Why Did Ozu Cut To A Vase?

Summary by Krater

This video examines a recurring shot of a vase in Yasujiro Ozu's Late Spring, exploring how various film critics and theorists interpret its emotional and aesthetic significance.

From the video

Answers: What does the vase shot in Yasujiro Ozu's Late Spring mean?

• Yasujiro Ozu's filmmaking style
• Film criticism and theory
• Analysis of Late Spring
• Visual motifs in cinema
• Cinematic representation of time and emotion

What it concludes

• Ozu repeatedly returns to transitional moments of marriage, capturing the melancholy and generational rupture of post-war Japan.
• The vase shot in Late Spring serves as a pivotal emotional anchor, forcing viewers to imagine Noriko's feelings rather than just watching them.
• Different critics interpret the vase through various lenses: as transcendental style, formal playfulness, a non-narrative narrative element, or a representation of time itself.
• Ozu's carefully calibrated style has the power to overwhelm the viewer and launch a thousand interpretations from a single cut.