Tokyo Story [Paperback]

This BFI Film Classics study ofTokyo Monogatari/Tokyo Story(1953) reveals the making, meaning and legacy behind Ozu Yasujiro's masterpiece.

Ozu's moving family drama is universally acknowledged as one of the most significant Japanese films ever made. In its complex portrait of human motivation and lively sense of social space, it offers a profound and poignant insight into the generational shifts of post-war Japan.

Alastair Phillips provides an in-depth analysis of the film and its key locations - the city of Tokyo, the town of Onomichi and the coastal resort of Atami - with a discussion of its representation of Japanese society at a time of great cultural change. Drawing upon Japanese and English language sources, he situates the film within various contemporary critical and industrial contexts and examines the multiple international dimensions ofTokyo Story's long after-life to understand its enormous contribution to global film culture.

This BFI Film Classics study ofTokyo Story(1953) reveals the making, meaning and legacy behind Ozu Yasujiros masterpiece, providing new insights for film fans the world over.Alastair Phillipsis Professor of Film Studies at the University of Warwick, UK. He is the co-editor (with Hideaki Fujiki) ofThe Japanese Cinema Book(BFI, 2020) andJapanese Cinema: Texts and Contexts(2007) (with Julian Stringer). He is an editor ofScreen.

Generations the world over have pondered the complex beauty ofTokyo Story. Alastair Phillips pulls back the veil of awe that has come to surround the film over the years to reveal the making, meaning, and legacy of Ozu's masterpiece. Michael Crandol, author of Ghost in the Well: The Hidden History of Horror Films in Japan

This is Alastair Phillips's personal and professional cinematic journey from Tokyo to Onomichi. In this concise BFI volume, Phillips provides a detailed textual, socio-historical, and biogrlµ