I would say he certainly had elements of slow cinema in his approach, which became more obvious as his career developed. In his early films the camera moves more, and you get dissolves and screen-wipes but over time he pares them away. And then with Tokyo Story you see this quiet focus on the day to day, so that when at the end Setsuko Hara says, 'Isn't life disappointing?' it hits you like a ton of bricks.
Is Ozu considered slow cinema?
I would say he certainly had elements of slow cinema in his approach, which became more obvious as his career developed. In his early films the camera moves more, and you get dissolves and screen-wipes but over time he pares them away. And then with Tokyo Story you see this quiet focus on the day to day, so that when at the end Setsuko Hara says, 'Isn't life disappointing?' it hits you like a ton of bricks.