Five Dedicated to Ozu

Kiarostami's film dedicated to Yasujiro Ozu is composed of five long shots, most taken along the waters of the Caspian Sea, each “starring” such actors as tides and driftwood, a gang of ducks, croaking frogs, or the reflection of the moon. Those wondering “where the action is” need only truly open their eyes to discover a different kind of cinema, and a different kind of seeing. Meditative or materialist, even metaphorical if you want it to be, Five Dedicated to Ozu provides a slate upon which to project any thought or emotion; it’s “both a lesson in cinema, and a lesson in being” (James Quandt).