Tokyo-Ga (1985)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Wim Wenders

Writer:

Wim Wenders (writer)

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

Chishu Ryu	...	Himself
Werner Herzog	...	Himself
Yuuharu Atsuta	...	Himself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Chris Marker	...	Himself (uncredited)

Directed by
Wim Wenders

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Wim Wenders		writer

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)

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA | West Germany

Language:

English | Japanese | German

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Brazil:12 | UK:U | Finland:S

Filming Locations:

Tokyo, Japan

Company:

Chris Sievernich Filmproduktion

Movie Connections:

References Sans soleil (1983)

Japan with an identity crises!

This was one of the most interesting films I've seen in a long time, documenting the ever-changing lifestyles of Japan captured from back in the early/mid 1980's.

Wim Wenders's tribute to the late great director Ozu clearly demonstrates how Japan was starting to slowly lose touch with it's own humanity and family tradition values and delve in a more surreal world where it could no longer identify itself as being placed within it's own culture or that of another? What it really touches upon is how he tries to source the genuine culture of family ties that Ozu maintained in his masterpieces which sadly are ignored or not in affect in a post-modern era.

For example as the film progresses on, you hear how Wim describes the way the Japanese seem to be only basking in the light of the technological age and how they only seem to be Americanisng itself with the construction of it's own version of Disneyland and dressing up in 50's/60's garb of American culture. Thus giving you the image of a country losing it's own identity along the way.

Nonetheless, Wim Wenders has done a masterful job at trying to find a Japan that resides only in one's imagination thanks to Ozu's films. But still provides a very educational and poetic journey into heart and soul into the land of the RISING SUN.

Brilliant!