Updates, Live: Micro-stasis in Ozu's Movies

(video by 0wn0red)

I have talked about the transcendental structure of Ozu's movies: banality of everyday, cascading disruptions up tot he point of explosion, stasis. He also uses sometimes transcendental micro-structures, within the global frame, just to balance the cinematic tension.

Here is a fine example: in Banshun (Late Spring), after Noriko was convinced to get married, she and her father make a farewell trip to Kyoto. One of the last evenings starts with a warm discussion between them. Noriko is commenting the events of the day, her father is listening with his usual smile, mix of sophisticated politeness and sincere kindness. From a moment on, her talk is sliding in a direction her father would rather avoid, about her desire to remain unmarried to continue to take care of him, even if he would get re-married. He cannot tell her the truth, that he doesn't think at a new marriage. He cannot insist in lying either: it would be too painful for him, to stand her reproachful eyes. The only outcome for him is to fake falling asleep.

So Noriko hears his quiet snoring and you can read on her face a slight frustration: it is the moment of disruption.

The camera focuses immediately on a superb China vase in the background: the moment of stasis. Her worries would not find a resolve, and daughters leaving fathers to start a new family have been since the beginnings and will be to the end, while that perfect artwork stands there defying time.

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And here is another example of micro-stasis in the same movie: Noriko's father is talking to his friend and complaining about the fate of fathers - it's pointless to have a daughter, when she grows up someone other will take her as wife, and you remain alone. But we did the same, observes the friend and both of them start smiling. In that moment the camera moves to the yard in front of them: the yard of a temple, with sand and stones. What are worth our sorrows in face of eternity?