Overview

Based on a close reading of Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu's extant films, this book provides insights into the ways the director created narrative structures and used symbolism to construct meaning in his films. Against critics' insistence that Ozu was indifferent to plot and unlikely to use symbols, Geist demonstrates otherwise, revealing the director's subtle iconographic paradigms. Her incisive understanding of the historical and cultural context in which the films were conceived amplifies her analysis of the films' structure and meaning. Ozu: A Closer Look guides the reader through Ozu's early, silent films and his sound films made during Japan's wars in Asia and the subsequent American Occupation, then takes up specific themes relevant to his later, better-known films. These themes include religion, gender, and the influence of traditional Japanese painting. Geist also examines the impact that Ozu's films had on specific directors in Europe, America, and Japan. Intended for film scholars, students, and fans of the director, this book provides fresh insights into the director's films and new challenges for those who study him.

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9789888754175

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Reviews

""[Ozu: A Closer Look] contains a close textual analysis of Ozu's films, paying meticulous attention to objects, characters, styles, and stories. Geist reveals that her primary goal was to work with textual details to interpret their meaning. . . The result is a diverse set of hermeneutic ideas that Geist discusses, with a focus on the details and subtle nuances in Ozu's films.""-- ""Journal of Japanese and Korean Cinema""

"""[Ozu: A Closer Look] contains a close textual analysis of Ozu's films, paying meticulous attention to objects, characters, styles, and stories. Geist reveals that her primary goal was to work with textual details to interpret their meaning. . . The result is a diverse set of hermeneutic ideas that Geist discusses, with a focus on the details and subtle nuances in Ozu's films.""-- ""Journal of Japanese and Korean Cinema"""

Author Information

Kathe Geist is an art historian and author of The Cinema of Wim Wenders.

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