Directed by Akira Kurosawa. Cinematography by Yasumichi Fukazawa and Takao Saito.
'Dodes'ka-Den' has a style and look which absorbs the viewer into the lives of the characters. It's an ensemble piece exploring the relationships of characters in Japanese slums. Kurosawa uses still shots and deep focus extensively in 'Dodes'ka-Den' to create empathy with the viewer. We'll explore these choices in a bit. But I also want to mention the patience he shows with his actors. Kurosawa was not just slicing and cutting from reaction shot to reaction shot.
The scene below displays both of the films strengths.
The woman stands for a long time with the camera very still. she breaks down slowly in front of us. The actress is allowed to build to the emotion. We're present with her in the slum thanks to the framing of the background. The viewer is not allowed to escape the poverty via closeups and shallow focus, just as the characters will not escape their surroundings.
The shot above is another example of using the background. We can see the tight confines the family lives in, the limited sleeping space. Even the frame of the shot is crowded with people end to end.
The symbolism in the shot above with the flowers is disappointingly heavy-handed. What's worth discussing is how Kurosawa creates an anxious feeling through the camerawork. Notice how the uncle is covered in shadow. The darkness of his visage is literally blocking out the light of his niece. He creeps across the screen, eclipsing the young lady. We are a helpless voyeur, and in a way is also a victim of the uncle.
We see the affects below. The niece's positioning in the frame makes her small and diminutive. There's also nothing going on in the background, one of the few times. We're supposed to live in her humiliation with nothing to distract or undercut the moment.
Kurosawa blends in some surrealism to 'Dodes'ka-Den' with the story about the father and son who eat some bad fish. Look at the painted sky. It reads as a nightmare. The horror the father experiences in turned into horror movie. His face is done up like a zombie and he moves like an old Universal Studio's monster.
The shot above immediately reminded me of this shot in 'Nosferatu'. The characters placement, the make up, and the bulging eyes all an homage to the classic.
'Dodes'ka-Den' is without a doubt one of the best films I've broken down on this blog. What I like is how the poor are not portrayed as pure of heart, there's a lot of bad choices made. And yet we don't have a cruel judgement of them either. They're human beings with foibles and Kurosawa is documenting their struggles, whether they're circumstantial or by choice. This movie is a true
soceroo. Highly recommended.
