Tokyo Story (1953) - Film directed by Yasujirô Ozu

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Considered one of the greatest films made by one of the greatest directors, however I didn't really understand why. Watching this film slowly lulled me to sleep but I was determined to stay awake hoping that there would be a point which would make me realise why people love it so much. The plot follows an elderly couple as they visit Tokyo and their grown-up children only to realise that their children have grown up and left them behind.

The plot is actually quite sweet because it is very relatable to many people, there is family and love and I think depending on the age that you watch it will change your perception. If you are a parent it would be very different than watching it as a child/teenager but also being married/in a long term relationship would also alter your view of the message. Personally I took the message to be one of treasuring your parents and those you love in life while they are alive. 

The film, I think, is meant to be shot carefully and with Ozu's particular style however I found the style stilted and awkward. He used angles that were interesting but seemingly pointless other than to add dimension to a fairly dimensionless piece. The dialogue was repetitive and I'm sure it had some hidden meanings but I did not notice them and therefore they were hidden too well and became redundant. 

Overall I think that this film had a nice plot but it was a plot for a short film, not a film that stretched over 2 hours. The director's style didn't interest me and the film wasn't interesting looking enough for the hype that I had heard about how good the cinematography/camera work is. Possibly with explanations hidden depths can be revealed to improve the film but on first viewing it just seemed quite slow and pointless.