OZU’S COMEDY

There’s no denying that Yasujirō Ozu is one of the most influential filmmakers of all time. His explorations into the socioeconomic codes, class structures and generational gaps in pre- and postwar Japan continue to define cinema at its most sublime. 

In this discussion, Matt Severson, Director of the Margaret Herrick Library at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and curator of its current exhibit, “60 Years + 60 Photos = 120 Years of Yasujirō Ozu,” will dive into what he classifies as the “perfect first Ozu film.” Good Morning, a 1959 comedy loosely adapted from Ozu’s silent film I Was Born, But… (1932), is a colorful, lighthearted tale of two brothers who, yearning for a TV set, take a vow of silence in protest of the restrictions set by their conservative parents. With touching performances by his young cast, fart jokes and a rich color palette, Good Morning is both accessible and illuminating. 

“60 Years + 60 Photos = 120 Years of Yasujirō Ozu”  is up through December 2023 at the Academy’s Margaret Herrick Library in Beverly Hills.