Friday, March 17, 2017
All in the Family
Early Summer shows the relationship between two aged parents, their grown children and their grandchildren. The young children are rebellious and demanding. The grandparents try to buy their grandchildren's affection. The parents and brother try to manage the younger sister's life. Choices about everything from buying an expensive cake to choosing to marry (and to whom one marries) have implications for everyone. Eventually the family so painstakingly captured in a photograph breaks up, as Noriko marries and moves to the provinces and her parents move near the great uncle. How accurate is this portrayal of family life? Is this a "slice of life" (and part of the reason it feels as if "nothing happens")? Does this remind you of your family? Is this how families work? Focus on one scene or character and discuss what it tells us about the dynamics of family life.
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I think that this film shows one variation of the way a family changes, as most families will share similar moments when one member after another continues his or her life on a different track than the rest of the family. This movie is not a generalization for all people living in Japan or elsewhere, however, instead a depiction of one scenario, revealing an event that takes place in most families today. As we know it in the United States and Hawken, this is the stereotypical path for a youth: graduate from high school, pass through college, land yourself a job in the “real world”, marry, then create a family of your own, and have your children repeat the process. There does come a time, and in my family probably soon, when our parents finally get to the day that they realize that their once baby is now moving on to something bigger and greater: college. When we are little I feel is that we often believe that we will forever live and die with our parents, yet this is true for only a small minority. The moment of the camera taking the family picture shows this moment very well, as they say their last goodbyes and move on with life. In this example of Mono No Aware, tears fall consisting of both happiness and sadness when the parents come to the conclusion that their children must move on. Families are always changing and evolving and Noriko’s family story does a fantastic job at portraying – without sugar-coating or enhancing the moment in any way – what it is truly like in the instance that a family is splitting up. Unfortunately, this is most-nearly inevitable as it will occur in almost every family when the time come for oneself to continue on his or her life’s cycle.
ReplyDeleteThe bittersweet ending of Early Summer is the only scene that shows family life as it truly is. When Noriko is getting married and the grandparents are moving to the country, the family feels as though it is falling apart. Although the camera rarely moves the entire movie, this scene also used the stationary camera and the long shot in an extended cut to show the reality of the scene. The raw emotions of the scene make it realistic. Throughout the rest of the movie, the family interactions all feel very near realistic, however there is a constant lack of emotions that makes me doubt its validity. In the final scene together as a family, the emotional barriers disappear and each family member is finally able to express their simultaneous happiness and sadness honestly. The most blatant of the emotions shown is that of Noriko. She spent the entire movie smiling, even when she was getting made fun of by her friends, and at times when she should have felt sad. It was refreshing as a viewer to finally see her open up about her sadness at the thought of leaving her family. Although it can be realistic to smile at inappropriate times, Noriko smiled too much. In addition to Noriko’s emotions we also saw her parents, and her brother and his wife all having facial expressions and dialogue that depicted the melancholy that accompanies change. This scene reminded me of when my sister left for college. The sadness that came with the knowledge that things were changing forever and would never be the same again along with the happiness for my sister moving forward in life combined into a parting scene similar to that of the Mamiya family.
ReplyDeleteThe scene of Early Summer, I’ve chosen to focus on is near the end of the film, when Noriko tells her family she has decided to marry Kenkichi. I believe this scene illustrates very real family dynamics. First, there is the interaction between Noriko and her brother; he repeatedly asks her if she is making the right decision. He’s acting very realistically as a protective older brother would, when he believes his younger sister is with someone not right for her. There is also a second dynamic between Noriko and her mother; her mother telling her she has made a hasty decision. This dynamic seems realistic, as mothers are concerned when their daughters make life decisions without much thought. Finally there is the dynamic between Noriko and her father. Throughout the scene Noriko’s father doesn’t talk, illustrating his disappointment. This is also one of the few scenes of the film in which Noriko is not smiling, she is also not looking her family in the eyes. From this body language it is evident that Noriko is ashamed at making a decision that disappoints her family; a realistic reaction from a daughter trying to make the right choice. Another reason why this scene is realistic is the few shots that are from a perspective behind Noriko. From this angle you can see both the disappointed faces of the older family members, and Noriko’s almost crouched over body. The most realistic part of this scene is the ending. Instead of the classic Hollywood scene of forgiveness and love, Noriko’s parents simply find an excuse, the cold, to go upstairs and leave the conversation.
ReplyDeleteI would say this portrayal of family life is semi accurate. It may be accurate for certain families, but depending on individual families’ life styles it could vary slightly. The parts that I would say are accurate at how even as children grow older and have their own children, the grandparents still want to be a part of their lives. Also, siblings always tend to be protective of their brothers and sisters. Siblings always want the best for their brothers and sisters, especially the oldest children. One main difference I saw between their family and other families is how involved in each family member was in making decisions. For example, when the main daughter was trying to figure out who she was going to marry, her entire family gave their opinion. They eventually allowed her to make her own decision and accepted it, but leading up to that moment they were trying to convince her to marry someone else. Also, the idea that the movie is so slow because it is a ‘slice of life’ is accurate. By slowing down the movie and slowing down time, it makes the life of the main characters more realistic. It makes the portrayal of the family life more realistic. Lastly, by having the young kids take on the role of being rebellious, the adults as mature but still unknowing of some things, and the grandparents calm and wise, makes the family life more realistic. Although this family life is not exactly the same as what I am used to, there are definitely certain aspects of their family that can been seen in other families.
ReplyDeleteI think a big theme throughout this film is be careful what you try to control, and this theme is told through the daughter’s family trying to decide what’s best for her, and ultimately causing her rushing into a decision they didn’t approve of. The whole movie her friends and family are telling her that it’s time for her to get married, and trying to set her up with various people in the hopes she picks someone they deem worthy of her, but all they succeed in doing is rushing her decision, causing her to make a decision her family thought was rash. While I cannot relate to the family directly, I see many similarities between this family and mine. One example of such similarities is when people in my family try to meddle with another person’s business, they almost never succeed, and result in either driving that person away, or forcing that person to make a decision they may not have wanted. A much more basic similarity I see is with the grandparents. Both my grandparents and the grandparents in the film try to win the affection of their grandchildren with gifts and candy. In this family it seems as though the power lies with the two oldest males, in my family however, almost all the decision making is done by my mom, and my dad, my grandparents, my sisters and I just go with it, much different than in the film. This is most likely because that was the normal way families functioned in the 1950s, the males were in charge, but today, for many families, that’s different.
ReplyDeleteAt the moment I can relate to this shift in family life very. Being a second semester senior and only having 8 more weeks left of high school there is certainly a change in dynamic around the house. Although many years ago we all knew college would be the next big change, not only for my life but also my parent’s life, I didn’t realize how different I would feel and how the idea of leaving home would become so realistic. Change is inevitable growing up with a family. Parents get older; kids grow up, leave the house and being their own paths to adulthood. The last scene in Early Summer reminded me of this. Everyone in the family was sad that Noriko was leaving to go live with her husband far away from home but this is the way that most families live. As parents it is not easy to see their child becoming adults and leaving the house and as young adults it is also hard to leave your home and the people you love. I do believe that this is a ‘slice of life’ and that in order to find yourself and created a life for yourself you have to go out in life and learn from your own experiences without your parents there to help you. A big part of growing up is being able to become independent and living on your own without your family always being there. When Noriko leaves her home and family I believe that she knows she will be much more independent with have to learn how to live a life without being surrounded by her family.
ReplyDeleteYasujirō Ozu’s film Early Summer does an impeccable job at showing a true “slice of life” through a dynamic Japanese family. His use of longer takes, in my opinion, try to help the viewer slow down and think more about what is actually going on. Families all over the world vary in many ways because of culture differences. I do not know enough about the Japanese culture to say if this is an accurate portrayal of family life. However, one thing I personally can relate to with the protagonist Noriko is how my parents have a say in my relationships just like her own situation. While the degree to which parents have control over their children in families may differ, there is a constant subconscious will to listen to your parents. This is universal regardless of culture or familial dynamic. I grew up having only one grandparent and, now that I reflect on it, every time I visit my gamgam she insists on getting me a gift. Maybe, just like Noriko’s grandparents, my gamgam is trying to buy my affection. All of the scenes showing the family sitting at the table eating a meal or talking reminds me of my family because we make a point to always have Sunday night family dinner. Now that both of my siblings are out of the house the table has gotten smaller but the purpose is remains the same. Early Summer showed me how similar a Japanese family is to my own through Ozu’s longer takes and story lines that help portray the universal dynamics to families.
ReplyDeleteI think this film captures many families in the sense of how eventually families split up. Members of families will move on with their lives and grow up to move out of their house just like Noriko did by getting married. This movie however doesn’t depict how every family works in Japan or in general. All families don’t split up like theirs did but most do. Personally I have been through family splitting up because both of my brothers went off to college but it wasn’t like they left forever. The film depicted family life as a traditional Japanese family would be with the father in charge of the house and parents living with him. That is an accurate description of what family life was like but I don’t think that it makes the film move any slower. In fact I think it was at a normal speed and enjoyed it being about nothing. Noriko’s brother being in charge of everyone in the house feels very responsible for what Norikos life is like and who she marries. That is why throughout the film he is very stern with her and blunt. How Noriko lives her life effects how her brother is looked at and his family. Even though he cannot prevent Noriko from marrying anyone in particular, he can give advice for her as he is the head of the house.
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