Cinema and the Ethics of Indeterminacy

After critiquing the methods of auteurism and national cinema that have been prevalent in Japanese cinema studies, the introduction hypothetically defines the notion of the ethics of indeterminacy. The inclusiveness of multiple viewpoints in the films directed by Ozu is an ethical choice. It escapes from judgmental and authoritative voices, often discussed as the central narrational device and tactics of classical Hollywood cinema to make its products coherent and consistent temporally and spatially. Multiple perspectives and voices delay the conclusion or even prevent stories from having a concrete closure. The films directed by Ozu conspicuously present indecisive images (and sound) from the chaotic world using the representational machine called cinema. This encounter leads to, or is based on, the ethics of indeterminacy.