Electric Shadow

524 (525 & 526): Two from Ozu


When this set was announced back in April, I started an absurdly ambitious series to tie into it. Cinema Ozu has turned out to be more personally rewarding and enjoyable than any film studies class I took in college (with the possible exception of Chinese Cinema and Culture). To me, what these long-sought-after releases represent to the aspiring filmmaker or film historian is considerable: a look inside two of the most affecting films in one of the greatest filmographies in all of cinema.
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The Grand Three Month Plan

Criterion announced four titles (in pairs) last week for release in July. That announcement radically changed how I plan on spending a significant chunk of the next three months on this column. Don't get me wrong, the 15th of the Month announcements every 30 or so days are always a reason for excitement and re-budgeting things, but these resulted in my pulling a couple of grand plans out of cold storage.

(l.) Yasujiro Ozu and (r.) Powell & Pressburger
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