Ozu International

In Japan and much of Europe Ozu is widely considered to be one of the finest film directors who ever lived. While Ozu has a strong reputation in the West his films are not as well-known or widely appreciated in the U.S. as they are elsewhere. A notable exception to this trend is film critic Roger Ebert who recently wrote that Ozu is one of his three or four+? favorite directors. Also moving beyond the view that <i>Tokyo Story</i> is a masterful exception in the Ozu canon Ebert sees Ozu's films as nearly always of the same high quality.+? <i>Ozu International</i> will reflect on Ebert's view of Ozu by arguing that this director deserves broader recognition in the U.S. and that his entire canon is worthy of serious study. <br/><br/>With the recent release of more than 15 Ozu DVDs in the Criterion Collection covering every phase of his career at least in part (including silent films black-and-white talkies and color films) <i>Ozu International</i> helps to fill a lingering gap in English-language scholarship on Ozu by giving this new generation of scholars a book-length forum to explore new critical perspectives on an unfairly neglected director. Contributions include specialists in Japanese culture academics from a range of disciplines and professional films critics.