#77
Post
by FilmFanSea » Mon Feb 06, 2006 6:47 pm
I've seen all seven of the films screened so far in Seattle's 10-film Naruse retrospective. As someone who had never seen any of his films prior to this series, it took me a couple of films to really appreciate Naruse's genius. A few generalizations based on these first seven films:
- Compared with, say, Ozu, Naruse's films don't seem to rely on the conventional narrative arc. He is content to create nuanced characters in a certain situation, set the wheels in motion, and then observe the results, without inserting some unexpected crisis or obstacle. His anti-dramatic style must've seemed very radical for its time, and might be a reason why his films are so little known outside of Japan. My emotional response to Naruse is much more subtle--it builds very gradually, almost imperceptibly, throughout his films. They are not emotionally cathartic like Ozu's films, but I enjoy them every bit as much (though in a different way).
- Naruse seems unconcerned with achieving a constant tone in his movies. He is able to easily mix comic moments into his dramas (and vice-versa). As a result, his films are more organic, more representative of everyday life.
- Most director's employ cross-cutting between contemporaneous scenes to heighten dramatic tension (e.g., Coppola's Godfather, PT Anderson's Magnolia), whereas Naruse often uses it to emphasize the banal.
- I don't recognize much in the way of symbolism in his films.
- Say what you will about Hideko Takamine and Setsuko Hara (I love them both), I simply adore Haruko Sugimura (probably most recognizable as the selfish daughter Shige in Ozu's Tokyo Story). She is distinctive, versatile, and ubiquitous. Had she been more conventionally beautiful, she might have received more starring roles, but her supporting performances enhance every film I've seen her in.
The films I've seen so far (in order of preference):
1. Every Night Dreams
2. Late Chrysanthemums
3. Flowing
3. Repast
5. When a Woman Ascends the Stairs*
6. Wife! Be Like a Rose!
6. Flunky, Work Hard!
That said, I haven't rated any of the seven films below 4 (on a 5-point scale). The last three films in the series will be Mother, Sound of the Mountain, and Floating Clouds.
* the first film I saw in the series. Since I had no idae what to expect, I'm sure I will rate it higher on a subsequent viewing.
