Atsuta Yuhara and Ozu

Atsuta Yuharu by Atsuta Yuharu

Yuma
All staff served in the army as foot soldiers. However my duty was to take care of military horses, and Ozu called me Yuma after horses (uma). As I used to talk nonsense, short of a sense of humour, Ozu told me that Yuma was enough in place of Yuharu. I'm proud of this nickname. ("A" p.42)

A failed student
I went to Kaijyo junior high school. I was so ardent for going to the movies that I failed in the third year. My parents said, "Continuing your study comes to no good, so find a job." ("A" p.4)

Movies
There wasn't a moviegoer like me, besides at that time people tended to be more conservative. They even mentioned that the movie theatre was the last place to go or you would suffer from trachoma, and that such an unhealthy place must give you pneumonia or something... Yes, it's true. At school, when my teacher asked, "Does anyone like the cinema and go often?", I was the only student who was glad to raise the hand declaring, "I do, I do!". After the class, he called me to the teachers' room and told me angrily not to go. ("A" pp.9-10)

Yuharu Atsuta 15 nen
All but me in the world, there isn't any cameraman who has collaborated with the same director through his entire career, I should say. Well, for 15 years I had been an assistant, since Mr. Mohara was cameraman. It was a saying of ours for fun that momokuri 3 nen kaki 8nen, Atsuta Yuharu 15nen *1. Who remains an assistant for 15 years? I'm the one and only. ("A" p.79)

Camera watcher
On location, I called myself camera watcher. Not cameraman but camera watcher. Ozu and Mohara often left the scene for some meeting. In this case, I kept an eye out for the camera for fear anything should happen to it. Even after Mohara retired and Ozu left the camera to me, I didn't change my mind. I've always been camera watcher of Ozu. ("A" p.45)

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Yasujiro Ozu by Atsuta Yuharu

No hat, modern girls

Soft hat and modern girls
Having his soft hat on, Ozu looked so cool. As we went on location especially in summer after the war, he came to his famous style, white piquŽ hat and flax shirt, but before the war, he used to wear chic suits for going out to Yokohama. Tall, stylish, accompanied by modern girls such as Ms.Date and Yuki chan *2 , he was a perfect picture. ("A" p.56)

Shyness
When his eyes first met someone's eyes by chance, he looked away in a hurry, which showed his shyness. He was awkward with whomever he met for the first time, looking downward right away. If he had been married, he might have behaved differently. In fact he remained single, you know, he appeared sexy in such cases. ("B" p.49)

Red
His favourite colour was red. I once said, "A man who likes red is either genius or mad.", then he asked me which I thought he was. ("B" p.51)

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On Ozu's crew

Ryu san
We couldn't afford to employ a lighting technician. Naturally, on location I always carried a large reflector on my shoulder. Each time Ryu-san was a great help. Whenever we went on location, he joined us without extra pay, and helped us with various things. At that day ("Days Of Youth" (1929)), Ryu-san was an actor who played minor roles, but he worked as hard as if he were staff. Therefore Ryu-san and I are the most long standing members on Ozu's crew. ("A" p.32)

Ready, go!
In case of Ozu's crew, if the director says, "Ready, go!", we are not allowed to say, "Just a moment." by any reason. Once it begins, no stop, no time-out. It's necessary to have the knack of grasping the harmonious moment when the director and actors become one. ("C" pp.318-319)

"On Ozu's crew"	"Baby Carriage"

Low camera position
Ozu's low camera position is not for long takes. It makes a rhythm from a combination of medium close-up, medium long shot and reverse shot. Consequently, how long one shot lasts becomes very important. ("A" p.221)

Through years' experience as an assistant, I succeeded to Mohara's achievement, so I've already comprehended what Ozu wanted. I didn't bother to ask him about the camera position; Occasionally he said, "I don't like to look down on people. A down shot makes me feel as though I'm looking down. So I like the camera on the horizontal." ("A" p.222)

First of all Ozu, who had a talent for painting, thought the composition... One day, looking at illustrations of a magazine, I said, "They are scarcely painted from low viewpoint like you." "It's certainly difficult. There lies in my own position." ("C" p.308)

Tatami
Tatami consists of rectangles combined horizontally and vertically. If you film it from a low position, its texture running crosswise draw your attention too much. Setting a strong light upward doesn't work, for it emphasises the shadow of texture. To avoid that, you need another light at the lower side. Even most shadow will destroy the composition. ("A" p.220)

Lighting
Lighting was totally up to me. I did it all by myself. I studied it since I was an assistant, using a plaster cast for sketch and a flashlight. ("A" p.212) Baby carriage Actors must be of a size in tracking shot, but moving backward caused a lot of trouble. Ozu said, "I'll buy you a baby carriage.""What for?" "Give your daughter (=camera) a ride and practice well." I took my hat off to him... At the sight of a person with a carriage, "She's poor at pushing. Shall I push it?", I said. Ozu laughed and said, "Try and see how good you are." ("B" pp.53-54)

Location
For only one shot, Ozu himself went out. He never neglected his work, nor did we spontaneously. I deeply respect his exactness. Not because he was strict, but it was quite natural to follow him. ("A" pp.191-192)

On location in Tokyo, we walked and walked, from noon to evening, till our legs got stiff. Ozu was a good walker. "Let's go a little further." He walked as far as he found an ideal place. I really wished we went on a foreign helicopter. ("A" p.241)

"Location"	"The best of Ozu"

Trains
Working with Ozu, what I always had my own way is the train. Trains are all real. We didn't use sets, for they are unsatisfactory and cheap. For example, seats of set move and the door lacks in brilliance. As I'm rather a maniac for trains, I insisted to Ozu that we should use real trains. ("C" p.329)

Railroad terms
At Ofune Studio, we don't use right or left. We say Tokyo side, Atami side and Kamakura side. Mountain side, sea side... that sounds nice. These terms are used for Tokaido line. ("C" p.319)

We told what time is dinner by railroad terms, which were codes between Ozu and I. Also shooting schedule was expressed by the timetable of limited express. It goes like this, "Is it bound for Nagoya today?" "No. For Osaka, I think." To hear us talk, no one could understand. ("A" p.197-198)

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Remembrance

Wim Wenders
I found "Paris, Texas" was something like Ozu's film. What Wenders is doing is undoubtedly different from Ozu. However, in "Paris, Texas", it was Los Angeles I guess, the long shot of the airport viewed from a hill, we can see shadows of planes taking off and landing. That's really something! ("A" p.238)

"Spirit of clown"

At the hospital
Arriving at the hospital, I heard that Ozu was in a critical condition. Suddenly, I felt vacant. I couldn't help thinking he was carried off by someone before our eyes. When I saw his face, I don't know why, but I left the room and shouted, "God damn you!", as if the kidnapper was running away. ("A" p.268)

The night of the wake
At the hospital, faced with his body, I didn't feel like crying at all. Just as my eyes met Hara-sans' (Setsuko Hara), I burst into tears. Looking back, that's the moment when I realised his death. ("A" p.268-270)

One morning
Clear and bright, that winter morning. It's strange that I can't remember the day of his death without the rays of that morning, though I don't want to go to Ochanomizu, where the hospital is situated. I guess he was happy with the rays. Perhaps, they have something to do with the fact that he was very satisfied with the lighting of "There Was a Father" *3 . ("A" p.289)

The best of Ozu
If I have to choose one, it will be Tokyo Story. Making the film, everybody, including Ozu of course, was full of willingness. To make good use of my experience, I gave body and soul to each shot. ("A" p.288)

Spirit of clown
Ozu, man of spirit of clown, was really humorous. So I hate to treat him as legend and worship like a God... The clown is lonely, but he must hide his loneliness and play the fool joyfully, comically. That's the spirit of Ozu's film. ("A" p.280)

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For sources and references, see Japanese version.

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*1. Old Japanese saying. Peach and chestnut trees bear fruit in 3 years, and persimmon trees in eight, which means you can't achieve anything without patience.
*2. Yukiko Date. Actress. In Walk Cheerfully, The Lady and the Beard, Until the Day We Meet Again etc. Typical modern girl. Yukiko Inoue. Actress. The leading in Bijinaisyuu. Famous for exotic beauty, whose father was Dutch.
*3. The last scene, when Chishu Ryu dies, bright rays fill the room.

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