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Tokyo Story
東京物語
1953 137 min Japan 16+
★8.5
Drama
Director: Yasujirô Ozu
Trailers
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Description
The elderly Shukishi and his wife, Tomi, take the long journey from their small seaside village to visit their adult children in Tokyo. Their elder son, Koichi, a doctor, and their daughter, Shige, a hairdresser, don't have much time to spend with their aged parents, and so it falls to Noriko, the widow of their younger son who was killed in the war, to keep her in-laws company.
Starring
Chishû Ryû
Actor
Chieko Higashiyama
Actor
Sô Yamamura
Actor
Awards
3 wins total
Key opinion
Yasujirō Ozu's Tokyo Story is widely regarded as a profound, universal meditation on generational disconnect and the inexorable passage of time. While its meditative, static style is hailed as a masterpiece by most, it remains polarizing for viewers seeking traditional dramatic urgency.
| Theme | The film masterfully explores the universal theme of parent-child estrangement and the tragedy of shifting family priorities. | |
| Acting | Chishû Ryû and Chieko Higashiyama provide delicate, nuanced performances that anchor the emotional core of the film. | |
| Cinematography | The intentional, static visual language and low-angle cinematography create an intimate, voyeuristic atmosphere that immerses the viewer in daily life. | |
| Pacing | The contemplative, slow-paced tempo is either viewed as a rewarding, transcendent experience or as an unengaging and boring narrative structure. | |
| Screenplay | Critics are divided on the screenplay, with some praising its laconically honest simplicity, while others perceive the character dynamics as simplistic or overly theatrical. |