What is the meaning of the Noh scene? HH

 

 

I stole this picture from Mr. LM's post. 

I looked up the definition of a Noh play and what that play is because I think it might help with understanding the scene. Noh is a type of old Japanese theater form in which the actors/storytellers does not act out the story, but use their gestures and actions to depict the spirit of the play.

Little “happens” in a Noh drama, and the total effect is less that of a present action than simile or metaphor made visual. (Excerpt from the definition that I read online.)

It’s also said that the audiences of the Noh play usually know the plot of the story very well and they only come to see and appreciate the metaphors, simile, analogy, and the performances of the actors. All of this point to me that a Noh play is an educational form of entertainment, and it is probably not for everyone. I remember that the aunt once compliments the widow saying that she is a sensible woman with good taste. What does it mean that the first time Noriko sees her father interacts with the widow is at a Noh play? If Noh is a selective form of theater, it makes sense that the father, who is a professor, would go and take his daughter. But they also see the widow there, which means that in terms of taste, she is not so different from her father. This threatens Noriko even more.

The play is called Kakitsubata (water iris) in which a woman who is the spirit of the water iris dances and recite the story of Narihira. Narihira makes a poem about the water iris and his words of poem have the power to save and enlighten even plants. Basically, the play appreciates the poetry and its ability.

The pale purple iris opens its petal to enlightenment, along with the folds of her heart. All the earth will be enlightened, even the flowers and trees.

The whole scene lasts for about 6 minutes, which is a bold choice for movie. Normally you don’t have a scene where there’s just some play going on and some characters just staring at each other. There’s not a lot of actions going on, but that doesn’t mean that there’s not a lot going on. I’m still confused about why Ozu chooses this specific play? It’s a beautiful one with ethereal images – flowers being enlightened, the cicada shedding its gown, etc. During those beautiful words, we have a conflicted Noriko. She sees her father greeting the woman and Noriko also smiles to the widow. But when she turns around, the smile disappears. (I advise you to look at Mr. LM’s post, who does a much better job of summarizing this.) She seems to be filled with rage. She keeps looking back and forth between her father and the widow as if to imagine a future in which they are together, and that saddens and angers her. In that way, her feelings seem to pose a contrast with the message of the play. She’s feeling all these negative emotions that is holding her back from going into a new life while the play represents a feeling of freedom, enlightenment, change, and moving on to a new stage.