Five: Dedicated to Ozu (2003)

☆ ☆ ☆ ½

Five: Dedicated to Ozu (2003) – A. Kiarostami

As a break from his narrative films, Kiarostami shot this distinctly non-narrative experimental feature composed entirely of five long shots (ranging in length from about 8 minutes up to about 30 minutes).  The only links to Yasujiro Ozu’s films would be to the still life shots that Ozu often interspersed between scenes and to the fact that Ozu’s camera often seemed to rest statically on a tripod creating a frame in which people could move in and out, inviting us to look at the composition within the frame.  Here we see scenes that would be unlikely in any Ozu film: 1)  a medium shot of waves with driftwood; 2) the same waves in the background behind a boardwalk with people passing by (all of whom must feature in the opening credits – an example of Kiarostami’s sense of humor, I think); 3) a long shot of the waves and creatures in the distance which are too indistinct to make out until you suddenly realize what they are when one moves – this shot eventually bleaches out; 4) a close up shot of the beach and lots of ducks passing back and forth; and 5) a very very dark shot of the surface of a pond at night, then rain, then sunrise.  Especially in this last scene (and also with regard to the ducks’ pitter patter footsteps), the soundtrack is meticulously crafted (possibly with foley assistance) to enrich the experience.  Indeed, the whole film may be more than what it seems:  as in all of Kiarostami’s oeuvre, there is a high level of intelligence at work here, guiding us to new and different experiences that ask us to question what we are seeing and why (that is, the director’s intentions).  And, in the end, this was pretty soothing stuff!