Paul, William. "The Purest Style." Ernst Lubitsch's American Comedy. New York: Columbia University Press, 1983. 19-33.

In this section, Paul describes Lubitsch's style by focusing mainly upon his film Trouble in Paradise, in which "style is felt as an essential part of the dramatic experience, as compelling in tis surprises as the very storyline itself."

Paul's analysis of Lubitsch's film style points out many similarities to Ozu's film style, though he does not mention Ozu in his text. He mentions that Lubitsch's films operated mostly "in the elliptical presentation of time and space," a strategy Ozu favored. Ozu was known for omitting any plot details that were not absolutely necessary and for allowing his audience to piece together what happened through the internal logic in the film. According to Paul, Lubitsch does the same in his films. Lubitsch also prefers "showing rather than telling" like Ozu, who relies more on visual storytelling than verbal. Paul also places Lubitsch's individualist, anarchist films in context of the social reality of America in the 1930s and states that his fragmenting style helps reinforce the individualist message. Ozu's film, Tokyo Chorus, trades off being both a light comedy and a social commentary. The two moods--one of lighthearted family sentiment and the other of more serious financial struggle felt by much of the lower middle class--are woven together seamlessly, often occurring simultaneously in the same scene. Ozu may or may not have been influenced by Lubitsch's tendency toward depicting a social drama without making it too heavy, but he certainly borrowed or shared Lubitsch's ideas of omitting details in his storytelling.

Yasujiro Ozu only developed his signature style with the making of his film Tokyo Story in 1953. To what degree do his films made prior to 1953, such as Tokyo Chorus (1933), demonstrate the influence of the Hollywood style? Ozu especially admired the films of Ernst Lubitsch; what characteristics do his early films share with those of Lubitsch's?

Wrigley, Nick. "Yasujiro Ozu." Senses of Cinema (2003). 29 Nov. 2008 <http://archive.sensesofcinema.com/contents/directors/03/ozu.html>.

This article was written one hundred years after the birthdate of Yasujiro Ozu. It gives a brief biographical background on the director, synopses and analyses of several of Ozu's films, and discusses Ozu's legacy. The bulk of the article is about Ozu's films.

The article presents some of Ozu's influences, including American films and in particular "those of Ernst Lubitsch" though "in other conversations, Ozu seems unwilling to admit influence." Wrigley includes a quote from Ozu that says "I formulated my own directing style in my own head, proceeding without any unnecessary imitation of others...for me there was no such thing as a teacher. I have relied entirely on my own strength." Though Ozu's statement may be true about his later films, I believe that his earlier films, prior to establishing his signature style in Tokyo Story (1953), demonstrate the influence Hollywood had on his films.

Thompson, Kristin. "Lubitsch, Acting and the Silent Romantic Comedy." Film History 13.4 (2001): 390-408.

Thompson starts off the article by writing about Ernst Lubitsch's pantomimic acting style, which was largely influenced by German theatre, which "remained part of Lubitsch's style until near the end of his German period." Then, she documents his changing style as he moves to Hollywood films.

Lubitsch's Hollywood style is what we see influenced Ozu's earlier films. Lubitsch "sought to tell his stories through visual means whenever possible...[and often] expressed his desire to minimise the use of intertitles." Similarly, in Tokyo Chorus, intertitles only occur when absolutely necessary. In many instances, the gesture or facial expressions of the actors are enough to indicate the complex emotions and family dynamics. Also, Thompson points out that, as a director, Lubitsch knew exactly how he wanted his scenes to be and often "acted out each scene in detail and expected [his actors] to copy him closely." This is another parallel between the two directors, as Ozu was systematic in the way he set up his scenes--often he would have his actors rehearse a scene repeatedly until it was exactly as he envisioned it. Thompson quotes Patsy Ruth Miller, "The whole film was visualised in his head, so he wasn't very flexible. He didn't want you going off the beaten track with a gesture if it wasn't what he had in mind." The characterization of Lubitsch could easily be about Ozu as well.