Having offered glimpses behind the scenes of film history through dozens of documentaries, Daniel Raim has now surpassed himself with his latest work. The Ozu Diaries provides an epic overview of the work of one of cinematic art’s greatest masters, the Japanese filmmaker Yasujirō Ozu (1903–1963). Raim has touched on this favourite of his already in earlier works, patiently allowing this magnum opus to mature. This new film looks at Ozu’s life and work as a sixty-year train journey. Along the way, we witness the upheavals of Japanese culture and see how his masterpieces came to be.
The film is suitable for viewers who have recently lost their Ozu virginity and need a comprehensive crash course, as well as for veterans who have travelled alongside the director for decades and will now gain new tools from this documentary to contextualise the cultural framework of Ozu’s films and unravel their mysteries. Raim’s primary source has been Ozu’s leather-bound diaries, whose pages shed light on a mysterious, often philosophical artist who was constantly developing himself. In interviews with Ozu’s colleagues, we see the other side of the coin: an alcohol-loving clown and a gentlemanly figure who left an indelible mark on his country’s cultural life.
The Ozu Diaries is a majestic experience that pushes the viewer back to their favourite films, enriched by many new perspectives.
Topi E. Timonen