I have begun working my way through Yasujiro Ozu’s films with the goal of extrapolating some common themes and styles from his work. Thus is the peril of Netflix - browse at your own risk, you will find yourself going off on tangents and ending up with a full movie queue.
Late Autumn, filmed in 1963, is a quiet drama set in the then modern-day Japan. If this film were a food, it would be a cup of tea. It is quiet and understated with depths that need to be found through relaxation and reflection. There is humor, but it is dry and not found unless looked for.The movie provides an interesting view into the Western incursion into traditional Japanese style, attitudes and culture. The older generation is markedly different from the younger, both in dress and attitude. The Western American stereotypes of traditional Japanese culture are so strong that the “modern” dress and language of the younger generation in the film seems to be more affectation than reality.
Ozu seems to concentrate more on composition and rhythm rather than acting. Actors address the camera overmuch, walk on and off of the scene and things come off like you are watching the film adaptation of a play. While somewhat disconcerting, the formalized structure of the film allows you to pay attention to the smallest details.
One of the most interesting photographic composition elements from a Western viewpoint is that the camera is often at the viewpoint of someone sitting on the tatami rather than in a chair.
Here is a much better writeup than mine.
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