2013 Blind Spot Series: Floating Weeds

In Memory of Roger Ebert (1942-2013)

Directed by Yasujiro Ozu, Floating Weeds is a remake of Ozu’s 1934 silent film A Story of Floating Weeds that explores an aging actor who arrives in a small town to visit his former mistress and his illegitimate son. Written by Ozu and Kogo Noda, the film is a simple story about a man trying to do right to the son he barely knew while his current lover becomes jealous about the other life that he has. Starring Ganjiro Nakamura, Machiko Kyo, Ayako Wakao, Hiroshi Kawaguchi, and Haruko Sugimura. Floating Weeds is a tremendous film from Yasujiro Ozu.

In this remake of Yasujiro Ozu’s 1934 silent film as it is presented in color and with sound, the story remains the same though Ozu and co-screenwriter Kogo Noda do make a few changes to update the story a bit. Still, it is about an aging actor of a traveling acting troupe who arrives at a small town to visit a former lover and his illegitimate son who only knows the man as his uncle. The actor’s time towards the son he barely knows causes jealousy in his current lover who hires a young actress to seduce the man’s son only for things to get complicated. It’s all part of Ozu’s exploration to see a man trying to reconnect with the family he abandoned while the current family he has in his acting troupe are starting to get lost without him.

Even as the script allows Ozu and Noda to take more time to not just explore the other actors of the troupe but also the prominent characters that are embroiled in a world full of secrets. While Komajuro (Ganjiro Nakamura) and Oyoshi (Haruko Sugimura) maintain the secret about who Komajuro really is just to protect their son Kiyoshi (Hiroshi Kawaguchi) from the shame of having a poor actor as a father. For Komajaru’s mistress Sumiko (Machiko Kyo), the news about Komajuro’s other life is a shock for her as she is jealous thinking she’s the most important thing he has. By goading the younger actress Kayo (Ayako Wakao) to seduce Kiyoshi, she would hope she would get Komajuro back but things not only get complicated as well as creating more trouble for Komajuro’s troupe that is already going through financial trouble and neglect from the manager that was supposed to help them.

The direction of Ozu is very understated and simplistic in terms of the compositions that he creates as well as the drama that is played out. In that style where he never moves the camera nor utilizes any close-ups, Ozu uses a lot of medium and wide shots in a full-frame setting to capture a world that is intimate but also full of life. Notably as Ozu maintains a point of view where it’s seen by the audience whether it’s a stage presentation from the acting troupe or some of the more intimate moments between the many characters in the film. Shot on a low-tripod stance, Ozu manages to create a lot of coverage in his framing while knowing where to position the camera to capture these little simple moments that cay say a lot by doing so little. It’s part of Ozu’s unique approach to minimalist filmmaking while letting the drama play out naturally though keeping the actors in certain places to be in the frame. Overall, Ozu creates a very mesmerizing and exquisite film about family, regrets, and the desire for redemption.

Cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa does amazing work with the film‘s lush and colorful cinematography from the exteriors set in a small seaside town with its gorgeous colors to the some of the film‘s interiors including the stage scenes that includes some wonderful lighting by Sachio Ito to help enhance the film‘s beauty. Editor Toyo Suzuki does nice work with the film‘s editing where it maintains this slow yet methodical pace while doing a few rhythmic cuts to play out some of the drama. Production designer Hideo Matsuyama and art director Tomoo Shimogawara do great work with the set pieces from the bar that Sumiko runs to the stage house the actors stay in.

Sound recorder Takeo Suda does terrific work with the sound from the intimacy that goes on in the stage scenes to the more broader moments for the exterior scenes including the beaches and streets. The film’s music by Kojun Saito is brilliant as it features an array of themes that are just wonderful to listen to with its mixture of orchestral textures and folk music to play up the drama and some of the film’s light-hearted moments.

The film’s cast is excellent as it features a noteworthy ensemble that is filled with some memorable small performances from Chishu Ryu as a theater owner, Hitomi Nozoe as a girl working at a barbershop, Mantaro Urabe as an elder actor of the troupe, Mutsuko Sakura as a waitress, and as the trio of young actors looking for something to do in the town, Haruo Tanaka, Yosuke Irie, and Hikaru Hoshi. Another small performance that should be noted is from Koji Mitsui as one of the older actors of the troupe as he played the son in the 1934 silent film A Story of Floating Weeds. Ayako Wakao is wonderful as the young actress Kayo who is asked by Sumiko to seduce Kiyoshi only for things to become complicated as she has no idea what to do. Haruko Sugimara is terrific as Kiyoshi’s mother who is carrying Komajuro’s secret to protect everyone while dealing with the chaos that is happening around her.

Hiroshi Kawaguchi is amazing as Kiyoshi as a young postal clerk with an ambition to go to college as he is suddenly wooed by a young woman unsure about the path he’s taking as well as deal with the man he’s called his uncle. Machiko Kyo is remarkable as Sumiko as a woman who is envious of the other life Komajuro has where she schemes to ruin it only for things to get even worse as Kyo brings an element of heartbreak and anger to her role. Finally, there’s Ganjiro Nakamura in a brilliant performance as Komajuro as a man who is hoping to succeed as an actor to make his son proud while dealing with all of the chaos of maintaining his secret and not bring shame to his son as it’s a really mesmerizing performance to watch.

Floating Weeds is a magnificent film from Yasujiro Ozu. Armed with a great ensemble cast, beautiful cinematography, and a fantastic score, the film is definitely one of Ozu’s greatest triumphs. It’s also one of the most compelling pieces of cinema that explores the idea of family and the desire to find redemption in the wake of shame. In the end, Floating Weeds is an incredible film from Yasujiro Ozu.

Yasujiro Ozu Films: (Sword of Penitence) - (Days of Youth) - Tokyo Chorus - I Was Born, But… - (Dragnet Girl) - Passing Fancy - (A Mother Should Be Loved) - A Story of Floating Weeds - (An Inn in Tokyo) - (The Only Son) - (What Did the Lady Forget?) - (Brothers and Sisters of the Toda Family) - (There Was a Father) - Record of a Tenement Gentleman - (A Hen in the Wind) - Late Spring - Early Summer - (The Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice) - Tokyo Story - Early Spring - Tokyo Twilight - (Equinox Flower) - Good Morning - Late Autumn - The End of Summer - An Autumn Afternoon

© thevoid99 2013

A Story of Floating Weeds

Directed by Yasujiro Ozu and written by Ozu and Tadao Ikeda from a story by James Maki, A Story of Floating Weeds is the story about an aging actor who arrives to a small town with his troupe of actors where he meets his old lover and their illegitimate son much to dismay of his current lover. The film is an exploration into a man’s desire to get to know the son he barely knew while trying to give his time towards the people he abandoned while unknowingly abandoning those who also need him. Starring Takeshi Sakamoto, Chouko Iida, Koji Mitsui, and Yoshiko Tsubouchi. A Story of Floating Weeds is a majestic yet heartbreaking film from Yasujiro Ozu.

The film is simple story about an actor, who leads a traveling acting troupe, who arrives at a small town to do a show where yet what he wants to do is see an old lover and his illegitimate son. While wanting to get to know this young man whom he has provided money for so he can get an education and the chance to do something great. The man’s lover feels neglected as she realizes what’s going as she goads a young actress from the troupe to seduce the man’s son in order to create chaos. Instead, things don’t go as planned leaving the man to face all of the trouble he’s created in his past and the life that he has now. It’s all part of a world in which a man is trying to find redemption for his past actions while he’s unaware of the trouble he’s creating in his troupe of actors as they’re dealing with inactivity as well as a lack of money.

The screenplay explores the world of a man trying to do right to the family he had abandoned though he is known to his son as his uncle. Yet, Kihachi Ichikawa (Takeshi Sakamoto) just wants to his son to know that his father isn’t some failure by claiming that his real father was a civil servant who had died. His old lover Otsune (Chouko Iida) would maintain that lie to not just protect Kihachi from shame but also for their son Shinkichi (Koji Mitsui). Still, Shinkichi is happy to see the man he calls his uncle as they share moments together as if they’re father and son. For Kihachi’s current mistress Otaka (Rieko Yagumo), the discovery of Kihachi’s other life is shocking as she has no idea how to react to it as it later becomes a form of jealousy.

By getting the young actress Otoki (Yoshiko Tsubouchi) to seduce Shinkichi, she hopes that it would ruin things for Kihachi so she can get him back. Yet, the script doesn’t allow things to play out as what would’ve been expected in order to slowly create a moment of anxiety for Kihachi as he realizes what’s going on. Truths do get unveiled but it all has to do with what Kihachi wants for his son as well as the fact that Kihachi doesn’t want his son to endure the same struggle he went through as a traveling actor. Even as his troupe realizes the sacrifices he’s made for his son and why he’s been absent as of late yet the outcome would be one that Kihachi would have to live with.

The direction of Yasujiro Ozu is quite simple in the way he frames the film as he is often known for creating dazzling images while never moving the camera to explore any kind of action. Instead, he maintains this air of simplicity in the direction by just capturing all of the drama that is happening as well as some of the kabuki performances that is happening. Still, there is a sense of beauty to the way Ozu frames a shot or a scene where he says a lot by doing so little. Even in moments such as Kihachi and Shinkichi fishing on a river or the drama that occurs in the third act where Kihachi learns of Otaka’s plans. Ozu’s approach to drama is very direct in the way he frames the actors in a scene as well as to display the sense of emotion that is happening. Overall, Ozu creates a very poignant yet exhilarating film about redemption and family.

Cinematographer/editor Hideo Mohara does brilliant work with the film‘s understated black-and-white photography to play out the sense of simplicity in its small town setting with its gorgeous daytime exterior scenes to the scenes set at night with some amazing lighting by Toshimichi Nakajima for some of the film‘s interiors. Mohara’s editing is quite simple but effective to play out the drama that happens while maintaining a methodical approach to the pacing. Art director Toshio Hamada does wonderful work with the set pieces from the theater the actors work at to the home of Otsune. The film’s score by Donald Sosin for the film’s restored version is superb for its piano-based score to play out some of the drama as well as its light-hearted moments.

The film’s cast is excellent as it features some notable small roles from Tokkan Kozo as a child actor of the troupe and Reiko Tani as the boy’s father. Yoshiko Tsubouchi is wonderful as the young actress Otoki who is goaded by Otaka to seduce Shinkichi only for things to become more complicated than she realizes. Rieko Yagumo is terrific as Otaka as Kihachi’s mistress who feels neglected over Kihachi’s absence only to feel jealous over the other life that he has. Koji Mitsui is fantastic as Shinkichi as a young man who has a lot going for him as he’s happy to see the man he thinks is his uncle as they share moments that are just lovely to watch.

Chouko Iida is amazing as Kihachi’s former lover Otsune as a woman who is happy to see Kihachi while trying to protect all of the secrets she and Kihachi have been carrying. Finally, there’s Takeshi Sakamoto in a marvelous performance as Kihachi as he displays a great sensitivity to a man trying to connect with the son he barely knew while dealing with all of the anguish he’s made for himself.

A Story of Floating Weeds is a majestically-rich film from Yasujiro Ozu. Armed with a great cast and a captivating story about the desire to connect as well as dealing with regrets. The film is definitely one of Ozu’s finest as well as one of the key great films of the silent film era. In the end, A Story of Floating Weeds is a remarkable film from Yasujiro Ozu.

Yasujiro Ozu Films: (Sword of Penitence) - (Days of Youth) - Tokyo Chorus - I Was Born, But… - (Dragnet Girl) - Passing Fancy - (An Inn in Tokyo) - (The Only Son) - (What Did the Lady Forget?) - (Brothers and Sisters of the Toda Family) - (There Was a Father) - Record of a Tenement Gentleman - (A Hen in the Wind) - Late Spring - Early Summer - (The Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice) - Tokyo Story - Early Spring - Tokyo Twilight - (Equinox Flower) - Good Morning - Floating Weeds - Late Autumn - The End of Summer - An Autumn Afternoon

© thevoid99 2013