Ozu cover

Ozu

Rating 4.3
Word count
185K words
Chapters
22
ISBN
9787532764396

Tags

Summary

This book is the first Western monograph to systematically study and introduce Yasujiro Ozu's cinematic art, and the representative work of the renowned Japanese film scholar Donald Richie. Through in-depth analysis of the themes, screenwriting, shooting, and editing of Ozu's films, Richie probes the grammar and aesthetic style of Ozu's cinema, thereby revealing the Japanese historical, social, and cultural meanings embedded in Ozu's works.

Editor's review

Donald Richie's Ozu is not an ordinary biography or a collection of film reviews, but an in-depth study that stands as a model of auteurist criticism. As the earliest Western scholar to systematically study Yasujiro Ozu, Richie, with his unique cross-cultural perspective, examines Ozu's works within the dual context of traditional Japanese culture and the transformation of modernity. The core value of this book lies in the fact that it does not remain at the surface analysis of signature aesthetic forms such as the 'low camera position' and the 'tatami viewpoint,' but instead explores in depth how these forms are seamlessly integrated with Ozu's philosophical themes of family, time, solitude, and death. Richie acutely points out that the 'stillness' and 'emptiness' of Ozu's films are not simple stylistic choices, but the aesthetic externalization of a worldview, a profound recognition of the impermanence of life (mono no aware) and the divinity within everydayness. For film enthusiasts, this book provides the key to understanding Ozu's cinematic universe, which appears repetitive but is in fact subtly varied; for researchers, Richie's rigorous close reading of texts and meticulous examination of historical materials remain an academic benchmark to this day. This edition from Shanghai Translation Publishing House offers a fluent and accurate translation that preserves the calm, restrained academic tone of the original, making it an indispensable classic in the Chinese-speaking world for understanding this giant of Eastern cinema.

Who it's for

A good fit for

  • Seasoned film enthusiasts, especially readers with a deep interest in Japanese cinema or auteur directors
  • Students, researchers, or critics of film, who may use it as an important reference on their desks
  • Literary readers interested in studying Japanese culture and aesthetics (such as mono no aware and yugen)
  • Filmmakers or artists seeking a deep integration of form and content in their creative work

Not a good fit for

  • Readers of popular books expecting a quick look at Ozu's biographical gossip or sensational anecdotes
  • Pure entertainment-oriented viewers who only want to watch films without engaging in deep textual analysis and philosophical reflection

Reading tips

  1. It is recommended to first watch Ozu's representative works such as Tokyo Story, Late Spring, and An Autumn Afternoon before reading this book, so as to have a more intuitive experience of Richie's textual analysis
  2. While reading, one may refer to Ozu's shooting scripts or still frames, and compare them with the book's detailed interpretations of composition, camera position, and editing
  3. This book is theoretically dense, so there is no need to rush through it; it can be read chapter by chapter alongside viewings, slowly digesting and thinking about each of Richie's core arguments

About the publisher

Shanghai Translation Publishing House China · Founded in 1978

Shanghai Translation Publishing House is a Chinese publisher oriented mainly toward translation and publishing. Its publications cover foreign literature, world classics and classic works, as well as social culture, folk literature and classical poetry. The database contains 2,618 titles, including Never Let Me Go, Les Misérables (2 volumes), Don Quixote (illustrated collector's edition), The Complete Comedies of Molière (4 volumes), The Complete Novels of Kafka (3 volumes), The Collected Works of Dostoevsky (9-volume set), Reason and Persons, and Oedipus Rex (Translation Classics). Its author resources include foreign writers such as Kazuo Ishiguro, Victor Hugo, Cervantes and Molière, as well as translators such as Zheng Kelu, Sun Jiameng, Li Jianwu and Zhang Kun. The publisher has brands such as "Translation Classics Selections" and "Translation Documentary," and emphasizes translated works in foreign literature and the humanities and social sciences, while also publishing bilingual dictionaries and foreign-language educational books. Public information is limited; the above is based on the book information in the database.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. ·万籁存光影 天涯若比邻·
  3. 《小津》推荐序
  4. ·中译本说明·
  5. ·鸣谢·
  6. ·序言·
  7. 第一章 绪论
  8. 第二章 编剧
  9. 第三章 拍摄
  10. 第四章 剪接
  11. 第五章 结论
  12. 第六章 小津电影编年
  13. ·小津安二郎年谱
  14. ·参考书目·
  15. 小津著述及谈话
  16. 研究小津的著述、小册子及杂志特刊
  17. 部分章节涉及小津的著述及杂志
  18. 研究小津的文章及精选影评
  19. 录音带(唱片)
  20. 小津的宣传画
  21. ·译后记·
  22. 与小津同在的时光

FAQ

How is this book different from other books about Yasujiro Ozu on the market?
This book is the foundational work of Western Ozu studies, and its authority and depth remain unsurpassed to this day. Unlike simple biographical introductions or collections of film reviews, it establishes a complete framework for aesthetic and thematic analysis, focusing on how cinematic form carries philosophical content, and is highly academic.
Can readers without a film studies background understand it?
Yes. Richie's style is clear and his logic rigorous; although professional terms are involved, they are fully explained. As long as readers have basic viewing experience of Ozu's films and are willing to invest in thinking, ordinary readers can also gain great inspiration from it, though a little patience is required.
Is this edition a complete translation? Does it include images?
The edition from Shanghai Translation Publishing House is a complete Chinese translation of the book. It includes several film stills and diagrams to help readers understand Richie's exquisite analysis of shots and composition, but it is not an album-type book dominated by large numbers of images.

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About the author

Donald Richie is an author included in this Chinese-language book database, though the publicly available information about him here is limited. The database contains two of his works, both represented under the title Ozu, and they are commonly classified under film and television. Judging from this category and the titles, his writing centers on cinema, with particular attention to the Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu and his films. Writing of this kind usually combines film criticism with scholarly research, serving both general movie fans and film researchers, and it has helped Chinese-language readers learn about Ozu's cinematic art. Because the database provides no information on his nationality, dates of birth and death, English name, or detailed biography, his background and full body of work cannot be determined, and no speculation is offered here. Readers may turn to his available works to appreciate his approach and style in film criticism and director studies.