehensive film reviews (not critiques) that take up the second half of the book. Beginning with some lost silents and continuing throught he director's early efforts, we get a comprehensive view of all Ozu's films.in the context of his developing talent. Some may complain that there's too much detail -- even to the point of outlining camera setups, or correcting other critics -- but the diligent reader will find a goldmine of information that they otherwise might have missed. Bordwell. Until the definitive Ozu study is avalable, this is essential..

I have had a couple classes with David Bordwell and I noticed that what you sighted as weaknesses is his approach. He sets out to analyze the films exactly as you have mentioned. So maybe you need to write a book on Ozu that suits your angle.

I also think your comments on Welles and "Last Year at Marienbad" are a bit empty themselves. They seem to be more in line with opinion rather than astute rebuttal of a given piece of analysis. For instance, your comment "...from emptyheaded formalist garbage like "Last Year at Marienbad" or Welles' endlessly awful "Touch of Evil."; what makes these films empty-headed and formalist garbage? What is your definition of "empty-headed"? What is your definition of "formalist garbage"? One can state negative comments but to dissect the "why" in your comments is key, in my opinion, to delve into serious criticism. You sound like you like certain films (in my opinion you seem to like films that tread closer to realism such as "Yi-Yi", which you reviewed and gave five stars) and you do not like other films (such as "Touch of Evil" and "Last Year at Marienbad" which seem to be set in unrealistic realms). I think that sums up every film-goer. I do appreciate your comments though.

Bordwell's extremely well-researched book on Ozu covers all of the great director's existing works from the earliest silent films on - unlike Donald Richie's book, which tends to pay scant attention to the silent pictures. Bordwell does challenge the notion of Ozu as a "traditional" director (Richie tends to reinforce it) and instead makes the argument that Ozu was a formal pioneer - as he was. The problem with Bordwell and many other "serious" film critics is that they get so wrapped up in technique that technique becomes the only measuring post - which is why formally innovative but otherwise shallow directors like Orson Welles continue to be considered the best directors in history. Ozu combined cutting-edge technique with beautiful, quiet, often profound insights into Japanese society and human nature but Bordwell, like a scientist dissecting a frog, can tell you about all the parts but not what truly animates the thing. Ozu always called himself a formalist and his attention to formal details was meticulous and precise, but it was the real poetry of his films that caused Wenders to cite Ozu as "a sacred treasure of the cinema" and seperates Ozu's films from emptyheaded formalist garbage like "Last Year at Marienbad" or Welles' endlessly awful "Touch of Evil." Bordwell's dry analysis of technique borders on the obsessive and really [stink] the joy out of each film, even Ozu's extent pure dumb fun silent "B" pics like "Dragnet Girl." Mr. Bordwell's effort and his attention to detail should be cheered; some of the points he makes and the patterns he discovers are truly astonishing and enlightening. But ultimately, though, I would say that neither this book nor Richie's really seem able to nail Ozu down. Perhaps that's merely a testament to Ozu's enduring genius.