Mono no aware is the Japanese idea of the awareness of the transience of beauty and the ultimate sadness of life. After watching Early Summer can you better understand this concept? Where there scenes that evoked both feelings of joy and sadness, moments of beauty and tears? What were your emotions at the end of the film? What did you think about some of the images we discussed in class: the waves, the photograph, the child's balloon? Are there moments when you felt the sadness and the beauty of life?
Early Summer best depicts the idea of mono no aware when the group of older people are reminiscing on Noriko's childhood. The three of them gaze sadly towards the ground and contemplate if they should give her their marriage blessing. This moment is very bittersweet because they are discussing the beautiful thought of Noriko getting married, while sadly acknowledging that she may not yet be ready for this next chapter of life. This contrast between beauty and sadness demonstrates the fundamental concept of mono no aware: deep contrasting feelings regarding life's changes. Additionally, when the three are on the screen, the dialogue is less frequent, slower-paced, and contains less substance in comparison to when Noriko and her friends are on the screen. This demonstrates another idea of mono no aware: as you get older, the joys in life go away, and life loses its beauty. Furthermore, in the scene, none of the characters make eye contact. This accentuates the idea that the characters no longer have the same vibrancy and life that they used to, and lack interpersonal connection. Overall, mono no aware, the contrasting emotions that come with the idea that life has the most amount of beauty while we are young, is best depicted throughout Early Summer when the three adults are discussing Noriko's marriage because of the character's bittersweet emotions and lifeless interaction.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching Early Summer to be quite honest I still don’t understand this concept of Mono no aware, this could be because I missed a day of the movie however the 2 other days I watched it I was confused. I understand the fact that it was supposedly supposed to be a movie showing the sad yet beautiful part of life but I'm confused about how the movie portrayed this. The whole time from my perspective was trying to make everything happy and jolly and almost creeped me out at some times. Noriko the main actor was seen smiling the whole movie, in every single scene except the very last scene of her being upset because she broke the family up she was seen smiling very creepily and disturbing no matter what was going on. I tend to notice this case for every woman in the movie, not just Noriko when kids would talk back or the wife was being put off by her husband they always kept a smile and never showed emotion. If this is the point of the concept of Mono No Aware then I'm quite confused because how can a concept on the sad part of life never show sad emotions or make any of the scenes portray sadness? Or This could be what the concept of Mono No Aware is and then the only way I can understand it is maybe it's trying to make sad scenes beautiful by smiling which still confuses me but would make more sense.
ReplyDeleteEarly summer represents the Japanese concept of Mono No Aware through its appreciation of youthfulness and appreciating things while you are young. The movie's entire premise is centered around the idea of doing things while you’re still young. 28-year-old Noriko is pushed to marry as she is getting too old to be a good marriage prospect. Her family is entirely on board with her marrying a somewhat random man until they find out he is 40 and has a child. Someone as young, in comparison, should not be wasting herself on an old man, according to Mono No Aware. Another example of Mono No Aware in Early Summer is the treatment of the two young boys. Despite their poor behavior, the boys are treated with kindness and leniency rather than discipline, except for the one scene where they kick the bread around on the floor and are hit for it. Often, the children talk back and act out, and the only response they receive is a laugh, which could be an appreciation for their innocence and youthfulness. There is an element of sadness to the Mono No Aware in this movie, as it often feels like Noriko is being forced into marriage or not taking enough time to make a sound decision about the man she is going to spend the rest of her life with. Despite her insistence on marrying this man, one must wonder if she has been conditioned to believe her value as a wife is running out with age. Ultimately, Early Summer is an excellent representation of Mono No Aware, specifically for its appreciation of youthfulness.
ReplyDeleteYasujirō Ozu's film Early Summer captures the idea of Mono no aware through the story of Noriko and her family. Mono No Aware relates to the idea that life is fleeting and it is not worth it to stick around for all that long. The shortness of life allows us to take in all of the beauty of the world and not focus on our desires. The film captures this sensation by focusing on changes in life like responsibilities, age, and happiness. The film takes place during a point in a family's life where everything starts to change at once. They have been living in their current house for about sixteen years with the older son happily married and raising two sons in that house. But after that much time like this, things needed to change as is the nature of life. Noriko is now 29 years old and it is time for her to get married and move out. No matter who her husband ends up being, she won't continue to live with her family as she will have to go live with her husband's family. It is also time for the parents to move on as well. They have gotten older and they need to find somewhere easier to live in than Tokyo so they go to join their uncle in the countryside leaving the house to their son and his family. At the end of the film, the father and mother reminisce on what happened sitting at a dinner table in a house among barely fields. The family has splintered and living all across Japan but everyone is fulfilled and happy. What they had wasn't meant to last but even when it's gone there is still joy and beauty. Things are meant to change and that is at the heart of Mono no aware.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching Early Summer, the concept of Mono no Aware, the Japanese idea of the awareness of the transience of beauty and the ultimate sadness of life, becomes more poignant. The film encapsulates moments that evoke a mix of joy and sadness, portraying beauty that is fleeting and moments that tug at the heartstrings as a family ‘grows up’. We see them face the common problems of maturity and as one of the main characters decides to get married. Ozu associates these themes with bold imagery like the child's balloon floating away. It is a metaphor for the fleeting nature of these character’s lives as they prepare to become more distant. Similarly, the film opens with a scene at the beach, a place that is revisited later in the film. We merely watch, as waves crash repeatedly on the beach, eroding at the land and then disappearing. Both images resonate deeply with the essence of Mono no Aware, highlighting the bittersweet nature of life where joy and sorrow coexist.
ReplyDeleteAt the end of the film, a complex array of emotions emerges, reflecting the intricate balance between happiness and sorrow that defines human existence. The viewer is left contemplating the transient nature of life, appreciating its beauty while acknowledging its impermanence. The film prompts introspection on moments in life where one experiences both the profound sadness and exquisite beauty that come with embracing impermanence. Through these reflections, one can grasp the essence of Mono no Aware - a deep understanding of life's fleeting nature and an appreciation for the poignant beauty found in its transience.
The term "mono no aware" is Japanese for "aware of the impermanence of beauty and the melancholy that comes with it." The idea needs an understanding of life's transient nature and the bittersweet feelings that go along with beautiful or happy experiences. "Early Summer," a film directed by Yasujirō Ozu, may elicit sequences that provoke both joy and melancholy, thereby expressing the complexity of human experiences. It's possible to contrast moving moments with underlying themes of the time passing. The waves might represent the ever-changing course of life, the child's balloon could represent innocence and fleeting bliss, and the snapshot could represent memories that disappear with time. Viewers may feel a range of emotions at the movie's conclusion as they consider the narrative's larger themes as well as the characters' journeys. While some would experience melancholy or wistfulness, others might find comfort in the characters' recognition of life's fleeting nature. You might investigate how these visual patterns relate to the film's investigation of mono-no aware consciousness when you discuss visuals like the waves, the picture, and the child's balloon in class. The beauty and fragility of life may be reflected in each image by encouraging viewers to consider various aspects of the human experience. Ultimately, "Early Summer" likely provides moments that evoke both sadness and beauty, inviting viewers to reflect on their own experiences of mono no aware and the fleeting nature of existence. One of my personal experiences of mono no aware is summers, as a kid summers are the best things because we can rest, play, and sleep and repeat. But as I grow older summers are truly times for more work and the opportunity to play goes down and the need for work goes up.
ReplyDeleteIn mono-no aware there is a feeling of a mix of beauty and sadness in how time is such a fragile idea. I think that Early Summer does a good idea of showing this by showing the good with the bad. The movie also provides a sense of realism that is difficult to captive through a screen. We see in the sand dunes scenes the raw emotion of the characters which helps us realise their sadness. I feel like also the scene at the very end of the movie where we watch a wedding procedure occur gives us a big look into how their culture works. This also gives us a sense of mystery because we do not know who is getting married but also as a viewer, we get to watch these people walk into the distance hopefully going to be happily ever after but yet have no idea. We as a viewer can only hope that it turns out happy for them. We also do not know if this is a forced marriage that often happened at these times in Japan because the family wanted to woman to marry a certain man. Whether that be for social reasons or money reasons there was often forced marriage at this time. But we as the viewer know that life won't always be around so we must take the good with the bad. There will be moments of beauty and moments of sadness but that's what the point of having a mortal life is. To be immersed in it and live it till death.
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