Cinematic minimalism is comprised of a deliberate removal or absence of the typical clutter that often weighs on Hollywood-style narratives, differentiated by the lack of content rather than the presence of it. “It” is here summed up as the mise en scéne (everything within the frame) of the film, as well as the positioning of the camera and sound. Ozu shows a mastery of storytelling in deciding how to utilise camera angles, setting, and dialogue to accompany and surround a story he was well acquainted with by 1953. Tôkyô Monogatari (Tokyo Story) is a “patient stud[y] of an extended family undergoing a quiet crisis that brings out the contrasts across generations” (Nowell-Smith 420). Ozu uses space, the position of the camera, and dialogue (and lack of it) to create a story that carries the essence of what could be described as mono no aware.
Central to Japanese tradition and art history, mono no aware is the pathos or essence of things, or better …show more content…
He is slowly abandoned by one child after the other following the death of his wife, and numerous characters remark that Shukichi is fated to be lonely for the rest of his existence. His resigned posture by the end of the film, mirrored in his restrained conversation with his step-daughter Noriko, illustrate his own mono no aware. The rest of the characters’ dialogue also shows this: along with a minimalistic storyline, dialogue is reduced to casual conversation and feigned politeness with empty smiles. The majority of sparse dialogue, and almost no sound, is relegated to pleasantries and traditional expectations of the family. Yet hidden underneath is the pained reality that life is disappointing, and fleeting, and as seen from both sides of the generation gap, each finds the other to be a burden and not living up to
Central to Japanese tradition and art history, mono no aware is the pathos or essence of things, or better …show more content…
He is slowly abandoned by one child after the other following the death of his wife, and numerous characters remark that Shukichi is fated to be lonely for the rest of his existence. His resigned posture by the end of the film, mirrored in his restrained conversation with his step-daughter Noriko, illustrate his own mono no aware. The rest of the characters’ dialogue also shows this: along with a minimalistic storyline, dialogue is reduced to casual conversation and feigned politeness with empty smiles. The majority of sparse dialogue, and almost no sound, is relegated to pleasantries and traditional expectations of the family. Yet hidden underneath is the pained reality that life is disappointing, and fleeting, and as seen from both sides of the generation gap, each finds the other to be a burden and not living up to