then,
students didn't clash with the police.
So they made good material
for light comedy.''
If bittersweetness itself
had a visible form,
it would be found
in Ozu's films of this period.
Though he said he was merely
using students as comic material,
within the context of the worldwide
economic depression of 1929-1932,
Ozu's films attempt to cast
a positive light on harsh realities,
a defining characteristic of his work.
TOKYO CHORUS
The student series was followed
by a group of films about college
graduates entering the working world,
portraying them
with a touch of humor and pathos.
It's Papa!
I don't think so.
That can't be your father.
The dresser's totally empty!
I only learned about my father
through what Mr. Ozu told me.
During filming, Ozu would tell me
what he was like.
MARIKO OKADA -ACTRESS
That's when I learned more
about what kind of person he was,
how he liked to collect antiques.
He liked old watches.
Ozu collected old lamps,
so they had something in common,
the same hobby.
Being a native of Fukagawa,
Ozu had a deep appreciation
for the people of the area.
This made possible his Kihachi series.
The Kihachi series,
people like Kayan and Nagayama.
VOICE OF YASUJIRO OZU
I was born in Fukagawa.
There were a lot of people like that
around where I lived.
I used them as models
for my characters.
PASSING FANCY
Since the war,
you don't see people like that anymore.
The ones who used to wear kimonos
wear jackets and sneakers now.
Carpenters used to be neat and tidy.
Now they all look sloppy,
like they don't care.
Every house used
to have a small woodstove.
Everyone used to sit around it
in their underwear
drinking sake and eating chilled tofu.
It's different now.
People buy croquettes and rice.
AN INN I N TOKYO
In 1935, the depression lingered on.
Ozu looked at the unemployed,
society's ''floating weeds. ''
The film was An Inn in Tokyo.
Kihachi, the hero,
looks for a job, but to no avail.
''Father, you ought to use
a bigger glass.''
''There's more sake.
Don't worry.''
''Don't spill any.''
''Look, I found some money.''
''Let's let it blow away.''
''That felt good.''
Though the Kihachi series
is aimed at laughter,
the characters can't avoid
a certain bitterness,
which forces them
to adopt a defiant attitude.
My first job as assistant cameraman
was on the Ozu film Dragnet Girl.
KEISUKE KI NOSHITA - DIRECTOR
Ozu had already made
a number of fine films,
and watching them made me
want to make films myself.
I admired Ozu enormously.
I started working
under Ozu at the studio.
Our first shoot was near
Yamashita Park in Yokohama.
It was late at night.
This was in February,
and it was very cold.
Joji Oka and Kinuyo Tahaka
starred in the film.
I was surprised
by how hard the work was.
We worked until dawn,
and then we would shoot
until late at night in the studio.
Shooting on the set
was very difficult.
Ozu moved the props after every take.
There was a framed picture on the wall.
If you move something once,
it's not a problem.
But I couldn't help feeling
that it looked unnatural.
I thought, ''Won't it look strange
if this picture keeps moving around?''
Ozu would say,
''Just a little bit more.''
He kept looking
through the viewfinder.
Really, he just kept moving it
by fractions of an inch,
up and down, side to side.
''If filmmaking is this much trouble,''
I thought, ''I'm going to quit.''
I even phoned my family
to tell them so.
Did Ozu ever have any specific demands
for the art design?
TATSUO HAMADA -ART DIRECTOR
Well, we understood each other
without having to say anything,
so there wasn't any trouble.
His sets were mostly
Japanese-style rooms.
But he was very particular about what
you can see beyond the room, wasn't he?
For example, he was particular
about the way the back fence looked.
Yes, the shoji screen
was usually left open
so that the fence would be
visible in the center.
The average