Tokyo-Ga (1985)

Director:

Wim Wenders

Writer:

Wim Wenders

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
Yûharu Atsuta	...	Himself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Chris Marker	...	Himself (uncredited)

Directed by
Wim Wenders

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Wim Wenders

Produced by
Chris Sievernich	....	producer
Wim Wenders	....	producer

Original Music by
Laurent Petitgand

Cinematography by
Edward Lachman

Film Editing by
Solveig Dommartin
Jon Neuburger
Wim Wenders

Sound Department
Hartmut Eichgrün	....	sound re-recording mixer

Other crew
Lilyan Sievernich	....	production assistant
Ulla Zwicker	....	production assistant

Thanks
Shigehiko Hasumi	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Chris Sievernich Filmproduktion
• Gray City
• Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR)
• Wim Wenders Productions

Distributors

• Lii-Filmi (1986) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Europa Filmes (2007) (Brazil) (DVD) (Portuguese subtitles)
• Gray City (USA)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Pacific Arts (video)
• Ripley's Home Video (2006) (Italy) (DVD)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2009) (Finland) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1988) (Finland) (TV)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA | West Germany

Language:

English | Japanese | German

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:S | Brazil:12 | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Tokyo, Japan

Company:

Chris Sievernich Filmproduktion

Quotes:

Wim Wenders:This game induces a kind of hypnosis. Winning is hardly important. But, time passes, you lose touch with yourself for a while, you merge with the machine, and perhaps, you forget, what you always wanted to forget.

Movie Connections:

References Sans Soleil (1983)

reminded me very much of anti-Semetic German propaganda films of the 40s

the footage is lush and gorgeous, German camera-work of the 70s-80s of the highest caliber. but...the content I found ... appalling! it's been 15 or so years since I saw it and haven't thought about it in a long time, but was just reminded while suffering through this documentary about a feature film called "Jew Süss" ... but my impression of the overall tone is ineradicable . . . I have to admit I'd entirely forgotten the "Ozu love letter" element of the whole thing.

more enjoyable is a documentary about designer Yojhi Yamamoto that I saw at about the same time in this big Wim Wenders retrospective. another film that was a very sweet standout was "A Trick of the Light" about film pioneers whose work was eclipsed by developments of Lumiere in France starring Udo Kier, which I recommend highly.

Wim Wenders...is kind of a shallow filmmaker in my estimation. As with Tokyo Ga I'm sure he had no idea what a potentially offensive film he made. I remember particularly a sequence about some sort of Japanese pinball game that is insanely popular there, his reflections upon which seemed the fruit of a (lack of) intelligence of the sort that characterizes also that cinema excreta "Lost in Translation". the deep meaning of which seems to be "god what a bunch of freaks these Japs are for not speaking English and not modeling themselves after the oh so kewl savvy ironic US population what in god's name is wrong with them?!