Tokyo Story (1953)

Synopsis: The Japanese family's transformation by modern, Western culture formed the core theme of director Ozu's work, and this motif is crystallized in an exquisite, intimate story of alienation and... The Japanese family's transformation by modern, Western culture formed the core theme of director Ozu's work, and this motif is crystallized in an exquisite, intimate story of alienation and reconciliation in TOKYO STORY. An aging couple, living in retirement in rural Japan, decide to visit their married children in the bustling metropolis of post-war Tokyo. But once they arrive, they find that the children no longer have room for them in their busy lives. Shuffling their parents back and forth between each of their houses the couple is eventually shipped off to a health spa. Only the couple's daughter-in-law, widow of their son who died in the war, shows them any kindness. The parents return home lonely and disillusioned, and the mother soon falls sick. The children arrive too late, and have lost their chance to make any reconciliation. The patterns of movement, dialogue and nature combine with a scrupulous attention to character under Ozu's masterful eye and create a subtle yet overwhelmingly emotional drama. [More]

Starring: Chishu Ryu, Chiyeko Higashiyama, Sô Yamamura, Haruko Sugimura

Starring: Chishu Ryu, Chiyeko Higashiyama, Sô Yamamura, Haruko Sugimura, Setsuko Hara, Kyôko Kagawa, Shiro Osaka

Director: Yasujiro Ozu

Director: Yasujiro Ozu
Screenwriter: Yasujiro Ozu, Kogo Noda
Composer: Takanori Saito

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