MIKIO NARUSE

Apart from You

The thing about watching early films from an established and beloved director, is that you’re often not watching them as much for what they are, as for what you know they lead to later on. This is probably even more true if the director is mostly known for films in the sound era and you’re watching an early silent. It’s certainly true in this case. This is a perfectly lovely little film. A bit slow, a bit obvious, but very heartfelt. It also has some really cool hints at filmmaking to come.

There is a dynamism and a, for lack of a better term, movie-ness to this that is sometimes missing from these silent films. There is nothing stage-like about it, but more than that it’s also just very dynamic. I hate to reuse the word, but it’s the only one that fits. There is just so much camera movement, and each times it comes almost totally unexpectedly.

Maybe that’s partially me not being as familiar with Naruse. He’s often compared to Ozu, who would never have this much movement. His films are static as a style, as a worldview, as a philosophy. So perhaps I’m just seeing the similarities between their storytelling instincts and adding my own expectations. Whatever it is I’m doing, it all worked for me.

One other thing I will note is that I have often said that watching these movies is an incredible cure for the attention spans of the modern era. These are slow films and they demand attention. That’s especially true for the silent films, where if you aren’t watching you have no idea what’s even happening. I have not been able to watch as many movies lately and I can tell that it’s had a real impact on my ability to focus. Hopefully this is helping bring me back to a slower and more deliberate pace of life. - Nov 18th, 2024