Floating Weeds

I wish I had the energy to write about this movie. I had to leave work today because I had such a bad migraine, and I still have it. I can't focus, and it's really hard for me to process this movie. Today's movie is Floating Weeds, directed by Yasujiro Ozu in 1959. It's a beautiful movie, and I know I'm going to watch it again if I can soon, when I can see it with a clearer mind.



Ozu's films are stunning to look at. His camerawork is so unique and fantastic. He never moves his camera. I would say there is about one shot where the camera moves in this entire film. He shoots normal life with a reverence and a respect that feel so genuine. I feel like he was such a careful, loving person because of how he directed his films. Ebert mentions that he never really amps up the drama in his films, this one included. He means that, I think, in the sense that they never become a normal-life-melodrama. Their problems are real and serious, but he never crosses into like, Revolutionary Road territory or something. He treats the characters and their issues with dignity and tenderness. I think this is what makes Floating Weeds such a special film - the artistry of his cinematography combined with his overwhelming empathy. 

I wish I had the focus to say something about this film other than that I liked it. But that's about as far as I can go right now. I hope that when I wake up tomorrow I feel much better. Maybe I'll come back to this and work on it more later, but for right now, I really need to take another migraine pill and go to sleep.

Have any of you seen Floating Weeds? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Links:
Roger Ebert's Great Movie Essay on Floating Weeds