Another in my homage to Asian director's series, this time it's for Yasujiro Ozu. Ozu's films were all about people, small dramas about folks just getting by in the world. They say that his earlier films were much more Hollywood-like and funny, but I'm only familiar with the post-war stuff. They are all about people coping with the Westernization of Japan after World War II, from the grandparents mourning the changes to their lifestyles, to the little kids scheming for their first TV, and all the ages in between. Perhaps the most famous, and they one I would recommend, is Tokyo Story. I usually shy away from family dramas, but Ozu's films are fascinating. He is credited for introducing "new wave" film techniques, such as long still shots, elliptical scene transitions, and having the actors speak towards the camera, instead of in head shots with each other. The scene behind Ozu is a famous shot from the film Floating Weeds. This lighthouse and bottle were the only thing in the frame for nearly a minute, at several different points in the film. Sometimes you could hear dialogue, sometimes music, other times just the sounds of the sea. Interesting stuff (to a film geek like me, anyhow). I chose a cat because of the filmmaker Ozu's fond, but somewhat distant treatment of his characters. You know, cat-like.
My Ozu is another tiny piece, he is just shy of 3" at the top of his ears. I based him loosely on a pattern from one of my mame wanko books. I tried to get him to pose with the newest member of the household -
our little Neko, but neither of them would have any of it. Cats! What are you gonna do?
