Briefly explain how Yasujiro Ozu’s style of dialogue is influenced by Japanese culture and how it reflects his characters

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answer: The ideal answer should include:
1. Yasujiro Ozu’s screenplays, usually written in collaboration with his longtime writing partner, Kogo Noda, are lean and unadorned. They were frequently published, and were appreciated as realistic literature.
2. The Japanese are among the politest people in the world. It’s considered rude to really speak your mind, so people often communicate indirectly, by hinting rather than stating outright what they want.
3. The full meaning of the dialogue in Ozu’s movies, then, remains largely unspoken—between the lines—even among family members.
4. To Western ears such dialogue might seem rather ordinary, even banal. But to those sensitive to the nuances of Japanese culture, the writing is understated, elliptical, charged with suppressed emotion.
5. Fearful of offending or appearing selfish—the ultimate social sin in Japanese society—Ozu’s characters are generally tactful, oblique in their remarks. What’s left unsaid is just as important as what is said.