Reflecting the Phenomenological Approach to Place Based on Martin Heidegger's Thought in the Cinema of Yasujirō Ozu (Case Study: Tokyo Story)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Architecture, Qazvin Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qazvin, Iran.

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, Qazvin Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qazvin, Iran.

3 Associate Professor, Department of Cinema, Art University, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

This article examines the meaningful experience and perception of place among the technical characteristics of Yasujiro Ozu's cinema in "Tokyo Story" and works in the framework of Martin Heidegger's phenomenological approach due to the centrality of "meaningful experience of place." It is assumed that the meaningful experience of place in the technical characteristics of "Tokyo Story" is in accordance with the resulting components of Heidegger's phenomenological approach to place. As a result, the formation of this correspondence is raised as the research question. The current research is a qualitative type and is carried out by phenomenological method due to the importance of experiencing the place. Data have been collected based on reading books, observing the examined sample, and drawing a sketch of the understanding of the spatial relationships of the movie locations.
The result indicates that in Ozu's mise-en-scene style, features such as repetition in the design of the graphic pattern of the backgrounds, repetition in the display of key locations, selecting nature in accordance with the mood of the characters, precision in the use of objects, uniform, and focused lighting, emphasizing the movement of the characters and creating spatial depth have caused the place to be defined based on Heidegger's phenomenological approach by fixing the place in the memory, evoking the imagination and allowing the characters to reflect on their position, perception in a broad environmental context concerning the elements and components of the surrounding environment. Furthermore, in mise-en-scene style, by expanding spatial connections between inside and outside, giving identity to places regarding social, cultural, and environmental contexts, defining limits, paying attention to the emotional aspect of the experience, perception of place in the context of daily life and human activities, direct experience of place, the variety of perceptual experience, and the possibility of interaction with others, the phenomenological approach to the place is adapted. In cinematographic features (low camera height and long take), considering the variety of perceptual experiences in viewing the place due to the low height of the camera, the perception of the place in the context of a comprehensive environment, the possibility of tactility experience, and fixing the location in the memory through the long take, the connection with the phenomenological components of the place is inferred. In the film editing style (shot-to-shot relationship by the establishing shots), by defining the place through the elements and details of the surrounding environment, man and his activities, the expansion of spatial communication between inside and outside, and the possibility of fixing and perpetuating the place in the memory, linking with the phenomenological discourse becomes obvious. Lastly, film sound (environmental sounds specific to each place and sounds outside the frame) with the possibility of perceiving the place in the auditory sensory experience, the experience of the place regarding the surrounding environment, the expansion of spatial communication between inside and outside, stimulating the imagination of the audience to visualize the spatial reference of the sound and the estimation of the size and scale of space, justifies the affinity with Heidegger's phenomenological approach to place.
 

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References

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Journal of Fine Arts: Performing Arts & Music
Volume 28, Issue 3
September 2023
Pages 31-44

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