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یاسوجیرو ازو
Yasujiro Ozu, the man whom his kinsmen consider the most Japanese for all film directors, had but one major subject, the Japanese family, and but one major theme, its dissolution. The Japanese family in dissolution figures in every one of his fifty-three films. In his later pictures, the whole world exists in one family, the characters are family members rather than members of a society, and the ends of the earth seem no more distant than the outside of the house.
295 pages, Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 1974
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About the author
Donald Richie
117 books103 followersDonald Richie is an American-born author who has written about the Japanese people and Japanese cinema. Although he considers himself only a writer, Richie has directed many experimental films, the first when he was 17. Although Richie speaks Japanese fluently, he can neither read nor write it.
During World War II, he served aboard Liberty ships as a purser and medical officer. By then he had already published his first work, "Tumblebugs" (1942), a short story.
In 1947, Richie first visited Japan with the American occupation force, a job he saw as an opportunity to escape from Lima, Ohio. He first worked as a typist, and then as a civilian staff writer for the Pacific Stars and Stripes. While in Tokyo, he became fascinated with Japanese culture, particularly Japanese cinema. He was soon writing movie reviews in the Stars and Stripes. In 1948 he met Kashiko Kawakita who introduced him to Yasujiro Ozu. During their long friendship, Richie and Kawakita collaborated closely in promoting Japanese film in the West.
After returning to the United States, he enrolled at Columbia University's School of General Studies in 1949, and received his Bachelor's Degree in English in 1953. Richie then returned to Japan as film critic for the The Japan Times and spent much of the second half of the twentieth century living there. In 1959, he published his first book, The Japanese Film: Art and Industry, coauthored with Joseph Anderson. In this work, the authors gave the first English language account of Japanese film. Richie served as Curator of Film at the New York Museum of Modern Art from 1969 to 1972. In 1988, he was invited to become the first guest director at the Telluride Film Festival.
Among his most noted works on Japan are The Inland Sea, a travel classic, and Public People, Private People, a look at some of Japan's most significant and most mundane people. He has compiled two collections of essays on Japan: A Lateral View and Partial Views. A collection of his writings has been published to commemorate fifty years of writing about Japan: The Donald Richie Reader. The Japan Journals: 1947-2004 consists of extended excerpts from his diaries.
In 1991, filmmakers Lucille Carra and Brian Cotnoir produced a film version of The Inland Sea, which Richie narrated. Produced by Travelfilm Company, the film won numerous awards, including Best Documentary at the Hawaii International Film Festival (1991) and the Earthwatch Film Award. It screened at the Sundance Film Festival in 1992.
Author Tom Wolfe describes Richie as: "the Lafcadio Hearn of our time, a subtle, stylish, and deceptively lucid medium between two cultures that confuse one another: the Japanese and the American."
Richie's most widely recognized accomplishment has been his analysis of Japanese cinema. From his first published book, Richie has revised not only the library of films he discusses, but the way he analyzes them. With each subsequent book, he has focused less on film theory and more on the conditions in which the films were made. One thing that has emerged in his works is an emphasis on the "presentational" nature of Japan's cinema, in contrast to the "representational" films of the West. His book, A Hundred Years Of Japanese Film includes a helpful guide to the availability of the films on home video and DVD mentioned in the main text. In the foreword to this book, Paul Schrader says: "Whatever we in the West know about Japanese film, and how we know it, we most likely owe to Donald Richie." Richie also has written analyses of two of Japan's best known filmmakers: Yasujiro Ozu and Akira Kurosawa.
Richie has written the English subtitles for Akira Kurosawa's films Kagemusha (1980) and Dreams (1990)[8].
In the 21st century, Richie has become noted for his erudite audio commentaries for The Criterion Collection on DVDs of various classic Japanese films, notably those of Ozu (A Story of Floating Weeds, Early Summer), Mikio Naruse (When a Woman Ascend
During World War II, he served aboard Liberty ships as a purser and medical officer. By then he had already published his first work, "Tumblebugs" (1942), a short story.
In 1947, Richie first visited Japan with the American occupation force, a job he saw as an opportunity to escape from Lima, Ohio. He first worked as a typist, and then as a civilian staff writer for the Pacific Stars and Stripes. While in Tokyo, he became fascinated with Japanese culture, particularly Japanese cinema. He was soon writing movie reviews in the Stars and Stripes. In 1948 he met Kashiko Kawakita who introduced him to Yasujiro Ozu. During their long friendship, Richie and Kawakita collaborated closely in promoting Japanese film in the West.
After returning to the United States, he enrolled at Columbia University's School of General Studies in 1949, and received his Bachelor's Degree in English in 1953. Richie then returned to Japan as film critic for the The Japan Times and spent much of the second half of the twentieth century living there. In 1959, he published his first book, The Japanese Film: Art and Industry, coauthored with Joseph Anderson. In this work, the authors gave the first English language account of Japanese film. Richie served as Curator of Film at the New York Museum of Modern Art from 1969 to 1972. In 1988, he was invited to become the first guest director at the Telluride Film Festival.
Among his most noted works on Japan are The Inland Sea, a travel classic, and Public People, Private People, a look at some of Japan's most significant and most mundane people. He has compiled two collections of essays on Japan: A Lateral View and Partial Views. A collection of his writings has been published to commemorate fifty years of writing about Japan: The Donald Richie Reader. The Japan Journals: 1947-2004 consists of extended excerpts from his diaries.
In 1991, filmmakers Lucille Carra and Brian Cotnoir produced a film version of The Inland Sea, which Richie narrated. Produced by Travelfilm Company, the film won numerous awards, including Best Documentary at the Hawaii International Film Festival (1991) and the Earthwatch Film Award. It screened at the Sundance Film Festival in 1992.
Author Tom Wolfe describes Richie as: "the Lafcadio Hearn of our time, a subtle, stylish, and deceptively lucid medium between two cultures that confuse one another: the Japanese and the American."
Richie's most widely recognized accomplishment has been his analysis of Japanese cinema. From his first published book, Richie has revised not only the library of films he discusses, but the way he analyzes them. With each subsequent book, he has focused less on film theory and more on the conditions in which the films were made. One thing that has emerged in his works is an emphasis on the "presentational" nature of Japan's cinema, in contrast to the "representational" films of the West. His book, A Hundred Years Of Japanese Film includes a helpful guide to the availability of the films on home video and DVD mentioned in the main text. In the foreword to this book, Paul Schrader says: "Whatever we in the West know about Japanese film, and how we know it, we most likely owe to Donald Richie." Richie also has written analyses of two of Japan's best known filmmakers: Yasujiro Ozu and Akira Kurosawa.
Richie has written the English subtitles for Akira Kurosawa's films Kagemusha (1980) and Dreams (1990)[8].
In the 21st century, Richie has become noted for his erudite audio commentaries for The Criterion Collection on DVDs of various classic Japanese films, notably those of Ozu (A Story of Floating Weeds, Early Summer), Mikio Naruse (When a Woman Ascend
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October 5, 2025
در این کتاب دانلد ریچی که یک از مهم ترین افراد در زمینه فرهنگ و سینمای ژاپن هست، به بررسی سینمای فیلمساز بزرگ ژاپن و تاریخ یعنی یاسوجیرو اُزو میپردازه.
او با باز کردن و کند و کاو درون سبک اُزو و ساختاری که در فیلم هاش داره و بررسی نسبت این ها با فرهنگ ژاپن و زندگی خود اُزو، یک تحلیل کامل و درجه یک از سینمای اُزو میسازه.
سینمای اُزو به عمد دارای یک سری محدودیت هاست ، محدودیت های تکنیکی (مثل استفاده حداقلی از حرکت دوربین، استفاده از کات در اکثر جاها به جای تمهیدات معمول سینمایی مثل دیزالو و فید) که باعث عمیق تر دیدن، و محدودیت ضرباهنگ که باعث بیشتر تجربه کردن حسی تماشاگر میشه. این محدودیت ها به لوکیشن، کاراکتر، موضوع هایی که با اون ها سر و کار داره هم بسط پیدا میکنه. او مثل تراشکاری که همه زواید رو میتراشه، همه چیز رو به ساده ترین شکل ارائه میده برای دست یافتن به جوهره چیزها. با یک نوع تاکید بر طراوت و ضرورت بازگشت به مایه ی اصلی تصاویر و کلام، نوعی فرمالیسم شعرگونه. این سادگی به جایی میرسه که در نگاه اول شاید فریب این سادگی و بی پیرایگی رو بخوریم، و دانلد ریچی نشون میده که این سادگی از پس هزاران سختی و ریزه کاری پدید اومده، به طوری که اُزو رو یگانه و دست نیافتنی کرده.
مسئله ی اُزو داستان پردازی نیست، چنانکه داستان های فیلم های او چیزی در حد دو سه خط است و البته همین ها هم مشابهت های زیادی به هم دارند، بلکه او به دنبال ساختن آدم و کاراکتر است. در فیلم های کاراکتر ها به ضرورت داستان حرکت نمی کنند (چنان که در اکثر فیلم های قصه محور) بلکه فقط بهانه ای هستند برای جلوه کردن کاراکتر ها و از خلال آن ها ترسیم چیستی زندگی. او این موضوعات دو خطی رو با ساختن کاراکترهایی عمیق پیوند میزنه به فرهنگی که درش بزرگ شده و ازش ساخته شده، و چیزی میسازه که تابلویی است از زندگی، نه تابلو اشتباهه فیلم های او خود زندگی است.
او با باز کردن و کند و کاو درون سبک اُزو و ساختاری که در فیلم هاش داره و بررسی نسبت این ها با فرهنگ ژاپن و زندگی خود اُزو، یک تحلیل کامل و درجه یک از سینمای اُزو میسازه.
سینمای اُزو به عمد دارای یک سری محدودیت هاست ، محدودیت های تکنیکی (مثل استفاده حداقلی از حرکت دوربین، استفاده از کات در اکثر جاها به جای تمهیدات معمول سینمایی مثل دیزالو و فید) که باعث عمیق تر دیدن، و محدودیت ضرباهنگ که باعث بیشتر تجربه کردن حسی تماشاگر میشه. این محدودیت ها به لوکیشن، کاراکتر، موضوع هایی که با اون ها سر و کار داره هم بسط پیدا میکنه. او مثل تراشکاری که همه زواید رو میتراشه، همه چیز رو به ساده ترین شکل ارائه میده برای دست یافتن به جوهره چیزها. با یک نوع تاکید بر طراوت و ضرورت بازگشت به مایه ی اصلی تصاویر و کلام، نوعی فرمالیسم شعرگونه. این سادگی به جایی میرسه که در نگاه اول شاید فریب این سادگی و بی پیرایگی رو بخوریم، و دانلد ریچی نشون میده که این سادگی از پس هزاران سختی و ریزه کاری پدید اومده، به طوری که اُزو رو یگانه و دست نیافتنی کرده.
مسئله ی اُزو داستان پردازی نیست، چنانکه داستان های فیلم های او چیزی در حد دو سه خط است و البته همین ها هم مشابهت های زیادی به هم دارند، بلکه او به دنبال ساختن آدم و کاراکتر است. در فیلم های کاراکتر ها به ضرورت داستان حرکت نمی کنند (چنان که در اکثر فیلم های قصه محور) بلکه فقط بهانه ای هستند برای جلوه کردن کاراکتر ها و از خلال آن ها ترسیم چیستی زندگی. او این موضوعات دو خطی رو با ساختن کاراکترهایی عمیق پیوند میزنه به فرهنگی که درش بزرگ شده و ازش ساخته شده، و چیزی میسازه که تابلویی است از زندگی، نه تابلو اشتباهه فیلم های او خود زندگی است.
May 16, 2024
Donald Richie's Ozu (1977) is a seminal look at one of Japan's and the world's greatest directors. Recently, the British film magazine Sight & Sound ranked his masterpiece, Tokyo Story, as the greatest film of all-time. The book is divided into several sections and after the "Preface" in which Richie discusses Yasujiro Ozu's reputation as the most Japanese of their directors, he launches into the "Introduction," which identifies the elements that comprise an Ozu film: the low tatami view (also known as dog's view) camera angle and and the dissolution of the family as the main subject. In the next section Richie discussed the importance of Ozu's script writing that was often done in tandem with a collaborator. For Ozu the emphasis was on character rather than plot. Surprisingly, Richie discusses Ozu’s script writing for a comedy, Good Morning, in which farting or "breaking wind" is a recurring motif. I haven't seen the film in questions and seems to differ from the later dramas, which is probably why Richie uses this example. Richie also points out several characteristics of an Ozu screenplay: a lack of absolutes (there are no all bad or good characters), he often employed the minor motif of light romantic attachment as a parallel to a major theme, used visual parallels, and often employed irony in the mix. The next stage in film making and the book is "Shooting." Here Richie analyzes Ozu's particular style of shooting a film. Most distinctive is his camera point of view of a person sitting on a tatami mat, about three feet off the ground. Ozu is also known for the lack of camera movement, there are some tracking shots, but he largely avoids using cranes and dollys. The focus is on pictorial composition which involves shooting at right angles to achieve a balanced composition, framing people in all manners of ways, compositions with the person in the background out of focus with the foreground in focus. These compositions break the action and are essentially empty so that the viewer can fill it with the appropriate emotion. Ozu was particular about casting and often wrote characters with an actor in mind. He tended to stay away from popular actors. He was also known as a demanding director who called for a particular action from an actor, but never gave any advice on how to play the role. This resulted in legendary stories from a number of actors about astonishing numbers of takes for problematic scenes over the years. In his shooting Ozu has shown the preference for the full face shot in order to give the observance of enryo (restraint) and to portray a deep sense of regard. All of this resulted in a sense of immediacy. After "Shooting" comes "Editing" in the book and film making process. In comparison to other film makers like Akira Kurosawa, Ozu did little editing in that he had most of what he wanted in the shooting process. However, he usually followed this pattern: long shot--medium shot--close up--medium shot--long shot. This was especially true of establishing shots that open his films. Ozu often used objects as transitional devices like the bicycle in A Story Of Floating Weeds. Furthermore, his use of still lifes and empty scenes were seen as containers for emotion supplied by the audience. His film always had a very subtle tempo unlike the active tempo of many other directors. Richie sums up his editing style by observing that all aspects of Ozu's film (dialogue, scene, sequence, and sound) were pattern into module units. In the "Conclusion" Richie draws a comparison of Ozu's style of film to the Japanese concept of wabi from ikebaba (the art of flower arranging). Thus, the more ordinary, or even poor, container reflects the stronger, properly displayed effect. Ozu has been celebrated and criticized for a being a traditionalist, but there's no denying the fact that he is. At the end of the book there is a "Biographical Filmography" which gives commentary about milestones and important turning points in Ozu's life and career.
I can appreciate Ozu's craft and subtlety and recognize him as a great artist. I will concur that Tokyo Story is one of the greatest films of all-time. I have seen and appreciated most of his later works, which are interesting forays into the dissolution of the family, his great theme. However, he is like a hedgehog, to borrow Isiah Berlin's metaphors for artist who focuses on one great truth. I tend to prefer artists that are foxes (e.g. those artists that focus on many truths, like Kurosawa who worked in many genres). That being said there is no denying that he is one of Japan's greatest artists.
I can appreciate Ozu's craft and subtlety and recognize him as a great artist. I will concur that Tokyo Story is one of the greatest films of all-time. I have seen and appreciated most of his later works, which are interesting forays into the dissolution of the family, his great theme. However, he is like a hedgehog, to borrow Isiah Berlin's metaphors for artist who focuses on one great truth. I tend to prefer artists that are foxes (e.g. those artists that focus on many truths, like Kurosawa who worked in many genres). That being said there is no denying that he is one of Japan's greatest artists.
May 20, 2012
Richie's book on Yasujiro Ozu is less opulent but richer than his book on Kurosawa. This may be because Ozu's work fits so well into the kind of Japanese cultural analysis that Richie does so brilliantly. Instead of going film by film, the book is divided into sections describing Ozu's approach to creating a film. Hence, there are sections on script, shooting and editing.
There is also a brief survey of all his films at the end of the book that is woven into a biography of the director. Very valuable resource, I find.
Ozu is one of the great masters of cinema. This book is a great help if you need to understand why.
There is also a brief survey of all his films at the end of the book that is woven into a biography of the director. Very valuable resource, I find.
Ozu is one of the great masters of cinema. This book is a great help if you need to understand why.
May 27, 2024
Good peek into Ozu’s practical method and his biography. As a study, it’s made somewhat obsolete and puny by the new translation of Shiguéhiko Hasumi’s Ozu book. Too many Zen-forced, Orientalist homilies for my taste. Still, Richie’s enthusiasm is contagious.
November 8, 2010
Going through another Ozu phase and wanted to reread this thorough guide as I watched and rewatched the movies.
January 23, 2025
Insightful work into the process of a true artist. What a fun companion piece to read after exploring Ozu’s filmography last year.
May 1, 2024
I really like Ozu’s films, especially because they are so “boring”
This book is a different kind of boring and I just found it to be unengaging and written in a way that did not flow well. I did appreciate the authors takes on certain aspects of his films however - it’s just not the book for me
This book is a different kind of boring and I just found it to be unengaging and written in a way that did not flow well. I did appreciate the authors takes on certain aspects of his films however - it’s just not the book for me
September 14, 2007
Donald Richie and Ozu. A perfect combination. A great book length study on the great Japanese filmmaker. Richie did a remarkable job in nailing down what is great about Ozu's work. Essential.
June 27, 2009
the best book on Japanese film I've ever read. Ozu's style and career lend themselves to Donald Richie's precise analysis. Highly recommended for people who love OZU.
Read
January 22, 2023Look I read the first like 80% of this book in like a week and then I had the brilliant idea that I would watch the movies as I read along with the Biographical Filmography portion and eventually just decided that’s not happening. Which was the right decision. Just read the freaking book.
Ozu was a fascinating filmmaker and I’m glad to have us this resource to aid in exploring his work. In comparison to Richie’s book on Kurosawa this one does feel like it leans more heavily on presenting evidence (Ozu does this. Here are several examples of this relayed in detail) which can get very dry at times. But overall glad for the context this book provided.
Ozu was a fascinating filmmaker and I’m glad to have us this resource to aid in exploring his work. In comparison to Richie’s book on Kurosawa this one does feel like it leans more heavily on presenting evidence (Ozu does this. Here are several examples of this relayed in detail) which can get very dry at times. But overall glad for the context this book provided.
December 24, 2022
This book is rather dry and I would not read it if I was not already a fan of a lot of Ozu’s work. Despite its dryness, it’s extremely rich in its dissection of his work, methods, and philosophy. There is a whole lot here to take from and only makes me appreciate the man’s work more. The final section which tells us about the man himself while also going thru his filmography movie-by-movie was fascinating.
May 7, 2024
For fans of world cinema, this is a spectacular read. Through the book, Richie gives film lovers a beautiful look into the cinematic life of one of cinema's greatest directors. I like how the book follows a path wherein every chapter discusses different elements of filmmaking. Of course, the focus remains on analysing his work as well as the creative process that gave us some of the most inspiring movies ever. This biography is a must-read for all cinema enthusiasts.
March 9, 2023
Very interesting explanations of the techniques employed by one of the greatest all-time filmmakers. The book would have benefitted from more pictures to accompany the explanations a la David Bordwell. However, if you're doing an Ozu marathon, this is a worthy accompaniment.
July 24, 2023
essential reading for fans and obsessives of ozu and his filmmaking.
donald richie disects scriptwriting, shooting and editing in sometimes dense and dry detail but does not hold back on excavating knowledge and offering thorough analysis. as someone who'd only watched his 'talkies' up until now, richie's biological filmography - itself lighter on analysis yet deeply informative i'm now going to rewatch the ozu oeuvre with new eyes, especially the earlier silent work.
donald richie disects scriptwriting, shooting and editing in sometimes dense and dry detail but does not hold back on excavating knowledge and offering thorough analysis. as someone who'd only watched his 'talkies' up until now, richie's biological filmography - itself lighter on analysis yet deeply informative i'm now going to rewatch the ozu oeuvre with new eyes, especially the earlier silent work.
May 25, 2020
Пять лет у меня ушло на эту книжечку. Пять. Это все таки монография университетского серьезного типа, а не биография как я себя представлял. Очень познавательно.
February 16, 2021
"Saber como controlar a emoção e saber como expressar humanidade através desse controlo - é essa a tarefa de um realizador", Yasujiro Ozu.
April 13, 2024
Lots of interesting items. I was expecting a little more life autobiography; however, this was very focused on the technical details of his films..
October 16, 2024
Brilliant book about the insights into Ozu’s magnificent films.
December 30, 2025
This guy loves Ozu.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews