Tokyo-Ga (1985)

Director:

Wim Wenders

Writer:

Wim Wenders (writer)

Release Date:

26 April 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary

Plot:

Moved by the work of director Yasujiro Ozu, Wim Wenders travels to Japan in search of the Tokyo seen in his films.

Plot Keywords:

Japan | Baseball | Tokyo Japan | Degradation | Golf

Cast

Chishû Ryû	...	Himself
Werner Herzog	...	Himself
Yuuharu Atsuta	...	Himself

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA | West Germany

Language:

English | Japanese | German

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Brazil:12 | UK:U | Finland:S

Filming Locations:

Tokyo, Japan

Company:

Chris Sievernich Filmproduktion

Movie Connections:

References Sans soleil (1983)

Anyone in Love with Japan should see this film

I first went to Japan in 1986 as a high school exchange student. I had been studying about Japan for the past 6 years and was very excited to finally go there to see it in person. Wim Wenders was in a similar situation. He had fallen in love with a particular Japanese film-maker Ozu Yasujiru. Wim had been influenced from an early age by Ozu's work, and he decided to go to Japan while in the middle of making "Paris, Texas." During the break in the making of the film in Los Angeles, Wim boarded a 747 and flew across the Pacific to Tokyo, a place he had never been to before. What we get to see when we watch this film, is not only an interview with the cameraman that worked for Ozu for 25 years, but also Wim's personal discovery of Japan. Much of the film is just straight documentary-type footage accompanied with some pretty weird music. Riding in a taxi at night. Riding in a train at night. Following a little boy who is too tired to walk in the underground shopping mall with his mom, and decides to just sit down. The Cherry Blossom Festival picnics in Tokyo, the dancers at Harajuku on Sundays. A particularly fascinating scene is of a company that manufactures the wax food models you see outside most restaraunts in Japan. Overall, a wonderful film for anyone who loves Japan or is just interested in it. I rate this film among Wim's best works. If you can find it, rent it.