Alright, alright, let’s talk about them movie fellas, the big shots – Ozu, Bresson, and Dreyer. Folks say their movies are somethin’ special, got a “transcendental style,” whatever that means. Sounds fancy, huh? But lemme tell ya, it ain’t as complicated as them city folk make it out to be.
What’s this “Transcendental Style” Anyways?
Now, these fellas, they make movies different. Not like them shoot-em-up bang-bang pictures, no sir. They like it slow and steady, like watchin’ paint dry, but in a good way, ya know? They show ya stuff, let ya think, don’t just spoon-feed ya everything. It’s like they’re showin’ ya somethin’ bigger than just the story, somethin’… well, somethin’… spiritual, I guess you could say. Like lookin’ at the sky, and you suddenly get it, whatever “it” is. These directors ain’t shoutin’ at ya, they’re whisperin’, but you hear ‘em loud and clear.
Ozu’s Way
Ozu, he’s from Japan. He likes to keep the camera still, like it’s glued down, hardly ever moves it. And he puts the camera low, like you’re sittin’ on the floor, lookin’ up at folks. He don’t care much for fancy angles or whiz-bang effects. He just shows ya life, plain and simple. Families talkin’, eatin’, goin’ about their day. It’s kinda like watchin’ your neighbors, but somehow it feels… important. It’s about regular folks, you and me, nothing special, but also everything special. And people in Japan, they loved his movies! Made him a rich man, I reckon. He made movies that made money, simple as that.
- Still camera, not much movin’ around
- Low camera angle, like you’re on the floor
- Everyday life, nothin’ fancy
Bresson’s Style
Bresson, he’s from France. He’s a bit different. He likes to show hands, feet, little details. He don’t use fancy actors, just regular folks mostly. And he don’t like big emotions, no cryin’ and yellin’. It’s all quiet and… intense, ya know? Like a pot simmerin’ on the stove, not boilin’ over, but you know it’s hot. He uses sounds real good too, crickets chirpin’, doors creakin’, little things that make you pay attention. It ain’t the big noises, it’s the small ones that get ya. And music? He uses it sparely, only when it really matters.
Dreyer’s Touch
Dreyer, he’s from Denmark. He’s the most… I dunno, serious, I guess. His movies are about big things, faith, suffering, death. Heavy stuff, ya know? But he shows it in a way that’s… real, even though it’s about things you can’t see or touch. He uses close-ups a lot, faces fillin’ the whole screen. You see every wrinkle, every tear, every flicker of emotion. It’s like lookin’ into someone’s soul. He’s showin’ you the insides, not just the outsides. It ain’t about what they’re doing, it’s about what they are feeling.
What Makes it “Transcendental”?
So, what makes these fellas so special? Well, they ain’t just tellin’ stories, they’re showin’ ya somethin’ more. They use pictures, sounds, little details to make you feel somethin’, think somethin’. It’s like a prayer, kinda. A repeatable ritual, the book folks call it, that somehow takes you someplace else. They don’t tell you what to think, they let you figure it out yourself. They use wide shots, so you see everything, and then they focus on tiny things, so you see the meaning in them. And the sound, oh the sound, it ain’t just background noise, it’s part of the story, makes you feel like you’re right there. The sounds are heightened, like they mean more than just a door slam or footsteps, they’re sounds that speak to you without words.
Simple But Deep
It ain’t about fancy tricks or big explosions. It’s about showin’ life as it is, but in a way that makes you see it different, makes you feel somethin’ deep down. It’s about makin’ the ordinary, extraordinary. They don’t wave their hands and shout, they show you the little things, the quiet moments, and suddenly, bam! You understand. It’s like a good home-cooked meal, simple ingredients, but it fills you up and makes you feel good inside. These fellas, they ain’t makin’ movies for the eyes, they’re makin’ movies for the soul. And that, I reckon, is what makes ’em special.
It’s Like This…
Think of it like this, you go to church every Sunday, hear the same words, same songs, but sometimes, somethin’ hits ya different, ya know? You feel somethin’ bigger than yourself. That’s what these movies are like. They show you the same stuff, life, people, but they show it in a way that makes you see the holy in the everyday, the extraordinary in the plain.
Tags：[Transcendental Style, Film, Ozu, Bresson, Dreyer, Japanese Cinema, French Cinema, Danish Cinema, Film Theory, Visual Style, Sound Design, Minimalism, Spirituality, Ritual, Everyday Life]
