Tokyo Story

Tokyo Story

From How to Make Films and Influence People by Andrew Curzon and Peter Kimball

April 6, 2026 · 55 min · Season 1 · Episode 21

About this episode

Peter and Andrew explore Yasujiro Ozu’s Tokyo Story, discussing its themes and potential remakes.

Peter and Andrew explore Yasujiro Ozu’s 1953 masterpiece Tokyo Story, examining how this quiet family drama became one of the most revered films in cinema history. They discuss Ozu’s unique visual style, the film’s meditative pace, and how its subtle exploration of generational change, aging, and family expectations resonates across cultures. In their remake scenarios, they face a delicate challenge: How do you adapt a story built on everyday life? Could it work as an animated Miyazaki-style film for families? What would a no-budget or earthquake-disaster version look like? Would it be better as a TV series exploring different families in postwar Japan? The hosts also share their current viewing habits, including Listers and Crime 101, while referencing Spirited Away, Lars von Trier’s The Boss of It All, Jaws, and Late Spring. Topics covered: Minimalist filmmaking, the universality of family dynamics, Japanese vs. Western storytelling, static camera composition, and why some films are more about feeling than plot.

People in this episode

Hosts: Peter, Andrew

Topics covered

  • Minimalist filmmaking
  • universality of family dynamics
  • Japanese vs. Western storytelling
  • static camera composition
  • feeling vs. plot

Keywords

  • Tokyo Story
  • Yasujiro Ozu
  • family drama
  • animation
  • postwar Japan

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Listers, Crime 101, Spirited Away, The Boss of It All, Jaws, Late Spring

Books & works: Tokyo Story, Listers, Crime 101, Spirited Away, The Boss of It All, Jaws, Late Spring

Places: Japan

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