Ozu

Ozu is a Japanese surname written 小津. The name is associated with several individuals, most prominently the filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu (1903–1963).

Yasujiro Ozu is widely regarded as one of cinema’s greatest directors. He began making films in the silent era and produced a prolific body of work through the 1950s and early 1960s. His films often center on family life, generational change, and the tensions between tradition and modernity in postwar Japan.

Notable works include Tokyo Story (1953), commonly cited as one of the greatest films ever made. Other acclaimed titles are Late Spring (1949), Early Summer (1951), An Autumn Afternoon (1962), and I Was Born, But... (1932). He frequently collaborated with screenwriter Kogo Noda, producing a body of work characterized by a consistent thematic focus and formal precision.

Style and technique associated with Ozu include a restrained, minimalist approach, a low camera height near tatami-level, and static compositions. He favored long takes and a quiet, observational mode of storytelling, often punctuating scenes with “pillow shots”—brief, compositionally framed glimpses of landscapes or interiors that create pauses in the action.

Legacy: Ozu’s work has had a lasting impact on world cinema and film studies, influencing countless directors and scholars. His films remain central to discussions of postwar Japanese cinema, family dynamics, and narrative pacing, and they continue to be studied and reissued for new generations of viewers.