Backgorund score plays a very important role in most movies. It dictates the pace of the movie. It tells us when to laugh an when to cry, when to cower in fear and when to jump with joy. There are many movies which I can't even imagine without their score. Most notable of which perhaps is "The Passion of Joan of Arc". Of course it is also an artificial construct. I have also seen many silent films but all of them have a score added to them.
"I Was Born, But..." doesn't have any sound whatsoever. So this was a first for me. A kind of experiment really to gauge whether I would be able to appreciate the movie. It is one of early movies of Yasujiro Ozu. I am a big fan and I have decided to go all of his movies I can get my hand on. Still I was not sure about this one, as most critics only regard his later films as masterpieces. I shouldn't have worried. This movie still carries the magic of all his movies. And even though there is no score, it is only a minor setback. After sometime you hardly notice the lack of sound. It is very different from other silent comedies of the era. Most of the other silent movies use exaggerated expressions. In contrast acting and expressions here are of sound films except that there is no sound.
"I Was Born, But..." is charming, funny, poignant and nostalgic comedy centered around kids and how they see the adult world. It will surely strike a cord with everybody. I was bowled over by it. Ozu just keeps rising in my estimation.
"I Was Born, But..." doesn't have any sound whatsoever. So this was a first for me. A kind of experiment really to gauge whether I would be able to appreciate the movie. It is one of early movies of Yasujiro Ozu. I am a big fan and I have decided to go all of his movies I can get my hand on. Still I was not sure about this one, as most critics only regard his later films as masterpieces. I shouldn't have worried. This movie still carries the magic of all his movies. And even though there is no score, it is only a minor setback. After sometime you hardly notice the lack of sound. It is very different from other silent comedies of the era. Most of the other silent movies use exaggerated expressions. In contrast acting and expressions here are of sound films except that there is no sound.
"I Was Born, But..." is charming, funny, poignant and nostalgic comedy centered around kids and how they see the adult world. It will surely strike a cord with everybody. I was bowled over by it. Ozu just keeps rising in my estimation.