Framed to Perfection IV

KOZURE OKAMI SANZU NO KOWA NO UBAGURUMA (1972)

Director: Kenji Misumi

Cinematographer: Chikashi Makiura

Less than 5 minutes in and we get this, an eerie moment as father and son camp out for the night, as I’m sure they do most nights, in the wilderness of Japan. It feels like the filmmakers are trying to set up a sense of inescapable paranoia, as there’s marvellously creepy music undercutting, what would usually be, a very simple moment.

The scene is what it is, with the camera moving in and to the left, then pulling back out and to the right.

Nothing else happens.

I suppose it’s a great example of the importance of a film score too, so you don’t need to laboriously cobble together a 10 minute YouTube video about how wonderful John Williams is.

Just a father and a son. Sitting by a fire. Natural light is still overhead, but the fire creates an additional safety glow. Very unsettling stuff!

We’re already getting so much information so soon. But the two men are safe from unseen assailants for now. Oh golly will they be attacked! But not yet. Not yet!

Do stay in touch, darlings.

Toodles!