6 - A Remake, But … : Media Infantility in Ozu Yasujirō’s Good Morning

Summary

Good Morning (Ohayō, 1959), Ozu Yasujirō's second production in colour, is generally recognised by historians as a loose remake of I Was Born, But… (Otona no miru ehon: Umarete wa mita keredo), his 1932 silent film. Both films showcase an interest in media, largely through the perspective of their two young protagonists. In I Was Born, But…, two children experience a rude awakening through the projection of a kogata-eiga (small-gauge film), and in Good Morning television prompts a process of mediation between the private and public spheres. In the former, notwithstanding class consciousness, a collective form of watching also gives rise to spectatorial awareness. Similarly, in the latter, despite the advent of a technology that allows media consumption in private spaces, it is public viewership that undergoes a process of domestication. Seen in this light, this chapter argues that the concept of the remake is not just a matter of underlining affinities between the films, but also of ‘de-mediation’. Although Ozu's films often defy Hollywood conventions (in terms of their formal, structural, and stylistic features), and do not follow the same commercial logic, this chapter nonetheless discusses them along the lines of Frank Kelleter's consideration of remakes and popular seriality. Rather than progressive ontological theorisation, however, I highlight aspects in the films that illustrate a devolving phenomenology. That is, instead of paying attention to technological improvements, I underscore features that demonstrate dysfunctional forms of communication and archaic modes of media consumption. This is neither a critique of Ozu or the films, nor is it an abstract statement on media as such that can be seen emerging from them. Indeed, the films equally employ nonsensical and even flat-out infantile humour that seem to lampoon critical thinking.

However, infantility does not mean insensitivity. In fact, it suggests hypersensitivity, even if to the extent of ludicrousness. In an influential article, Thomas Elsaesser asks half-jokingly (and answers positively) whether Freud's discussion of the ‘mystic writing pad’ (what Elsasser calls ‘essentially a child's toy’ [2009, 102]) can be considered a theoretical deliberation of media. Following a similar line of thought (albeit in reverse), this chapter argues that Ozu's remaking of I Was Born, But… (the full title dubs it as an ‘Adult's Picture Book’) is indicative of a Freudian unconsciousness of Japanese viewership.