The only thing that I new about this film prior to watching it was that it was on many 'best movies ever made' lists. (Not just on the lists, considered as one of THE best.) So I was like, alright....let's see what this is all about.
I'm not going to lie...after about the first half hour of this film, I was like....really?!?!? It's a very slow paced film. But the further I got into it (the full 2 hours 15 minutes of the film) I was more and more enthralled. By the time the movie was finished, I was definitely enamoured with it, and totally on board with this best movie ever made thing. This is a heartbreakingly beautiful movie that left me in tears by the end.
What I am discovering through this process is the best movies are the simple stories that involve 'typical' relationships between people. The films 'The Bicycle Thief' and 'Les Enfants du Paradis' are the other ones that comes to mind when I watched this.
On the one hand, this is a simple story about a couple who travel to Tokyo (from their small village) to see their children. On another level, it's not that simple at all. It succinctly captures the disfunction and selfishness and awkwardness of familial relationships. It's amazing to me that a movie made in 1953, and in Japan can so accurately depict things that are so universal. I have never been to Tokyo or lived in that time, but I have lived and experienced the scenarios that were depicted in the film. I never felt that this was a 'foreign' film, but one that was close to my heart. Amazing.
This film is an example of why I embarked on this 102 movies journey - I would never have watched this before. And I am so thankful that I was able to experience this movie.
One word to describe 'Tokyo Story': Beautiful.
Monday, February 15, 2010
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