REVIEW: TOKYO STORY
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IT might be more than 50 years old but the emotional power of TOKYO STORY (U) can't fail to reach through the decades and slap you between the eyes.
Slap, though, is probably the wrong word. Though it rivals Citizen Kane for the top spot in most "greatest movie" polls, director Yasujiro Ozu's classic of world cinema is no flashy show-off, with camera moves aplenty and metaphorical "jazz hands" waving furiously. The camera barely moves at all.
Like its characters, the film is a subtle and refined animal; the story of two elderly parents from a rural Japanese village who visit their children in the big city.
Too busy to deal with them, the kids fob their folks off on a kindly daughter-in-law whose hubby died in the war - until tragedy forces them all to put their lives on hold and meet up.
The film's visual and dramatic minimalism is striking. Though these people's hearts are breaking, there are no over-the-top outpourings, just silent acceptance of each small disappointment.
There are moments of fun but there is a strong sense of melancholy hanging over the movie and Ozu wrings every drop of emotion from the situation - aided by a heartbreaking performance by Chishu Ryu as the elderly father, who can convey deep sorrow in the smallest gestures. - JUSTIN MATLOCK
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