Thursday, April 4, 2019
Mono No Aware
Mono no aware is the Japanese idea of the awareness of the transience of beauty and the ultimate sadness of life. After watching Early Summer can you better understand this concept? Where there scenes that evoked both feelings of joy and sadness, moments of beauty and tears? What were your emotions at the end of the film? What did you think about some of the images we discussed in class: the waves, the photograph, the child's balloon? Are there moments when you felt the sadness and the beauty of life?
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After watching Ozu's film, Early Summer, I gained a deeper understanding of the idea, Mono No Aware. The concept of Mono No Aware is defined as the awareness of the impermanence of things and the gentle sadness of their passing. Throughout the film there are many scenes where the audience can observe moments of beauty and sadness in the characters’ lives, however, I think the most meaningful scene is when Noriko sits down with her family for the last time before she leaves town with her fiancé. In this scene we can see how she is greatly saddened by the fact that she has to leave her family behind, which is something in her life that brings her much happiness, but at the same time we can also see how Noriko truly believes it is time for her to explore the world and what it has to offer her. This moment in the film fits perfectly into the concept of Mono No Aware as it shows how Noriko knows that her living with her family was always something impermanent and now she is understandably upset by this huge change in her life as she moves away to enjoy and experience other things, that will unfortunately also end in sadness as she will not have it forever. Another example of this idea is when the parents of Noriko watch a balloon fly away into the sky. This moment also shows how that child’s balloon is gone, but the happiness it brings will never go away as the parents smile when they see it. In conclusion, Mono No Aware is shown in the film as the characters take the time to enjoy life, although they know that some things will not be around forever.
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ReplyDeleteThe idea of mono no aware and the journey of life is very prevalent throughout the movie Early Summer. After watching the movie I began to understand more of the concept and notice different scenes that include the idea that often beautiful moments in life come with sadness. For example, the scene with the older people (Noriko’s parents) in the park enjoying their sandwiches in the serenity of the park shows that beauty of life. As they are older they have experienced more life and the hardships that have come along with it. While they are at the park they notice a balloon in the air and state that the balloon is beautiful to watch however a child must be crying somewhere because of the lost balloon. This scene includes two moments of mono no aware. One with the elders enjoying the beauty of life in the park, and the other with the mention of the child and the balloon. Another scene representing the idea of both good and bad moments in life is the scene that includes Noriko and her friend eating the shortbread cake. They discussed how delicious and fun it was eating the cake, but also at the same time they stressed about the fact that the cake was very expensive. This represents the beauty of the beautiful cake but the sadness that comes with it because it is such a luxury it is not something that they can enjoy often. The characters enjoy the life they live, treating themselves along the way, because they know that life is short and you only live once.
One of the most joyful scenes in the film to me was when Noriko and her friends went out to have tea. I personally felt very connected with this scene since it felt like an activity my own friends and I would do. I always am filled with joy when I get to spend time with my friends, but there is also a sense of sadness, especially nowadays, since we will be journeying off to separate colleges soon. This same sort of bitter sweetness is displayed in Early Summer. Two of Noriko’s friends are already married while she and her one other friend are still single. When the two married girls move tables, there is an obvious gap between them and Noriko. This is symbolic of how their marriages have taken them away from spending the same amount of time hanging out and having fun with their friends. Their days of being carefree, unattached women are over as they have transitioned to married life. Another scene that evoked the feeling of mono no aware was when the family took their picture. Noriko was planning on leaving home soon since she was getting married so it was one of the last times we see the entire family together. I am the oldest of 5, so I will be the first one to leave the house. I love my family dearly as I’m sure Noriko does. I don’t think there is a better example of mono no aware than having to leave a place and the people you’ve spent you’re whole life with. In some ways, it’s freeing and wonderful to go start the next phase in your own life, but it’s also incredibly sad to have such a big change like that occur. Early Summer demonstrated mono no aware in a way that I connected with, and thus after seeing it, I feel I better understand the concept.
ReplyDeleteBefore watching this movie, I thought mono no aware was a hard concept to grasp, but the movie did a great job of showing how it is just something that comes with life. I think the image of the balloon is one of the most powerful images in the movie because it represents this concept very well. It shows that the child who probably lost this balloon is sad because they lost it, but the parents are now able to enjoy it and watch it float off into the distance. The child also should have known that the balloon would not have lasted him or her forever, like many things in life. The balloon represents how many aspects of life are fluid and come and go as they plelase. The balloon is very similar to when the oldest daughter decides to get married and leave the house. Her parents are distraught that she is leaving them, but in reality, she will make her husband and new family happy because his past wife died. This situation of moving on from your past is something that everyone will have to face. Many of us will soon be facing it when we go to college because it is a completely new experience in new place. Even though it will give us new opportunities, it is going to be sad to leave our families. This is the exact reason mono no aware gives us feelings of joy and sadness because whatever lies in the future is probably great, but it will always be hard to leave the past behind.
ReplyDeleteThe beautifully crafted Early Summer by the director Japanese director Ozu, furthers my understanding of Mono no aware through the camera work, as well as the content of the narrative. Mono no aware, as I understand it, is characterized by hyper awareness and appreciation for material things, with emphasis on the fleeting nature of life and futility of caring about these material things more than life itself; essentially, it focuses on the beauty in the impermanence of life. Ozu solidifies this concept through his camera work including the angles, cuts, and timing. Despite an often slow plot, Early Summer, in my opinion, is beautifully framed. The floor level “tataki” angle establishes the viewer as present, rather than just watching. Similarly, the floor plan of Japanese homes lends itself to extending lines that often fit the “rule of thirds”, and the film is flowing with symmetry. These choices lend themselves to Mono no aware because the audience can see that each shot was well-thought out, yet they only exist for an average of ten seconds; the images themselves are beautiful, but fleeting. Similarly, the way each cut is longer than the average film and extends a few seconds after action has concluded, demonstrates the concept, as well. Because these choices were made, the viewer is left with a final crisp, still image; a visually stunning image that ultimately disappears. In regards to the story of the film itself, Ozu uses Mono no aware ideals. The daughter leaving to marry outside of the family is both sad, yet exciting. In Japan, as in many cultures, it is the “duty” of the daughters to marry, so when the character in Early Summer does so, it is a positive occasion. Yet, the family ultimately realizes that their life as they know it is over because it will be different without her. Similarly, in the scene when they are taking the family picture, Mono no aware is present. The family, young and old, is gathered together to have an image taken. The ability for multi-generational togetherness is a beautiful thing, yet the necessity for a picture is a reminder that that moment is not forever; people grow old, leave, etc. Overall, both the plot and the cinematic choices lend itself to the concept of Mono no aware, which proved for greater understanding in general.
ReplyDeleteMono No Aware makes a huge appearance throughout the film Early Summer. Being the main element in the plot of the movie, it also makes its appearance in many scenes throughout it. First, the film is set during a time in which things in life are heavily changing not only for the family, but for Japan in general. More and more is Japan modernizing alongside America after they lost the war, and people are living more and more rushed lives. That is why Ozu wanted to include this theme within the movie. He wanted to critique the notion of a modern rushed life, and wanted people to appreciate the small moments in their own lives more. As for scenes in the movie, other than the balloon, waves, or the photograph scene, there is the one scene where Noriko and her friend are eating shortcake in the kitchen. They go on to squabble about how fattening it is to eat it and how expensive it was, but Noriko then says that they should not worry about that, but rather, enjoy the moment with each other cause it probably will not last because their other friends will not talk to them anymore. This represents Mono No Aware because rather than focusing on the short term elements like how much the cake cost, or how fattening it is, Noriko directed her friend’s attention to how the moment was temporary because moments like these are few and fleeting in life, and how they should rather than focus on the small things, enjoy it so they can remember it as a happy moment rather than the negatives.
ReplyDeleteMono no aware is a concept that is extremely prevalent in Ozu’s Early Summer. Mono no aware is defined as the awareness of impermanence. Watching this film taught me something about mono no aware because it is one thing to read the definition of the phenomena, but it is another thing entirely to see it actually play out visually. There are several scenes in the film that exemplified mono no aware, just some of which being the grandparents sitting in the park with the balloon, the eating of the shortbread cake, and discussing Noriko’s wedding. The concept is also exemplified through the slow plot development that seems to focus on the inanest things but forces the audience to reexamine the little things in life. This is in an effort to show what really matters and that there is no reason to not enjoy all of the time you are given in life. The long takes also lend to slowing the movie down and letting the audience take in the full scene. At the end of the film I felt a distinct calm serenity wash over me as though I understood life just a little bit better after watching the film. It felt like I had just watched the culmination of a real person’s life as though I was there, which was aided by the Tatami Mat viewing angle of the film. The imagery we discussed in class are all great examples of mono no aware in their own right. The waves are themselves fleeting, lasting only until they meet the shore. The photograph represents the last time that the whole family will be together. It is a mix of both the happiness to togetherness and the poignant sadness that comes with knowing that it must come to an end. The child’s balloon works not only on the level of it fading away until it is out of sight, but it also works as a symbol for Noriko. As Noriko marries, she leaves behind her childhood, as exemplified by the balloon, in exchange for her adult life, leaving her family behind. The moments after Noriko leaves are some of the saddest in the film. Everything is quiet.
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