In 'Tokyo Story' and 'An Autumn Afternoon,' a reminder of Ozu's greatness

Aug. 24, 2017 9:20 AM PT

Film Critic

You could stream “Tokyo Story” on your laptop and it would still cast a spell, but that’s no reason to pass up the chance to see Yasujirô Ozu’s 1953 masterpiece on the big screen. The movie, which finished third (after “Vertigo” and “Citizen Kane”) in the 2012 Sight & Sound poll of the greatest films of all time, remains perhaps the wisest of family dramas, an experience as wrenching as it is restorative.

Presented on Saturday by the American Cinematheque at the Aero Theatre, “Tokyo Story” will be followed by “An Autumn Afternoon” (1962), the director’s final film and one of his few pictures shot in color. Even if the story of a widower (the great Chishû Ryû) and his daughter weren’t such a naturally compelling variation on Ozu’s themes of family, devotion and sacrifice, the exquisite balance of hues and textures in every shot would render it essential viewing.

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