Sorry, Disney fans, but Peter Pan just missed the cut this week. Instead, the timeless classic from Yasujirō Ozu takes center stage as the best film of 1953. Although it has received much praise from critics (100% on Rotten Tomatoes), not much is known about this repeated placement in lists of best movies of all time. It can be slow, following an elderly couple as they visit their estranged children in the city, but it is wholly worth the viewing, much like Citizen Kane.
Ozu's direction is perfect, never moving the camera once and allowing each scene to look as natural as possible, drawing us into the normal world of Tokyo Story. This is what gets you, however, because its story is so real and so powerful that adding that realism to it drives home. Everything seems perfectly normal and happy, everyone is cordial with one another, but no one truly likes each other. Even now, over sixty years later, Tokyo Story's message about the life of lies that we live, too busy to develop real relationships with each other, strikes a chord in my heart and makes me rethink how I have been going about my life.
At just over two hours long, yes, it can be very slow and the message might be difficult to see. But I still would want everyone to watch this film. If the first hour proves too slow, I highly recommend reading the
late Roger Ebert's excellent review of the film and its themes; this opened up a viewing experience for me that had not been there before. Then finish the film, or if you make it through without getting bored, still go read his article. So, please, please, please go watch this amazing look at the modern family.
P.S. - Always remember your local library, then check out Amazon for Tokyo Story to:
1) Rent digitally for $2.99.
2) Buy on Criterion Collection Blu-ray for $24.99.
3) Buy digitally for $14.99.
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