FLOATING WEEDS
Over the last semester I’ve really
come to appreciate Yasjuiro Ozu. The two other Ozu films I’ve watched I’ve
rather enjoyed. However it was Floating
Weeds that gave me clearest picture of what Ozu wants to draw from every
film. I saw Ozu stick his creative toe in each technical aspect of film. The
film takes pace in the summer of 1958, during the post occupation era in Japan.
His choices regarding mise-en-scene, camera movement, and editing are truly
great and add to his message about the intricacies of Japanese culture.
Floating
Weeds, is Ozu’s remake of his 1934 film, The Story of Floating Weeds. The original film was silent and in
black and white. The story follows a Japanese kabuki troop as they tour a small
village on the Inland Sea. Komajuro leads the troop, he is accompanied by his
mistress Sumiko, along with a few other their luck actors and actresses. The
story follows Komajuro as he tries to mend his relationship with his
illegitimate son, Kiyoshi. The film focuses on Komajuro’s struggle to remain
apart of his son’s life, without exposing himself as the Kiyoshi’s father. .
After re-kindling his relationship with Kiyoshi, Sumiko becomes suspicious of
Komajuro and the “patron” he has been visiting. After coaxing some information
out of depressed actor, Sumiko tracks down Komjuro. Sumiko finds Komajuro at a
sake shop, ran by the Komajuro’s ex-lover and mother, Oyoshi. Sumiko confronts
Oyoshi as to the whereabouts of Kumajuro. Kumajuro is alerted to her presence
and becomes infuriated with Sumiko. He then proceeds to drag Sumiko out by the
arm, berating her for her invasive behavior.
Later on Sumiko plots to destroy
Kumajuro’s son’s life. She employs the help of her fellow actress, Kayo, played
by the beautiful, Ayako Wakao. Sumiko instructs Kayo to lead the boy on.
Sumiko’s plan’s is to distract the boy from school and work. After seeing
Kiyoshi and Kayo together, Kumajuro falls to his anger. He finds himself
concerned over the boys well being. Kumajuro does not want to see his son hurt.
Kumajuro confronts Kayo about who she has been seeing. Kumajuro asks Kayo
why she is talking to the boy, after
literally twisting her arm, she exclaims, “Sumiko!” Kumajuro orders Kayo to
retrieve Sumiko. When Sumiko walks down the stairs Kumajuro immediately
confronts her, about her tampering with his son’s future and general well
being. Sumiko then makes a comment, “like father, like son,” upon hearing this,
Kumajuro becomes enraged and beats Sumiko.
Soon after this fight, we see this
struggling acting troop relieved from their contract. The ends, the group meets
in the playhouse to reminisce. The entire group is seen drinking together in a circle;
another member of troupe invites Sumiko. Sumiko and Kumajuro are forced to
reconcile their differences rather publically. Toward the end of the film the
audience watches as the relationship between Kiyoshi and Kayo grows. The last
sequence in the film reveals to Kiyoshi that Kumajuro is his father. Kiyoshi
rejects him though, Kiyoshi says to his mother, “you told me my father died
when I was little, I believed it and I still believe it. I don’t want a
father.” At the end of the film Kumajuro leaves again.
Throughout the film Ozu
demonstrates his keen eye for color, staging, and prop placement. Ozu’s use of the
different aspects of mise-en-scene is almost unmatched. It is also one of the
aspects of this film that makes Ozu’s shots like living portraits. Being one of
the first Technicolor films in Japan. Ozu uses Floating Weeds to explore different aspects of the new color
medium. Color in Float Weeds is a
major part of what makes Ozu’s shots so special. This color also helps to
explain the emotional state of the character at any given time. Toward the end
of the film Kumajuro is dressed in a dark green kimono. This is the darkest
thing he has worn in the film. He is also wearing this dark green kimono as he
goes through one darker moment in the film. Conversely in the beginning of the
film, many characters are wearing white. This works to symbolize innocence, as
other characters are not apart of Kumajuro’s secret.
Ozu’s use of objects to tell a
story and juxtapose different concepts is also done quite well. In the opening
scenes, Ozu shows the viewer a serene coastal village. He presents us with
shots of a white lighthouse on crisp blue sky and ocean. He cuts to shots of
old boats, which take up the foreground, but leave the lighthouse in the
background. Throughout this opening sequence the viewer feels calm, as if
nothing could happen in this small village. In initial shot Ozu places a sake
bottle in the foreground against the lighthouse. Here Ozu uses the alcohol and
the lighthouse as two symbols of saviors, well less have a savior, and more of
an escape. Bottles are a major symbol
that occurs throughout the film. Each to quell problems they are currently
facing. In Kumajuro’s case, he drinks as away to reconnect with Oyoshi, the
mother of his child, and as away to diminish the guilt he feels about not being
an active father. Sumiko drinks because she feels cheated and lied to. She is
also unsure of what is next for her now that the acting troupe has disbanded. Ozu
also takes shots of the bottles when Kiyoshi and Kayo are together. For
Kiyoshi, the bottle is represents an escape from real life (a girl friend he
loves).
Ozu also uses the red flower in
this film to signify the stages at which people are living their lives.
There is also a hint at Japanese
nationalism as many of the objects in each scene are red and white. This film
was made six years after the Americans ended their occupation of Japan. Using
different color compositions in different shots, especially ones that include
the colors Japanese flag, I think Ozu makes an attempt to regain some of the
culture that was lost during American Occupation.
Through and through Ozu’s use of
mise-en-scene is something rather admirable. His ability to use different,
props, settings, and characters to create a meaningful story is unbelievable.
He really does create portraits, beautiful portraits that explain so very much
about Ozu’s imagined worlds.
One of Ozu’s unique techniques is
his lack of camera movement; in fact in Floating
Weeds there is no camera movement. Using no camera movement makes the
images and events on screen seem delicate. Camera movement would disrupt Ozu’s
shots, moving the camera would take away from Ozu’s ability to show the
fragility of the human spirit. One example of this is Sumiko and Kumajuro’s
argument in the rain. After Sumiko confronts Kumajuro and Oyoshi, Kumajuro
drags Sumiko out into the rain. Ozu places the two characters on opposite sides
of a narrow street. Kumajuro and Sumiko pace back and forth, the rain that is
being hurled down from the sky separates them. This is a deeply personal
conversation between the two, however Ozu lets eavesdrop on their argument. The
only time the shot changes in this scene is when there are close ups of
Kumajuro. This close up really gives the viewer a look at Kumjuro’s other side,
his darker and saddened side.
Another one of Ozu’s signature
techniques is the low camera placement, which is not abandoned in this film. During
almost every scene we see the world from the takami shot. This shot is crucial
in Ozu films because of what it does for viewer. Using this immensely low
camera height allows viewers to feel like they are truly apart of the
conversation. It becomes a very personal image. That personal feeling that the
viewer knows the character is well cultivated. The way Ozu angles the camera
also works as away to add a theater aspect to the film. Each scene is staged
and frame in such a way that makes the film feel more dramatic. It is as if we
are watching a play inside, play. It is almost “play-ception.” Using low camera
angles also makes the characters seem a bit more grounded. It gives them a kind
of identity that makes the film feel like Kumajuro’s ordeal is something that
you are dealing with.
Out of all
the films we’ve watched this year, I think its safe to say that this one has
struck a chord with me. I think Ozu’s use of colors in this film are unmatched,
he is simply able to use the colors so effectively that the shots lull you back
into the story. The colors are so vibrant and more importantly they make sense
within the context of the film. The colors also clue the viewer in as to clues
to what Kumajuro’s has done or is doing to reconcile with his kid.
The story is also something that I
thought was rather good. It’s a story I’ve certainly seen before. Long lost
father tries to reconcile with child. Prior to this film, I hated those films
because they always ended so very cheerfully. However this film ended in away I
found realistic. Kumajuro only wanted the best for his son and the only way he
could do that was by leaving. There is no heartfelt goodbye note or some kind
long cheesy apology. After fighting with
Kiyoshi, Kumajuro leaves, he doesn’t need a hug, and he understands what he
must do and accepts, that for while it might not be in his son’s best interest
to comeback.
As a whole this film was masterfully
done, between the colors, cinematography and acting this film is truly one for
the ages. It touches on concepts of family that are universal as well as
concepts of love and reconciliation. While a very dramatic film it also has its
moments as a comedy or at least something like it. The film also does a good
job at portraying the lives of these sad actors as they bounce around job-to-job,
show-to-show, and village-to-village.
