Tokyo Story arrived from Netflix yesterday so I watched this classic last night. I don’t like to know anything about a movie before I watch it. I don’t want to know the story, the actors’ names, or even the kind of movie it is. I like it all to be a surprise. If someone recommends a movie to me and starts to comment on it I stop them right there. I then check imdb.com to see if it got at least 7 out of 10. If it passes the imdb test I add the DVD to my Netflix queue. If you are like me, read no more. Put this in your Netflix queue or pick up a copy through the link above.

I loved this movie. Others, looking for something more action packed, will certainly be disappointed. The movie is slow paced and gives the viewer plenty of time to take it all in and think. If you are a student of the Japanese language I think you will find this movie fairly easy to understand given its less-than hectic pace and dialogue. Other than the grandparents’ accents (which sound something like a cross between kyushuben and kansaiben–ending many sentences and phrases with a na) and the scene featuring the ramblings of drunk men at a bar, I had little problem understanding the movie in Japanese (although it came with English subtitles of course).

I enjoyed the subtleness of the interactions which cause the viewer to come to love the daughter-in-law and despise the other children as the characters become clearer through the movie’s progression. I found it a little unfortunate when the subtleties were broken with the exchange between the daughter-in-law and the youngest daughter. Basically, the daughter-in-law’s goodness is frankly contrasted, in words, with the wrongness of the other children for viewers not paying attention. I didn’t think this was necessary, and the scene would have been cut had I been the editor.

The final scene brought a tear to my eye. I wanted to jump into my TV to give grandpa a hug.

If you are interested in a look at Japan (especially, but not only, Tokyo) less than a decade after the war then this film is not to be missed.

Posted on November 14th, 2008 under Japan • Tags: reviews. • RSS 2.0 feed • Leave a response, or trackback