Monday, April 13, 2015
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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The portrayal of the family in Early Summer is somewhat accurate. In most families it is normal for the parents and siblings to try to manage each other’s life. However, the extent of the control usually doesn’t mean deciding whom the person should marry. I feel that families have a say in what a person in the family should do but in the end it isn’t the final decision. When it comes to Noriko’s older brother I believe that he finds it to be almost his job to look after Noriko and make sure that she is protected. By him finding her husband I feel he is just doing what he thinks an older brother should do. Noriko’s brother does what he feels is right to do because he cares for her. The dynamics show a sense of elders believing they are more mature and know what the younger generation needs. There is always a sense of the family showing a lot of care towards the members of the family. The family in Early Summer seems to be very close with one another. That is the case for families today. The older brother tends to look after the younger sister or older sister looks after a younger brother. No matter what family you look at, there is always a sense of generations looking after one another. This type of dynamic is what works in many families. There is always someone looking after someone in my house. This makes for a close-knit family.
ReplyDeleteThe dynamics of family life in the movie Early Summer is an accurate portrayal of family life in the real world today in regards to Noriko and her role in the film. Noriko’s decision to marry, particularly a man that the family is not expecting to be her husband, affects the whole family. Even though Noriko is the only one making a life decision, the whole family changes because of her. When Noriko moves to the provinces, the entire family is no longer living in the house in Tokyo. Because Noriko decided to leave, the family begins to separate in terms of location. Noriko’s parents move to where they can be closer to the great uncle. The significance in Noriko’s decision causing a relocation is that when a family is as close to each other as they are in this movie, at times sacrifices and changes have to be made. This situation reminds me of my family in a way. Last year, I decided to transfer to Hawken, and this change affected my whole family. This included my mom, dad, brother, and sister. Because Hawken is so far away from where my family and I live, quality time with each other has to be sacrificed. Also, my parents have to work out and plan who drives me to and from school and practice every day. Just like Noriko, I made a decision for myself, but at the same time I was asking the people who I love the most to be wiling to sacrifice. But, the best part of about family is that everyone cares about each other as much as they do themselves. My family wanted me to do what was best for me, just like Noriko’s family wanted for her by the end of the movie. Families who are loyal to each other are always willing to accommodate to each other’s needs.
ReplyDeleteThe movie is appropriately called a slice of life, as theme and purpose of it is to provide us with an insight into an average family’s life. It’s similar to a documentary, and people can find it relatable to easy-to-watch. It may be too easy to watch because of the limited and sometimes slow-feeling plot, but it is an example of how seemingly small decisions are important plot points for the characters but not the overall movie. It also shows a mix of traditions and how the generations deal with one another in a time of a lot of social change. Noriko’s untraditional marriage is a problem for her family who won’t accept an older man with children. Her family is protective of her like a family would be of their daughter today, and shows the change in the tradition that Japanese parents set up their children’s marriages, and this causes a lot of conflict for the characters. Even when the Minoru and Isamu go missing, the adults seem pretty calm and focus more on Noriko’s problem. In this part, her parents have to really accept that traditions have changed and time is moving on, and their household is breaking up. These kinds of situations and decisions happen in all families. The relationships between the family members are all very normal yet significant, especially between the grandparents and the two children. I disagree with the idea that the grandparents are trying to buy their grandchildren’s affection, but rather as a means to control them since so many things have changed since have changed in Japan since they themselves were children. The boys have a much more western-style life than previous generations and it is interesting to see the adults deal with how they’re being raised, which was the root problem of Koichi’s and Minoru’s fight about the bread. The movie could be seen as a play starring the stereotypical family, accurate but not dramatic and analyzing the bond between relatives. There are a lot of meal scenes, which makes sense as this is the prime time for families to discuss things with one another. The movie’s final message is that family dynamic and bond is something that unites people-men and women, young and old.
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ReplyDeleteIn the film Early Summer, the portrayal of family life is relatively accurate to family life in the real world today. Although Noriko appears to be the only character making a huge decision and commitment, her decision ends up affecting the entire family, not only herself. Noriko’s family did in fact attempt to manage her life, desperately trying to keep their family together while making sure that she is choosing the right person to marry. Although the family begins to separate because of Noriko’s decision, in the end her sister especially agrees not to worry about her, because although Noriko is making a decision that her family does not completely agree with, in the end they love and support her. By attempting to control who Noriko marries, her family is simply only showing the immense amount of love that they have for her, that they only want the best for her. I believe that in almost any family that you look at; you will find every family member looking out for each other. It is a “slice of life” because although many may not make a decision as extreme as Noriko’s there will often still be a loving family behind them only wishing for the best, and this sort of thing happens often. Growing up the oldest in my family it was my job to constantly be looking out for my younger brother and sister. Although a majority of the time I was only watching over them because I was told to, I realized that at the end of the day whether consciously or not, I was constantly looking out for both of my siblings. Whether it was helping them with their work or listening to what they have to say, or just by simply being there for them
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion Yasujiro Ozu captured brightly the essence of family and ordinary life. The real world does not consist of alien invasions or superheroes who achieve impossible acts- and it might be the reason why someone used to 21st century cinema may find the movie monotonous and uninteresting- but of practical problems such as the moving of a son out of the house, in the case Noriko. I particularly enjoyed how the movie showed the holism behind the concept of family, as almost every single member in the family will be affected by Noriko’s decision, and therefore is concerned about her. Also, I can personally relate to how hard her decision is, and interestingly not on her part, but on her family. There is a saying that says “the feeling of longing is for those who stay”. Which thus might be one of the reasons her family feels reluctant to decision of moving to the countryside with her new husband, because she will be gone. However, another role of the family is that of making sacrifices for the happiness and wellbeing of its members. As much as it would make Shukichi and Shige content to have their daughter around, it would not represent her wishes and consequently her happiness and I think that is a beautiful aspect of family that is really captured by the work of Ozu. The story reminds me remarkably of my own family, as I too have made sacrifices for it. I could have opted to stay in Brazil and have a significantly easier life, but then that would cause for my family to split, and I don’t think we are quite ready for that yet, so I chose to come here.
ReplyDeleteEarly Summer portrays an accurate description of family heritage, especially in Japan. Households usually had grandparents, children and grandchildren, which would cause different interactions. Grandparents would want to make sure the grandchildren are always happy regardless of what is the right decision while the parents would want to enforce rules and make the kids understand their family heritage better. Family heritage comes from the beginning of kings and queens in Europe where leadership was passed down to the next one of the generation. Early Summer shows the difficulties a family can face when enforcing their heritage in a non-strict tone. Depending on one’s age their involvement in the family would be tested. An example was the oldest daughters search for a husband; her parents do not approve if the man she originally wanted to marry. As one gets older they have a bigger impact on the family because they go outside of the house and must create a positive job for the family. It can’t be forgotten that this film takes place during the 1950s and a lot has changed from then to present day. My family has a different evaluation of heritage due to my parents coming from two different countries as well as my older sister. My childhood has been a combination of my father’s American family and my mother’s Romanian family. Dynamics of family come in all different ways but Early Summer shows the strict heritage that took place during the 1950s in Japan.
ReplyDeleteA family unit is typically composed of parents and children. Lucky families also have grandparents who are alive and involved in the lives of their younger generations. It’s important to understand that every family is unique and that every family has its own situations that affect its dynamics. There are several qualities of the Mamiya family in the film Early Summer that I can relate to in the context of my own family. On the other hand, there are features in their family that are extremely different from my own. For example, there is a scene in which Minoru, a child, has a tantrum with his father, Koichi, with whom he’s upset. He hits him and rants until his father finally slaps him. Then Minoru storms out of the house with his little brother Isamu– no one pursues them and they make it all the way to the train station. Finally, their aunt Noriko, not their own parents, picks them up. Shadowing by a little brother, who doesn’t necessarily understand the situation, is fairly common, certainly in my family of four boys. In my family, the younger brothers always followed the older ones. We didn’t question their motives – we just wanted to be with them and emulate them. In addition, when my brothers and I were young, we certainly had tantrums. We may have screamed (a lot) but we never hit our parents and they never hit us. Families are made up of individuals with different concerns and different degrees of stress. When Koichi is playing a board game with a friend after the incident with his son, his friend tries to convince him that hitting Minoru is not helpful. Koichi doesn’t seem to take his friend’s advice seriously, which probably implies that he doesn’t feel it necessary to change his behavior for his sons’ benefit. This is particularly unfortunate because it’s clear that his sons (particularly Minoru) resent him. I am happy to say that my parents are very sensitive to the emotions of their children and we are equally sensitive to their feelings. In this sense, Early Summer does not remind me of my family.
ReplyDeleteEarly Summer is not a depiction of the average family, yet a depiction of what happens to an over controlling one. In this film it is clear the family breaks up in the end. This was not common of the time, not all families broke up often. It is instead a result of the members of the family being over controlling and holding onto traditions too strongly. The cliché, anything of too much is bad, exactly explains what happens in this film. In this film the parents and grandparents were too involved in their daughter’s marriage search, which ultimately drove the young woman further away from the family. If the family had given the young girl space and the opportunity to make her own decision she would have respected her parents opinions, and not have traveled away from home. In this film we also see how older individuals attempt to obtain love and affection from the younger individuals of the family. One instance that displays just this is when the grandfather attempts to get the young boy to say he loves him by giving him cookies. This false sense of obtaining affection gives insight to the flaws of such families later on in life. The young boy simply says he loves him just to receive a cookie. There is no sense of real affection, the cement that holds a strong family together.
ReplyDeleteEarly Summer was certainly not a riveting thriller, but it wasn’t really meant to be. Yasujirô Ozu shows us that your average Japanese family doesn’t have the most riveting lifestyle, but it can be entertaining. He does an excellent job of providing the audience with just enough interest to get you through the entire 2 hour long movie. While I see where there could be a lot of displeasure concerning the movie, I thought it was different in a positive way. Ozu makes us feel as though we are a member of the Mamiya family, living under the same roof. We see everything that happens from teeth brushing to family meals. Nothing is left undocumented, and we see each character develop in their own way. Therefore, I think Endless Summer does feel like a “slice of life”. Additionally, Ozu shows us that no house is perfect. There are disputes between family members, and the 2 young boys even decide to run away. While Endless Summer focuses on Noriko and her marriage, it is really about the families’ ability to stay strong in confusing times. Ozu created in 1951 what we would probably label today a sit-com. Endless Summer almost reminds me of TV shows like Duck Dynasty or Modern Family. While the Mamiya family is in an entirely different situation from mine, I do see some similarities. I feel for the young boys who are always being asked to do chores, as my Mom typically does. My favorite scene was when the young boy is told to go wash his face before eating, and he does everything to avoid doing so. I think it’s the fact that Ozu’s movie is so relatable and which makes it revered by critics.
ReplyDeleteEarly Summer is a “slice of life.” Everything that happens in the film is similar to real life days and events that would happen in my culture, but with different customs. The grandparents buying the grandchildren gifts and the grandchildren being rebellious reminds me of my family life. Not so much the marrying aspect because neither me nor my brother are at that age. When I was younger, my grandparents would buy me gifts and tell me not to tell my parents. My grandparents probably did this because they did not want my parents to think they were spoiling us. The brother trying to choose the right man for his sister to marry and the parents trying to keep an eye on the kids as the grandparents spoil them is an accurate reflection of family dynamics. The little brother is the character I have chosen to focus on. Throughout the film, the little brother listens to his older brother, since he is young and does not know better. The older brother shows him bad things to do such as being mean to his grandpa and taking advantage of him. This demonstrates the immaturity of the younger brother who listens to his older brother because he thinks he knows best. Near the end of the film we see the younger brother learning more and becoming more independent of his older brother and going against some of the tricks the older brother tries to pull on him. Even though the young brother becomes more independent of the older brother, he still tries to be like him. For example, in one of the last scenes when they are taking the family photo we see the little brother copying the older brother by taking his hat on and off.
ReplyDeleteThe most important thing to remember about Early Summer is that this movie was not created to entertain young kids who want to see explosions and action; this film is intended to be a relatable, realistic depiction of the struggles of a normal family. This reason alone explains the slow-moving plot, as almost nobody on earth lives a life as jam packed with craziness as a character in a Hollywood movie. By filming conversations that normally would not be included in a movie and extending shots two or three seconds longer than necessary, Early Summer almost puts the viewer in the room with the protagonists. Most of everyday life is dominated by mundane conversations and unnecessary looking around, so by showing scenes that only involve characters talking and by holding the camera on a particular object for what seems to be an excessive length of time, the directors of this film were trying to bring the audience right into the film itself, helping the viewers to empathize with the problems of the characters. If this movie is watched with the right attitude, it could possibly be considered more interesting than an action movie; by showing us something we can relate to on a personal level, the directors are engaging us in a way that a “shoot ‘em up” movie simply cannot.
ReplyDeleteThe way this movie depicts the family after Noriko has left is actually the most relatable scene in the movie for me. After a person has left a family, whether it be to another family or to death, the remaining relatives cannot think of anything except that person. As the family sees another bride passing by, they think of Noriko and her new life, obviously happy for her but missing her at the same time. This scene accurately depicts the way a family reacts after losing someone special; even if no one is actively mentioning it, a sadness is present throughout the room.
Another important “piece” of this movie that I find to be essential to the family paradigm is Noriko, the person who everyone is (somewhat) secretly worried about. Although they do not want to make her feel bad, the family desperately wants Noriko to get married, as she is not getting any younger. Although she is visibly insecure herself, Noriko tries to smile for the family and act as if everything is okay. I find this aspect of Noriko to be very relatable; during times of trouble that have the whole family worrying, it is often good for everyone if you just put on a happy face to alleviate some of the tension. This demonstrates Noriko’s love for her family and proves that sometimes everyone can secretly be troubled, but they do not want to admit it and therefore try to fake cheerfulness.
Although I am the oldest sibling and therefore my family has not experienced this situation yet, I definitely understand what it is like to have a close friend or family member leave. In retrospect, this movie makes sense of a part of life that many of us do not realize exists. To an outsider (the audience), a simple family problem like the one depicted in Early Summer may seem trivial or boring, but to the family itself this issue seems to be very important. This principle is also present in real life, as we often see other peoples’ problems as far less significant than our own, even if they believe the same thing about our problems compared to theirs.
This is a very good portrayal of the reality of life. The sense that “nothing happens” is simply the feeling that us viewers get when we’re expecting Hollywood action, drama, and suspense. Instead, this movie gives off a more “like-it-or-not” display of the real events that take place in normal life. In this movie, reality is realized because there is no “over-exaggeration.” Drama exists in this film, and so do pivotal moments, but they come and go just like any other part of the film. This film displays many examples of this, but Noriko’s wedding has to be the most interesting to the normal Hollywood-style moviegoer. In the film, Noriko’s wedding is a main topic, to say the least. A lot builds up to the moment that it happens. However, there are no shots of it. None of the movie takes place at the ceremony. Instead, the camera captures Noriko’s parents pondering it as they see another bride outside their window. This scene lasts about a minute. Just like any other event in the film, this event comes and goes and is given its fair share of time. It does not receive the excessive, grand presence that a Hollywood-style moviegoer is used to. Just like in real life, a lot of preparation and thought goes behind a moment that, in reality, only takes up a small amount of time. In real life, this is the bare reality of what would actually occur.
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