Analysis of “There Was A Father”, 00:18:00 – 00:23:59

Sessho (殺生)  Taking of the Life One of the Five Precepts in Bhuddism is not to take life. This “taking of life” is called “sessho” in Japanese. During the conversation with the priest, Horikawa says “It is worrisome that he likes sessho,” referring to his son going out to catch dragonflies. Not troubled so much, just the remark. The priest replies, “Oh, kids are like that”. Later, at night, the father and the son are talking about the plan of fishing the next day. The priest, while working on the mill, says “Don’t mind me. I already gave them last …

Analysis of “There Was A Father”, 00:12:00 – 00:17:59

After the conversation about his resigning teachership with Hirata, Horikawa moves to his hometown with his son. This six minutes concerns the beginning of their life-long sojourn. It is often noted that an image of train is the central device of Ozu’s films. Here, this device, shot from on board, frames the conversation between the father and the son. Their exchanges signify their rootlessness, home lost. The father says they are going back to his hometown, but there is no place which they can call their own. The shots of this conversation are conventional cutbacks with the exception of its …

Analysis of “There Was A Father”, 00:06:00 – 00:11:59

Throughout this six minutes, large part of dark areas are provided by human figures (students and teachers) since they wear dark uniforms or suits, while the brighter areas are from background. The first few seconds of this segment show very prominent power in brighter end of grayscale spectrum. The images show the white mountain ranges beyond, with dark foreground. Then it cuts to the dark figures, the teacher (supposedly Horikawa) and the students marching on the bright ground, with their back toward the audience. Then, the view of the Mount Fuji over the Lake Ashinoko with the dark framing tree …