Tom's Film History II Blog

Jin's father has a sort of haunting presence over Columbus. While he only has a few minutes of screen time (if that), his ideas are constantly present. Architecture, particularly Jin's father's idea of architecture, is what forges the central relationship in the film between Jin and Casey. Director Kogonada draws parallel between form in architecture and film, chiefly drawing on Jin's father's concept of "modernism with a soul". From Oxford Languages, modernism is defined as "a style or movement in the arts that aims to break with classical and traditional form". In particular, this permeates through Kogonada's visual grammar. He wears his influences on his sleeve, repurposing cinematography from Yasujiro Ozu for an updated take on the family drama.  Still from Columbus To me,  Columbus reads as an antithesis to Ozu's work, and I believe this is somewhat intentional on Kogonada's part. Ozu is generally concerned with generational diff

What motivates us to consume art from other regions or cultures? There are a myriad of different reasons depending on the consumer. First, the textbook cultural hybridity; a mixture of familiar, "universal" tropes with the novelty of a different culture. For example, my grandparents watch detective dramas from other countries because they like to learn about other cultures within the framework of a familiar narrative structure (along the lines of shows like Perry Mason which they have watched for years).  For me, consumption of art from other cultures can be attributed, at least in part, to the internet. Hollywood films are generally more available to me in America, but practically anything that I want to watch is just a few clicks away. As a result, we are able to consume a variety of film grammar, and by now I am at the point where I am no longer looking to evoke any of my Hollywood expectations when I watch a foreign film.  You must tread carefully when evaluating art from