Directed by Yasujiro Ozu and written by Ozu and Kogo Noda, Sanma no aji (An Autumn Afternoon) is the story of a family patriarch who is aware that his time is coming as he devotes his final moments by arranging a marriage for his daughter in the hope she can have a future. Ozu’s final film of his illustrious career is an exploration of modernism and a man keeping hold on tradition as he is aware that he has to let his daughter go and have a life of her own while hoping she retains his values. Starring Chishu Ryu, Shima Iwashita, Keiji Sada, Mariko Okada, Teruo Yoshida, Shinichiro Mikami, and Eijiro Tono. Sanma no aji is a ravishing and touching film from Yasujiro Ozu.
The film follows a widower who is aware that he’s in the final years of his life where he decides that it is time for his daughter to find a husband after seeing a mentor of his drunkenly reveal his own regrets in life. It’s a film with a simple premise by writers Yasujiro Ozu and Kogo Noda as it’s also about a family growing and adjusting to the changes in their lives. Notably in Shuhei Hirayama (Chishu Ryu) who works at a nearby factory in an office while he shares his home with his youngest son Kazuo (Shinichiro Mikami) and his 24-year old daughter Michiko (Shima Iwashita). His eldest son Koichi (Keiji Sada) is already married to Akiko (Mariko Okada) as they’re living their own lives while they endure a few problems of their own as Koichi is given some used golf clubs at a bargain price that Akiko disapproves of. Yet, Shuhei is concerned about trying to find a husband for Michiko during a night out with friends along with their old teacher of Chinese classics in Sakuma (Eijiro Tono) that would spur Shuhei to make plans for the future after seeing Sakuma extremely drunk as well as how his daughter Tomoko (Haruko Sugimura) reacts to her father.
Ozu’s direction which doesn’t aim for anything stylized or flashy does play into the simplicity of the story. Notably with his stationary static shot where he never moves the camera at all just to get enough coverage of what is happening during the course of the film. Shot on location in Tokyo, Ozu does use some wide shots of the location but also some precise compositions of the factories as well as certain locations including a bar that Shuhei goes to often as well as sushi restaurants. Ozu doesn’t use any close-ups in favor of just simplistic medium shots where the camera is often in front of the actor to talk to another actor or in a shot where there’s more than one character in a frame. Ozu would also play into this sense of loss but also acceptance of a new world in a scene at a bar that Shuhei goes to where he meets a sailor from his past in Yoshitaro Sakamoto (Daisuke Kato) who reminisces with him about the war and muse about what happened if Japan had won.
While there are elements of humor in the film, there is also this air of melancholia that Ozu would use throughout the film as it relates to what is the end of something. Notably as Shuhei saw what happened to Sakuma and how far he’s fallen with little to show for in the end just as he and a couple of his friends have done well. Shuhei realizes what he must do for Michiko as it’s not just about the acceptance that he’ll have to do things by himself once Michiko and Kazuo leave for their own lives. It’s also about Michiko needing to let go of taking care of her father though she admits to be unsure about wanting to get married. The film’s final images is about that acceptance but also the end of something as it relates to Shuhei yet Ozu manages to maintain a semblance of dignity knowing that even though a man’s life is to end. It at least has created a new beginning for those who are important to him. Overall, Ozu crafts a rapturous and intoxicating film about a man trying to find a suitable husband for his daughter.
Cinematographer Yuharu Atsuta does incredible work with the film’s colorful cinematography with its emphasis on naturalistic lighting for many of the daytime scenes while using low-key lights from Kenzo Ishiwatari for some of the interior/exterior scenes at night including the bar that Shuhei goes to. Editor Yoshiyasu Hamamura does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with a few rhythmic cuts to play into the conversation scenes. Art directors Tatsuo Hamada and Shigeo Ogiwara do brilliant work with the look of the sushi restaurant and the bar that Shuhei goes to as well as the noodle shop that Sakuma runs and Shuhei’s home.
Costume designer Yuji Nagashima does fantastic work with the costumes as it is largey straightforward with the suits the men wear and the modern clothes of the time that the women wear along with traditional Japanese robes. Sound editor Ichiro Ishii does superb work with the sound as it is largely straightforward as it play into the atmosphere of the locations as well as the sounds of television showing baseball games. The film’s music by Kojun Saito is amazing for its lush and somber orchestral score with its usage of strings that sweep into its arrangements to play up the melancholic tone of the film while music coordinator Takanobu Saito provide a few traditional pieces as well as a war march piece that play into Shuhei’s fondness for his military past.
The film’s wonderful ensemble cast feature some notable small roles from Fujio Suga and Zen’ichi Inagawa as a couple of drunks that Shuhei talks to at the bar, Shinobu Asaji as Shuhei’s secretary, Toyo Takahashi as the waitress at the sushi restaurant, Daisuke Kato as a former sailor in Yoshitaro Sakamoto that Shuhei remembered and chatted with at the bar, Ryuji Kita as an old friend of Shuhei in Shin Horie, Michiyo Kan as Horie’s young wife Tamako, Nobuo Nakamura and Kuniko Miyake in their respective roles as family friends Shuzo and Nobuko Kawai, and Kyoko Kushida as the bar proprietor whom Shuhei believes looks like his late wife. Eijiro Tono is superb as Shuhei’s former Naval mentor Seitaro Sukuma as a man who has fallen on hard times and is coping with his own failures while Haruko Sugimura is terrific as his daughter Tomoko as a middle-aged woman running a low-level noodle shop that is struggling as she copes with missed opportunities for herself. Shinichiro Mikami is fantastic as Shuhei’s 21-year old son Kazuo who works nearby at a factory as he is more concerned about what is for dinner rather than do something for himself. Teruo Yoshida is excellent as Yukata Miura as a friend of Koichi who gives Koichi some golf clubs while also having interest towards Michiko despite being attached to another woman.
Mariko Okada is brilliant as Koichi’s wife Akiko who is concerned with the money that Koichi spends knowing that they need it for more important things while Keiji Sada is amazing as Koichi as a man trying to live his own life and help his father find a husband for Michiko despite his own shortcomings in spending money he doesn’t have. Shima Iwashita is incredible as Michiko as a young woman in her 20s who is reluctant about getting married as she runs the household but also worries about what her father will do when she leaves and he’s on his own. Finally, there’s Chishu Ryu in a phenomenal performance as Shuhei Hirayama as a man knowing that he is facing the final years of his life as he also thinks about his past and his daughter’s future knowing what will happen to her if she stays home where it is a performance of grace and sensitivity as a man who has accepted his fate but also thinks about the incredible life he’s had.
Sanma no aji is an outstanding film from Yasujiro Ozu that features a tremendous performance from Chishu Ryu. Featuring a great cast, gorgeous images, a potent music score, and touching themes of life and family. It is a film that is a family drama that is told with such restraint and tenderness as well as being a great final film from one of cinema’s great storytellers. In the end, Sanma no aji is a magnificent 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 - Floating Weeds - Late Autumn - The End of Summer
© thevoid99 2019
Directed by Yasujiro Ozu and written by Ozu and Kogo Noda, Kohayagawa-ke no aki (The End of Summer) is the story of a sake brewery family whose lives are shattered by discoveries relating to their patriarch and his secret life with a mistress. The film is a comedy-drama that relates to a family where a group of women deal with the news about their father while they try to adjust to the changes relating to their sake brewery. Starring Ganjiro Nakamura, Setsuko Hara, Yoko Tsukasa, Michiyo Aratama, Keiju Kobayashi, Masahiko Shimazu, Daisuke Kato, Haruko Sugimura, Hisaya Morishige, Chieko Naniwa, Reiko Dan, and Chishu Ryu. Kohayagawa-ke no aki is an evocative and somber film from Yasujiro Ozu.
The film follows a family who run a small sake brewery that is dealing with bigger companies as two women both deal with potential suitors recommended by their family patriarch who has just renewed his relationship with his old mistress. It’s a film that play into a family dealing with changes during a summer as a family patriarch is trying to ensure that his two daughters be wed to men while his widowed daughter-in-law Akiko (Setsuko Hara) is raising her child alone as she has little interest in getting remarried. With his son-in-law Hisao (Keiju Kobayashi) trying to run the brewery that is competing with a bigger sake competitor, the patriarch Kohayagawa Manbei (Ganjiro Nakamura) spends much of his time at home and would sneak out to visit his old mistress Sasaki Tsune (Chieko Naniwa) whom he’s rekindled a relationship with since the passing of his wife.
The film’s script by Yasujiro Ozu and Kogo Noda play into these family relationships where Akiko is being pursued as is the youngest daughter Noriko (Yoko Tsukasa) as the latter is concerned about her own suitor just as she is interested in a lecturer. It play into the different directions of the family as Noriko’s older sister Fumiko (Michiyo Aratama) learns about her father renewing his relationship with Sasaki as it is believed that he also fathered Sasaki’s daughter Yuriko (Reiko Dan) whom his family hadn’t met. The script also play into this idea of death as it relates to Manbei as he is aware that his brewery might go out of his business as he also thinks about what will happen to his daughters and daughter-in-law.
Ozu’s direction is understated in terms of the simplicity that he maintains throughout the course of the film. Shot largely in Kyoto, the film does play into this world that shows Japan becoming modernized and more vibrant but also retaining elements of the past including some of its traditions. While there aren’t many close-ups in the film, Ozu’s direction is ravishing in his approach to simple compositions whether it’s in a wide or in a medium shot as he captures so much attention to detail on a location, a room, an office, or at a bar. The fact that he doesn’t move the camera at all as well as positioning it one or two feet off the ground which is a visual style that Ozu is known for adds to the simplicity of the film. Even in a wide shot where the camera would look down from a house where Noriko and Akiko are having a conversation at the beachside area of a river as it would then cut to a medium shot of the two on the beachside with Noriko watching her son play in the river.
Ozu would also play up the drama in a low-key approach where he doesn’t aim for melodrama but something that is straightforward but also filled with sadness as it relates to the news about Manbei and his ailing health. The film’s third act doesn’t just explore the idea of mortality but also the decisions a family would have to make as it relates to their business and future. Even as Noriko and Akiko have to find husbands so they won’t be alone and play up to the ideas of tradition though the suitors they’re set-up with don’t really have much to offer to them emotionally. Though the film’s ending is about the end of something, it is also the start of something new where Ozu’s precise framing and gorgeous compositions play into this idea of life and death. Overall, Ozu crafts a rapturous and heartfelt film about a family dealing with changes and their patriarch’s decision to rekindle his relationship with his mistress.
Cinematographer Asakazu Nakai does brilliant work with the film’s colorful cinematography with its gorgeous approach to natural lighting for the scenes set at the day as well as the usage of low-key lighting for some of the scenes set at night. Editor Koichi Iwashita does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with a few rhythmic cuts to play into some of the conversations between characters. Art director Tomoo Shimogawara does amazing work with the look of the home that Manbei lives in with Fumiko and Hisao as well as the home of Sasaki and the office that Hisao works at. Sound mixer Hisashi Shimonga does nice work with the sound as it is largely straightforward as it includes music that is being played from a certain location as well as sparse and natural sounds of a location. The film’s music by Toshiro Mayuzumi is fantastic for its usage of traditional woodwinds and flutes with some lush string arrangements in some parts of the film as it add to the film’s somber tone.
The film’s superb cast feature some notable small roles from Chishu Ryu and Yuko Mochizuki as a farming couple appearing towards the end of the film commenting on a building, Kyu Sazanka as a clerk working with Hisao, Hisaya Morishige as Akiko’s suitor Isomura, Akira Takadara as the lecturer Teramoto Tadashi whom Noriko is interested in, Haruko Sugimura as a sister-in-law of Manbei in Kato Shige, Daisuke Kato and Haruko Togo in their respective roles as Manbei’s brother-in-law and sister in Kitagawa Yanosuke and Kitagawa Teruko who try to help Akiko find a suitor, Masahiko Shimazu as Hisao and Fumiko’s son Masao, and Reiko Dan as Sasaki’s daughter Yuriko who is more interested in Western culture while wondering if Manbei is really her father. Keiju Kobayashi is terrific as Manbei’s son-in-law Hisao as a man who is trying to keep the family sake brewery afloat knowing that it is futile where he tries to find ways to save it but also face the reality of what he must do. Michiyo Aratama is fantastic as Fumiko as Manbei’s eldest daughter and Hisao’s wife who spends time taking care of her father while being disapproving over his relationship with Sasaki.
Chieko Naniwa is excellent as Sasaki as an old flame of Manbei who is happy about spending time with him while knowing that his family doesn’t know about this new relationship as she agrees to keep it private until the rest of his family is ready to accept her. Yoko Tsukasa is brilliant as Noriko as Manbei’s youngest daughter who deals with the prospect of having to marry someone just as she is falling for a lecturer she’s known for years as she also deals with the idea of being alone. Setsuko Hara is amazing as Akiko as Manbei’s widowed daughter-in-law as a woman that is trying to raise her son but also help Noriko with dealing with the idea of marriage as well as pondering about getting married again. Finally, there’s Ganjiro Nakamura in a remarkable performance as Kohayagawa Manbei as a sake brewery owner who is trying to help figure out what to do for Noriko and Akiko while trying to renew a relationship with a former flame in the hope he can bring the people he love together.
Kohayagawa-ke no aki is a phenomenal film from Yasujiro Ozu. Featuring a great cast, gorgeous visuals, an understated approach to narrative, and themes on life and death. It’s a film that explores a family dealing with secrets but also uncertainty as it relates to the future and their family business as well as themselves. In the end, Kohayagawa-ke no aki is a sensational 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 - Floating Weeds - Late Autumn - An Autumn Afternoon
© thevoid99 2019
Directed by Yasujiro Ozu and screenplay by Tadao Ikeda from a story by Ozu, Dekigokoro (Passing Fancy) is the story of a two co-workers who both meet a young woman looking for a place to living as it would later cause problems. The film is a silent drama that explore two men who both find themselves falling for this young woman as it would later cause trouble in their friendship. Starring Takeshi Sakamoto, Nobuko Fushimi, Den Obinata, Chouko Iida, and Chishu Ryu. Dekigokoro is an interesting yet lightweight film from Yasujiro Ozu.
The film revolves around a love-triangle between two co-workers at a brewery over a young woman they met at a theater as they both try to pursue her in their own ways only for things to get troubling as the son of one of the co-workers isn’t fond of his father’s pursuit for this woman. It’s a film with a simple premise although screenwriter Tadao Ikeda creates a narrative that doesn’t really do much to flesh out the relationships and characters. Notably as the first act is about the friendship between Kihachi (Takeshi Sakamoto) and Jiro (Den Obinata) as they attend a rokyoku play with Kihachi’s son Tomio (Tokkan Kozo) where they would meet the destitute young woman Harue (Nobuko Fushimi). Harue would get a job working for a restaurant owner in Otome (Chouko Iida) as Kihachi would pursue Harue slowly though Jiro isn’t fond of her which is a front as he secretly is in love with her leading to all sorts of problems. Even as Tomio doesn’t seem fond of Harue due to his grief towards his mom as the script doesn’t really do much to play into the drama as it tries to put in some humor where some of it doesn’t work.
Yasujiro Ozu’s direction is quite simple in its compositions though it wouldn’t feature the restrained and extremely simplistic style that he would be known for in his later films. Still, there are some gorgeous compositions that Ozu would create in its close-ups and medium shots where he gets a look at a certain location or room but also in capturing some of the emotional aspects of the film. The film does have Ozu use dolly-tracking shots to get a view of a certain location or environment as it’s one of the few moments of Ozu moving the camera as it help play into some of the drama and humor. Though the story’s lack of a strong plot and moments where the story meanders would slow things down to a sluggish pace. Ozu is able to maintain that sense of realism as it relates to the drama as it relates to events in the third act involving Tomio. Notably as it help bring some revelation to some characters as well as a sense of duty despite Kihachi’s own illiteracy. Overall, Ozu crafts a compelling although underwhelming film about two men vying for a destitute young woman.
Cinematographer Hideo Shigehara does amazing work with the film’s black-and-white photography as it play into some of the interiors including how a restaurant or a home is lit as well as the natural approach to photography for some of the daytime exteriors. Editor Kazuo Ishikawa does terrific work with the editing in creating some straightforward cuts despite its sluggish pacing due to the story’s lack of plot. Set decorator Yonekazu Wakita does excellent work with the look of Kihachi’s home that he shares with his son and Jiro as well as the restaurant that Harue would work at. The film’s music by Donald Sosin from a 2008 restored edition is brilliant for its piano-based music that is common in silent films as it help play into the humor as well as some somber pieces in the dramatic moments of the film.
The film’s wonderful cast feature some notable small roles from Ozu regular Chishu Ryu as a boat passenger at the end of the film, Chouko Iida as the restaurant owner Otome, and Tokkan Kozuo as Kihachi’s son Tomio who has a hard time dealing with his father’s love of alcohol and the attention towards Harue. Nobuku Fushimi is fantastic as Harue as a young woman seeking work as she finds herself in a love triangle though she enjoys her time with Kihachi while is confused about Jiro’s behavior. Den Onibata is superb as Jiro as a young brewer who is intrigued by Harue though he isn’t initially fond of her as he tries to get work but also do what he can to help Kihachi despite issues he would have with him over Harue. Finally, there’s Takeshi Sakamoto in a brilliant performance as Kihachi as a widower who is trying to watch over his young son as he also deals with his feelings for Harue and uncertainty in trying to find work and his friendship with Jiro.
Dekigokoro is a good although meandering film from Yasujiro Ozu. While it features some good performances, nice visuals, and a terrific music score, it’s a film that anyone interested in Ozu would seek out as one of his earlier silent films that is available. Even if it doesn’t provide enough plot or intrigue in comparison to other films. In the end, Dekigokoro is a fine but unfulfilling film from Yasujiro Ozu.
Yasujiro Ozu Films: (Sword of Penitence) – (Days of Youth) – Tokyo Chorus - I Was Born, But... - (Dragnet Girl) – (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 (1959 film) - Floating Weeds - Late Autumn - The End of Summer – An Autumn Afternoon
© thevoid99 2019
Directed by Yasujiro Ozu and written by Ozu and Kogo Noda, Tokyo Twilight is the story of two sisters who reunite with their mother after she had abandoned them when they were children as they both deal with their own lives. The film is a look into the life of a family as they cope with this sudden reunion as well as changes in their lives. Starring Setsuko Hara, Ineko Arima, Chishu Ryu, Isuzu Yamada, Kamatari Fujiwara, Nobuo Nakamura, and Haruko Sugimura. Tokyo Twilight is an evocative and touching film from Yasujiro Ozu.
The film follows the life of a banker in Tokyo who has two adult daughters as the eldest had just moved in with him with her two-year-old daughter due to her unhappy marriage where she and her younger sister learn that their mother has returned to Tokyo having been presumed dead for years. It’s a family drama that explores a family life that goes into chaos though there are several things the two women in the family are both dealing with as the eldest sister in Takako (Setsuko Hara) is taking care of things at her father’s home while her father Shukichi (Chishu Ryu) continues to work at the bank as he is dealing with the death of a colleague. The script by Yasujiro Ozu and Kogo Noda also explores the private pain that Takako’s younger sister Akiko (Ineko Arima) is dealing with as she is pregnant as her college boyfriend Kenji (Masami Taura) wants nothing to do with her.
During a search to find Kenji, she goes to a mahjong parlor that is run by a woman name Kisako (Isuzu Yamada) where she claims to know Akiko as she doesn’t tell her that she’s her mother. When Shukichi and Takako invite Shukichi’s sister Shigeko (Haruko Sugimura) that she saw Kisako as Takako learned about what Akiko had been doing though she is unaware of Akiko’s pregnancy. The screenplay would show this meeting between Takako and Kisako as it is filled with tension with the former displaying some resentment over what Kisako had done. Yet, it would set the stage for the emotional journey that Akiko would endure not just her own pregnancy but also revelations about the woman at the mahjong parlor she met.
Ozu’s direction is understated as well as being simple in terms of the compositions he creates and the need to delve into anything stylistic. Shot on location in Tokyo, Ozu would devoid himself of camera movements for the film including no tracking shots or anything of movement. Instead, he just aims a simple static shot to play into the image that he presents where he would use some wide shots for some of the locations in and around Tokyo. Yet, much of what Ozu shoots is with medium shots for much of the film as there’s very little close-ups in order to capture the intimacy and interaction between the characters. Much of is to not dwell too much into the melodrama as it would increase by the film’s third act as it relates to the Takako, Akiko, and Kisako. Ozu would maintain his simple approach to visuals as well as know where to create some offbeat shifts in the story that would seem abrupt but also play into the drama. Especially into what would happen as Ozu is aware of the bleakness that is prevalent in the story but is also aware that life has to continue. Overall, Ozu crafts an intoxicating yet tender film about two women dealing with the re-emergence of their estranged mother.
Cinematographer Yuhara Atsuda does brilliant work with the film’s black-and-white photography to capture the beauty of some of the daytime exteriors in Tokyo as well as use some lighting for the interior/exterior scenes at night. Editor Yoshiyasu Hamamura does excellent work with the editing as it is very straightforward with very little elements of style for something more direct. Art director Tatsuo Hamada does fantastic work with the look of the home of Shukichi as well as the mahjong parlor that Kisako runs. The sound work of Yoshisaburo Senoo is terrific for being very simple and natural without the need to embellish as it very understated and to-the-point. The film’s music by Takanobu Saito is amazing for its orchestral-based score that feature some somber string arrangements to play into the drama while the music also feature some traditional Japanese music and contemporary music played on location.
The film’s phenomenal cast include some notable small roles from Seiji Miyaguchi as a police officer, Kamatari Fujiwara as a noodle shop owner who lets Akiko drink at his restaurant during the third act, Kinzo Shin as Takako’s estranged husband who visits Shukichi early in the film, Nobuo Nakamura as Kisako’s new husband Sakae Soma, Masami Taura as Akiko’s cruel college boyfriend Kenji, and Haruko Sugimura in a wonderful performance as Shukichi’s sister Shigeko who would tell her brother and niece in her encounter with Kisako. Isuzu Yamada is fantastic as Kisako as Shukichi’s estranged ex-wife Kisako as a woman who has re-emerged in Tokyo with a new life as she recognizes Akiko though doesn’t tell her who she really is as it’s an understated performance that shows a woman trying to start over.
Chishu Ryu is excellent as Shukichi as a banker who is dealing with the death of his family as well as Akiko’s late arrivals at his home wondering what is happening with his family. Ineko Arima is brilliant as Akiko as a young woman trying to deal with an unwanted pregnancy and a troubled relationship with her boyfriend as well as the revelation about the woman she met at a mahjong parlor. Finally, there’s Setsuko Hara in a radiant performance as Takako as a woman who is separated from her husband as she’s trying to run her father’s house and take care of her two-year old daughter while learning about the re-appearance of her mother as she tries to make sure Akiko doesn’t get herself into any trouble as well as getting her mother to not see Akiko ever again.
Tokyo Twilight is an incredible film from Yasujiro Ozu. Featuring a great cast, a compelling story, evocative visuals, and a somber music score, the film is definitely one of Ozu’s finest films in its exploration of family and middle-class life. Especially as it play into two women dealing with the unexpected return of their estranged mother whom they had believed had died. In the end, Tokyo Twilight is a sensational 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 - (Equinox Flower) – Good Morning - Floating Weeds - Late Autumn - The End of Summer – An Autumn Afternoon
© thevoid99 2017
Directed by Yasujiro Ozu and written by Ozu and Tadao Ikeda, Record of a Tenement Gentleman is the story of a woman who reluctantly takes care of a boy who has been abandoned as she is helped by friends during the era of post-war Japan. The film is among one of the first post-war film in Japan that explains the struggle of daily life as a boy is lost as he copes with his abandonment and the care of a woman who initially wanted nothing to do with him. Starring Chishu Ryu, Chouko Iida, Reikichi Kawamura, and Hohi Aoki. Record of a Tenement Gentleman is an intimate yet touching film from Yasujiro Ozu.
The film revolves around the postwar life as a man comes home with a homeless boy who had been abandoned as the woman living at the house reluctantly takes him in. It’s a film with a simple story as it play into a woman living with two men as they struggle to make ends meet in rural Tokyo as one of them finds a boy who is lost as they have no idea what to do. The film’s screenplay doesn’t go for anything dramatic except in its second half as it’s more about this woman in O-tane (Chouko Iida) trying to sell things with the help of a street fortune teller in Tashiro (Chishu Ryu) and a repairman in Tamekichi (Reikichi Kawamura). Tashiro would be the one to find this boy named Kohei (Hohi Aoki) whose father had presumably abandoned him to find work in Tokyo. Tashiro and Tamekichi want to help but they feel that the boy is better suited in the care of O-tane who isn’t so sure if she is able to take care of him as she is frustrated with his stubbornness and the fact that he wets the futon he sleeps on. Still, she would grow to care for the boy as well as wonder where his father is and did he abandon his son on purpose.
Yasujiro Ozu’s direction definitely maintains that air of intimacy throughout the film as well as the fact that he eschews any form of style to create something that is simple and direct. While there are a few camera movements for a scene set on the beach, Ozu’s direction is often placed with some wide and medium shots for much of the film with very few close-ups as it’s all about the simple static shot. Ozu’s approach to compositions in the way he puts an actor into a frame as well as creating that sense of drama as it relates to O-tane’s relationship with Kohei who doesn’t say much throughout the film. The direction also play into moments where O-tane, Tashiro, and Tamekichi are having dinner with neighbors who had won some money from a lottery as it promises a sense of hope during this time of rebuilding. Yet, it’s something O-tane would want but she is forced to contend with reality as it relates to Kohei and his lack of education and social skills as she would be forced to make some realizations about the boy. Especially as Kohei would fulfill something O-tane had lost years ago as Kohei is in need of someone to guide him. Overall, Ozu crafts a very tender yet evocative film about a woman taking in an abandoned boy in postwar Japan.
Cinematographer Yuharu Atsuta does brilliant work with the film’s black-and-white photography as it play into the gorgeous exteriors of the beaches in rural Tokyo with some lighting for some of the interior scenes at night. Editor Yoshi Sugihara does excellent work with the editing as it is very straightforward to play into the dramatic elements of the film as well as some of the dramatic tension between O-tane and Kohei. Art director Tatsuo Hamada, with set decorators Shotaro Hashimoto and Mototsugu Komaki, does fantastic work with the look of the home of O-tane as well as some of the places around the neighborhood that is in ruin.
Costume designer Taizo Saito does nice work with the costumes as it is mostly straightforward including the tattered clothes of Kohei. The sound work of Yoshisaburo Senoo does terrific work with the sound as it is play into the natural setting of the locations as well as create something that isn’t totally artificial with the sound effects. The film’s music by Ichiro Saito is superb for its somber yet enchanting score filled with string instruments and lush orchestration to play into the drama as it’s a highlight of the film.
The film’s amazing cast feature some notable small roles from Takeshi Sakamoto as a friendly neighbor, Eiko Takamatsu as the neighbor’s wife, Taiji Tonoyama as a photographer, Hideko Mimura as Tamekichi’s daughter Yukiko, and Eitaro Ozawa as Kohei’s father. Hohi Aoki is superb as Kohei as a seven-year old boy who is quite sensitive and very quiet as he struggles with being abandoned by his father. Chishu Ryu is excellent as Toshiro as the street fortune teller who would find Kohei as he laments over what would happen to the boy. Mitsuko Yoshikawa is fantastic as Kiku as a friend of O-tane who is intrigued about Kohei as well as showing some kindness for the boy. Reikichi Kawamura is brilliant as Tamekuchi as a pot/pans mender who would watch over Kohei as well as expressing concern over how he would be treated. Finally, there’s Chouko Iida in a remarkable performance as O-tane as a widowed woman who sells anything she has in a poor part of Tokyo as she copes with taking care of a boy she isn’t fond of initially only to see the sadness in the boy.
Record of a Tenement Gentleman is a marvelous film from Yasujiro Ozu. Featuring a great cast, a compelling story, and dazzling visuals, the film is definitely a low-key yet engrossing drama that explores postwar life and how a woman would watch over a young boy abandoned by his own father. In the end, Record of a Tenement Gentleman is a sensational 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) – (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 2017
Directed by Yasujiro Ozu and screenplay by Komatsu Kitamura and Kogo Noda, Tokyo Chorus is the story of a working man hoping to get his pay in the chance to give his family a moment of happiness as he deals with the reality of his life. The film is an exploration into the look of the working class in Tokyo as it revolves the story of a man and others dealing with day-to-day life during the Great Depression. Starring Tokihiko Okada, Emiko Yagumo, Hideo Sugawara, Hideko Takamine, Tatsuo Saito, and Chouko Iida. Tokyo Chorus is a touching and engaging film from Yasujiro Ozu.
The film follows a man who is fired from his job after turning down a bonus after learning that an older co-worker is fired prompting him to struggle in finding work and raise his family. It’s a film that explores life during the Great Depression in Tokyo as a man is trying to uphold some honor for those he work for as well as trying to do good for his family as he promises his son a bicycle. The film’s screenplay by Komatsu Kitamura and Kogo Noda doesn’t just explore a man dealing with unemployment but also the need to do what is right as he would wander around Tokyo trying to find work at a time when jobs were becoming scarce. The film does open in an unconventional manner as it revolves the protagonist Shinji Okajima (Tokihiko Okada) causing trouble as he is being disciplined by his teacher Omura (Tatsuo Saito). The narrative would fast-forward years later where Okajima is working for an insurance company as he is to receive his bonus but his actions would later lead to trouble as he puts the livelihood of his family at great risk.
Yasujiro Ozu’s direction is definitely simple in terms of the compositions he creates as there isn’t very much movement with the camera other than a few tracking shots and a zoom-out as much of it remains this simple static shot in either close-ups or medium shots. Ozu’s direction captures the life of middle-class Tokyo and nearby areas as it shows a world that is struggling with the Depression where a man in his prime tries to help a co-worker who is older than him. Ozu showcases these struggles with an air of realism and doesn’t go for any kind of visual style to play into this realism. Even in some of the interiors as he captures a family struggling to get by as one of the children is ill as Okajima’s wife Sugako (Emiko Yagumo) is forced to sell a cherished possession. It would all play into Okajima having to wander around Tokyo to find work as he would have to swallow his pride as he would finally get help from someone from his past who would show him the means to fight for what he wants. Overall, Ozu creates a compelling and heartfelt film about a man trying to find work during the Great Depression in Tokyo.
Cinematographer/editor Hideo Shigehara does excellent work with the film’s cinematography and editing as the photography is straightforward in its black-and-white look while the editing is also simple with straight cuts to play into the drama. Set decorators Minzo Kakuta, Tsunetaro Kawaski, Beijiro Tanaka, and Yonekazu Wakita do fantastic work with the look of the home that Okajima and his family live in as well as the office he worked at in the films’ first act. Costume designer Ko Saito does nice work with the costumes from the look of the kimonos as well as the clothes of Okajima as he tries to present himself to get a job. The film’s wonderful score by Donald Sosin from the 2008 release from the Criterion Collection’s Eclipse series is a jovial piano score that help play into some of the film’s humor but also provide the right tone for the dramatic moments.
The film’s brilliant cast include some notable small roles from Kanji Kawara as a doctor, Reiko Tani as Okajima’s boss who would fire him, Ken’ichi Miyajima as the boss’ secretary, Takeshi Samamoto as the elderly employee who would be fired, and Choko Iida as Omura’s wife. Hideo Sugawara and Hideko Takamine are terrific in their roles as Okajima’s children with the former as the son wanting a bike and the latter as the daughter who would get sick during the film’s second act. Emiko Yagumo is excellent as Okajima’s wife Sugako as a wife trying to understand what her husband is doing as well as cope with the severity of his unemployment. Tatsuo Saito is amazing as Omura as a teacher of Okajima in the film’s opening sequence who disciplines him in how to conduct oneself at the work place as well as be someone that would help Okajima regain his confidence. Finally, there’s Tokihiko Okada in a marvelous performance as Shinji Okajima as a man working for an insurance company who tries to defend the rights of a fired co-worker as well as do what he can to give his family a good life while finding a job during one of Japan’s most trying times in the Great Depression.
Tokyo Chorus is a remarkable film from Yasujiro Ozu. It’s a silent film that explore Japan during the Great Depression that is filled with bits of humor as well as drama that has a realness as well as something that is engaging to a wide audience about the struggles to provide for one’s family. In the end, Tokyo Chorus is an incredible film from Yasujiro Ozu.
Yasujiro Ozu Films: (Sword of Penitence) – (Days of Youth) – 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 - Floating Weeds - Late Autumn - The End of Summer – (An Autumn Afternoon)
© thevoid99 2017
Directed by Yasujiro Ozu and written by Ozu and Kogo Noda from a novel by Ton Satomi, Late Autumn is the story of three old men who helps a widow find a prospective husband for her daughter who is reluctant to leave her mother. The film is an exploration into the conflicts between tradition and modernism as well as devotion to a parent which recalls Ozu’s 1949 film Late Spring. Starring Setsuko Hara, Shin Saburi, Nobuo Nakamura, Ryuji Kita, Yoko Tsukasa, Keiji Sada, and Chishu Ryu. Late Autumn is an elegant yet touching drama from Yasujiro Ozu.
The film is essentially a simple story about three men who decides to play matchmaker for the daughter of their late colleague who is reluctant to leave her mother. When one of the men decides to pursue the mother since she is a widow and he’s been a widower for years, it causes some tension between mother and daughter as the latter has been reluctant to the idea of marriage despite the prospects she has. It’s a film that just doesn’t explore the ideas of traditional customs but also the sense of reluctance from young people to leave their parents and go into the world of marriage as there’s also some cynicism towards the subject.
The film’s screenplay by Yasujiro Ozu and Kogo Noda does take its time to explore some of its fallacies while showing some concern from these three men who want to ensure the happiness of Ayako (Yoko Tsukasa) as a favor for their late friend. Though their well-meaning approach to ensure Ayako’s happiness would have some repercussions, they would get the help from Ayako’s friend Yoriko (Mariko Okada) who would be the one to learn about their plans upon seeing the tension between Ayako and her mother Akiko (Setsuko Hara). While Ayako does eventually meet someone in Goto (Keiji Sada) whom she likes, she isn’t sure about getting married as she notices that friends who get married become disconnected with one another while one of the daughters of the matchmakers is having her own marital troubles in a minor subplot that does relate to the theme of marriage.
Ozu’s direction has this air of elegance that is shown throughout the film though its presentation is very simple in his trademark, single static-camera shot where the camera never moves. In that presentation, Ozu shows so much by doing so little from the way he presents modern Tokyo with its sushi bars and restaurants to the homes the characters live in. Ozu’s usage of wide and medium shots in a full-frame presentation does convey this sense of a new world emerging in Japan where it is very modern but there are still customs and traditions that are still being held. Notably as Ayako wears modern clothes throughout the film while Akiko still wears traditional Japanese robes though neither women really say anything about their clothes where they both wear traditional robes in the film’s opening scene at the funeral of Akiko’s husband.
The intimacy in some of those medium shots allow Ozu to play into the growing tension between mother and daughter where Ayako is upset over the idea of her mother marrying another man as Akiko has no idea what Ayako is talking about. The use of framing in some group shots are very potent to display not just that tension but also the sense of confusion and misunderstanding that these two women go through as well as some gorgeous shots at Ayako’s work place where she and Yoriko stare into the city. The film would eventually lead to some conclusion about the decision the two women make where it has this very touching moment about not just what Ayako is about to step into but also the journey that Akiko must face. Overall, Ozu crafts a very mesmerizing and captivating film about a young woman going into the world of marriage while dealing with her devotion to her mother.
Cinematographer Yuharu Atsuta does fantastic work with the film‘s gorgeous cinematography with its rich colors for many of the film‘s exterior settings as well as some of its interiors with its lighting as well as to display the colors in some of those interior settings. Editor Yoshiyasu Hamamura does excellent work with the editing with its use of rhythmic cuts to play into some of the intensity of the conversations while much of it is straightforward. Production designer Tomiji Shimizu and art director Tatsuo Hamada do amazing work with the look of the apartment Ayako and Akiko live in as well as the sushi bar that Yoriko lives in.
Costume designer Toshikazu Sugiyama does wonderful work with the costumes from the modern dresses that Ayako and Yoriko wear to the traditional robes that Akiko wears. The sound work of Yoshisaburo Senoo is terrific for the intimacy that is captured in many of the film‘s interior scenes that includes one of the film‘s final sequences where Ayako and Akiko spend one last trip where they hear the voices of students. The film’s music by Kojun Saito is exquisite for its whimsical yet intoxicating score filled with some quirky string arrangements and traditional Japanese string instruments to play into some of the film’s humor while using some serene pieces for its drama.
The film’s superb cast includes some notable small performances from Fumio Watanabe as a friend of Ayako and Yoriko in Sugiyama, Kuniko Miyake as Mamiya’s wife, Yuriko Tashiro as Taguchi’s daughter who comes home following a quarrel with her husband early in the film, and Chishu Ryu in a terrific small performance as Akiko’s brother-in-law Shukichi who would later invite Akiko and Ayako to his inn late in the film to talk about all they had been through. Keiji Sada is terrific in a small yet memorable performance as Ayako’s suitor Goto whom she befriends despite her misgivings from one of her dad’s old friends in Mamiya. Shin Saburi is excellent as Mamiya as the man who leads the charge to find a suitor for Ayako where his planning later causes confusion and trouble while Nobuo Nakamura is fantastic as Taguchi who is kind of the conscious of the film as he becomes aware of the trouble they’re creating. Ryuji Kita is great as Hirayama as the third man who does Mamiya’s work while he seeks to pursue Akiko whom he’s had feelings for as he wonders if he should marry her.
Mariko Okada is wonderful as Ayako’s friend Yoriko who is a modern woman with some traditional values as she tries to figure out the tension between Ayako and Akiko while confronting the men over their actions. Yoko Tsukasa is amazing as Ayako as this young woman unsure about getting married while being upset over the idea of her mother remarrying just months after the death of her father as she displays this sense of anguish and confusion into a woman who holds some traditional values as well as modern views. Finally, there’s Setsuko Hara in a radiant performance as Ayako’s mother Akiko as this woman who is the representation of tradition as she’s also one who is very graceful towards her father’s old friends while being caught off guard by Ayako’s accusation that she is to remarry as she wonders what to do for her daughter as well as for herself in a truly exquisite performance.
Late Autumn is a remarkably rich and touching film from Yasujiro Ozu. Armed with a great led by Setsuko Hara and Yoko Tsukasa. It’s a film that explores the dynamics between mothers and daughters as well as the conflict between tradition and modernism that is told with such care by Ozu. In the end, Late Autumn is a sensational 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 - Floating Weeds - The End of Summer - An Autumn Afternoon
© thevoid99 2013
Directed by Yasujiro Ozu, Good Morning is a loose remake of Ozu’s 1932 silent film I Was Born, But… where two boys deal with their father’s role while waiting for him to get a new TV so they can be part of modern Japanese society. Written by Ozu and Kogo Noda, the film is an exploration into the world of Japanese society and the pressure to be part of a newer, Westernized society. Starring Keiji Sada, Yoshiko Kuga, Kuniko Miyake, and Chishu Ryu. Good Morning is a delightful and witty film from Yasujiro Ozu.
The film is about two boys who are eager to have a TV set in their home as they ask for their father if they can get one so they wouldn’t have to go the neighbors to watch TV. Unfortunately, their father isn’t interested in buying a TV set where the boys make a vow of silence as a way to get the TV. It would play to some tension between neighbors as there’s a subplot in which the dues from the boys’ mother to a chairwoman were mishandled as the women are convinced she used their dues to buy a washing machine. It’s a film that explores the emergence of the Westernization in Japan where TV sets and new electric appliances are emerging.
The film’s screenplay has this narrative where it is about the pressures to conform to this new modern society where not everyone wants to be part of. Yet, the kids wants to be part of that where they want to watch sumo wrestling and baseball while the young neighbors in their neighborhood have these things which creates problems as there’s also tension among these neighbors. Even where it involves these monthly dues for a local club among the housewives that would cause tension and some misunderstanding. Though its theme on modernism and conformity is prevalent throughout the film, Yasujiro Ozu and co-writer Kogo Noda does add humor to the story in order to make it accessible which includes a lot of fart jokes.
Ozu’s direction is very engaging for the way he presents a typical life in a neighborhood at the Tokyo suburbs where it’s this mixture of old-school architecture and the emergence of modern Japan. Yet, Ozu maintains his very simple presentation that is truly ravishing to look at in the way he shows a world that is changing rapidly. Much of it in his trademark, low-angle static shot where he doesn’t move the camera yet uses a lot of wide and medium shots to capture the action. There’s so much that Ozu showcases in the way he frames his actors and to find ways to infuse lowbrow humor and melodrama into something that feels like another ordinary day in the neighborhood.
Even in scenes at the homes of the characters to play into a lot of the drama as the boys take a vow of silence for much of the film’s third act while there’s moments where the club chairman also has to deal with her mother as that moment represents the idea of old vs. new. The sense of modernism definitely looms throughout the film as the TV set is a centerpiece to the story as it represents the arrival of the new world where the boys’ parents and their neighbors have to deal with a salesman selling modern things. It would lead to this climax on whether to keep up with changing times or to stick to what they already have and not worry about being out of touch. Overall, Ozu creates a very compelling yet charming film about the pressures of suburban neighbors in a changing world.
Cinematographer Yuharu Atsuta does excellent work with the film‘s very colorful cinematography to play into this sense of a modern Japan emerging with its vibrant colors as well as the look of its interiors and exteriors in the daytime scenes. Editor Toshiro Mayuzumi does nice work with the editing where it is very straightforward with a few rhythmic cuts to play into some of the film‘s conversation and humorous moments. Production designer Tatsuo Hamada does wonderful work with the look of the homes the characters live in as well as the apartment of the boys‘ tutor. The sound work of Yoshisaburo Senoo is terrific for the intimacy that is created as it plays to the emergence of a modern Japan. The film’s music by Yoshiyasu Hamamura is amazing for its playful and comical score that is based on orchestral string arrangements and woodwinds while it also has some serene yet somber moments for its drama.
The film’s brilliant cast includes some notable small roles from Taiji Tonoyama as a door-to-door salesman who annoys the housewives and Teruko Nagaoka as the neighbor Mrs. Tomizawa who tries to calm things down with the feuding housewives. Haruko Sugimara is terrific as Mrs. Haraguchi as the neighborhood club head who tries to figure out where the monthly dues went as she’s been suspected of mishandling things. Keiji Sada is excellent as the boys’ English tutor Heiichiro Fukui who tries to figure out what the boys is doing while finding work. Yoshiko Kuga is wonderful as the boys’ aunt Setsuko who always help out with the family as she is an object of affection for Fukui.
Kuniko Miyake and Chishu Ryu are superb as the parents of the boys with Miyake as the more stern yet loving mother and Ryu as the father who struggles with the changing times. Finally, there’s the performances of Shitara Koji and Masahiko Shimazu in their respective roles as the boys Minoru and his younger brother Isamu as two boys who just want a TV set as they take a vow of silence to get what they want with Koji as the more determined and Shimazu as the more energetic.
Good Morning is an extraordinarily rich film from Yasujiro Ozu. Thanks to its lighthearted approach towards modernism and its emphasis on family and community. The film is definitely one of Ozu’s finest films as well as one of his most accessible. In the end, Good Morning is a fantastic 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) - Floating Weeds - Late Autumn - The End of Summer - An Autumn Afternoon
© thevoid99 2013
Directed by Yasujiro Ozu and written by Ozu and Kogo Noda, Early Spring is the story of a married salary man who begins an extramarital affair with a co-worker to escape his monotonous life of marriage and work. The film is an exploration into the world of adultery as well as the trappings of marriage. Starring Ryo Ikebe, Keiko Kishi, and Chikage Awashima. Early Spring is a fascinating yet touching melodrama from Yasujiro Ozu.
The film is an exploration into the life of a married salary man who becomes bored by not just his life at work but also in his marriage which has lost its passion. Upon meeting a typist at the building he works at, the two begin an affair which they keep secret until gossiping among their co-workers and the suspicions of his wife begins to take its toll. It’s a film that explores not just a world that is changing but also attitudes where a man named Shoji Sugiyama (Ryo Ikebe) is a salary man who lives a pretty mundane life as his relationship with his wife Masako (Chikage Awashima) is still loving but seems to be lost as they’re still dealing with the death of their son several years ago. When Shoji chats with this young typist whom everyone call Goldfish (Keiko Kishi) during a hike with fellow co-workers. He finds someone he can talk to which leads to this affair.
The film’s screenplay explores not just the idea of extramarital affairs and marriage but also the world of being a salaried officer worker who does his job and gets paid. It plays into not just some of the constraints of postwar Japan where its economy starts to flourish but also the expectations that Shoji has to deal with. In his affair with Goldfish, he finds an escape in his work life and in his marriage yet he and Goldfish keep it a secret so that no one can gossip and such. Unfortunately, the gossip would emerge where Goldfish is confronted at a party while Masako keeps asking her husband why he’s been coming home late while he is also dealing with a friend (Junji Masuda) that is dying. The growing distance between Shoji and Masako becomes evident in the second act where Shoji comes home drunk with a couple of old friends who served the war with him as it would upset Masako. The third act would involve Masako knowing the truth but also the drawbacks of Shoji’s affair with Goldfish as it would affect his career and his life.
Yasujiro Ozu’s direction is mesmerizing not just in his simplicity but also in the way he captures a typical modern life in Japan where a lot of it is shot in Tokyo and suburbs nearby. While there are a few scenes and shots where Ozu moves the camera on a dolly shot such as the hike or a slow zoom at an office. Much of the direction has Ozu rely on his trademark, low-angle static shot where he would shoot much of the action that occurs throughout the film. Notably in the way he presents Tokyo and its nearby suburbs as this world that is becoming modern with relics of the past still around. Much of which has Ozu using a lot of wide and medium shots to present that world while maintaining an intimacy in the scenes between the actors where he would get them in one single short or a two-shot in a medium shot.
Much of the intimacy that Ozu creates play into the drama as he often has the camera right at the faces of the actors without the need of a close-up. It plays into a lot of the drama that occurs including the scenes where Shoji and Goldfish’s co-workers are eating in bars and such talking as Ozu has everyone in that room in the frame. Most notably the scene where Goldfish is being questioned by Shoji’s co-workers about their relationship where Ozu just has the camera be in place to see how Goldfish would react. Things become much wider in its scope in its full-frame presentation in the film’s third act to play into not just the decisions that Shoji has made but also the future that he will face as it’s one that he would have to deal with. Overall, Ozu creates a very rich yet compelling film about a man’s journey into adultery and its impact.
Cinematographer Yuharu Atsuta does excellent work with the film‘s black-and-white photography to capture the look of Tokyo in its emerging, modern setting as well as its use of lights for some of the scenes at the bar and at the home of Shoji and Masako. Editor Yoshiyasu Hamamura does nice work with the editing as it‘s mostly straightforward while emphasizing on a few rhythmic cuts for its dramatic moments. Art director Tatsuo Hamada and set decorator Kintaro Yamamoto do amazing work with the set pieces such as the home of Shoji and Masako as well as the place where Shoji and Goldfish work at.
Costume designer Yuji Nagashima does terrific work with the clothes where it is a mixture of traditional Japanese robes and casual clothes to play into the world of postwar Japan. The sound work of Yoshisaburo Senoo is superb for the natural approach to sound that is played throughout the film. The film’s music by Kojun Saito is just brilliant for its serene yet somber string-based score to play into some of the film’s melodrama with its emphasis on traditional Japanese string music as well as other pieces that is played in the background.
The film’s incredible cast includes some notable small performances from Haruko Sugimara as Masako’s mother, So Yamamura and Teiji Takahashi as a couple of Shoji’s co-workers, Junji Masuda as Shoji’s dying friend Miura, and Chishu Ryu as a widower that Shoji befriends who would later have Shoji face some truths about himself. Keiko Kishi is wonderful as the young typist Goldfish who has an exuberance that Shoji is attracted by as she is willing to keep their affair a secret until gossip starts to emerge. Ryo Ikebe is excellent as Shoji Sugiyama as this man feeling repressed by his environment at home and at work where he would engage into an affair only to question the decisions he’s made. Finally, there’s Chikage Awashima in a fantastic performance as Shoji’s wife Masako as this woman who is this representation of tradition as opposed to Goldfish’s more modern persona as a woman who becomes annoyed by her husband’s lateness and neglectfulness while dealing with some of the cracks that are emerging in her marriage.
Early Spring is a remarkable film from Yasujiro Ozu. Thanks to its cast and its sensitive approach to the themes of adultery and social oppression. It’s a film that is among one of Ozu’s quintessential films as well as the way he can create something so simply in a story that has huge questions about postwar Japan as it emerges into the modern world. In the end, Early Spring is a phenomenal 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 - Tokyo Twilight - (Equinox Flower) - Good Morning - Floating Weeds - Late Autumn - The End of Summer - An Autumn Afternoon
© thevoid99 2013
Directed by Yasujiro Ozu and written by Ozu and Kogo Noda, Early Summer is the story about a woman who gets a visit from her uncle who thinks she should get married as her family tries to find a good prospect for her while she deals with issues in her own life. The film is an exploration into the changing ways in postwar Japan as well as the rise of women taking their own roles with their lives. Starring Setsuko Hara, Chishu Ryu, Chikage Awashima, and Kuniko Miyake. Early Summer is a glorious yet touching film from Yasujiro Ozu.
The film is about the life of a family living in suburban Tokyo where they all support each other when they get a visit from a relative. There, the man suggests that it’s time for his 28-year old niece Noriko (Setsuko Hara) to find herself a good husband as the family tries to find men who is worthy of her yet Noriko isn’t so sure about getting married. Even as she is a modern woman with friends who had gotten married but aren’t happy about it while times are also changing in Japan prompting the family to face reality of what is happening. It’s all set in a postwar Japan where the country is coming into its own again economically though the social traditions is still in tact. Yet, there’s this emerging sense of modernism that is prevalent where the ideas of tradition might fall by the wayside as Noriko is someone who represents this conflict as she wants to make her own decisions but doesn’t want to upset her parents and older brother Koichi (Chishu Ryu).
The film’s screenplay by Yasujiro Ozu and Kogo Noda take its time in the dynamic of this family where Noriko and her brother Koichi live in a home with their parents Shukichi and Shige (Ichiro Sugai and Chieko Higashiyama, respectively), Koichi’s wife Fumiko, and their sons Minoru (Zen Murase) and Isamu (Isao Shirosawa) as Noriko is a secretary and Koichi is a prominent physician. The visit from their uncle (Kokuten Kodo) who keeps asking about why Noriko isn’t married raises a lot of questions as Noriko is often asked by her boss Satake (Shuji Sano) about meeting a friend of his whom Koichi would see if he’s good enough for his sister. Yet, Noriko is confused as her friend Aya (Chikage Awashima) who is unmarried as she is also unsure if she wants to play into tradition. Then there’s Noriko and Koichi’s childhood friend Kenkichi Yabe (Hiroshi Nihonyanagi) who is a widower with a child as he lives with his mother (Haruko Sugimura) as he also helps out though he’s got moments in his life that is changing where it would also complicate things.
The script also revels in this world that is changing where Noriko’s parents are aware that having Noriko getting married would also cause a splinter in the family as they would live with Shukichi’s brother while Koichi and Fumiko would stay at the house with their kids. It would lead to this third act about the decision that Noriko would eventually make yet it becomes clear that it’s not going to be an easy one. Yet, her eventual decision doesn’t just play into this conflict about traditionalism and modernism but also about what Noriko wants in her life. Of course, the family’s reaction isn’t just mixed but also a bit shocking as they have no idea what to think but it’s also clear that there’s some things that traditionalism can’t deal with as times are changing.
Ozu’s direction is definitely wondrous in the way he captures the life of an ordinary family in Tokyo. Notably as it plays to that very evocative yet simplistic approach to the way he presents a scene. Much of it is shot in a single, static shot where the camera doesn’t move as it’s positioned in a wide or a medium shot to display what is going on in the scene. It all plays into this world that this family live in as there’s an intimacy that is prevalent throughout in some of light-hearted moments but also in some dramatic moments such as scene where Minoru and Isamo are upset that their father brought home a loaf of bread instead of the train tracks they wanted. Even in the way Ozu positions the camera for a dinner scene with Noriko, Aya, and their married friends is unique to showcase not just a sense of division that is emerging but the sense of the fact that times are changing.
Much of the way Ozu presents this conflict is told very subtly where he doesn’t do a lot of movements with the camera with the exception of a few dolly shots in a scene where Noriko’s parents are watching a play with Shukichi’s brother as well as a shot where Noriko and Fumiko are walking on the beach. Still, Ozu maintains something that is quite simple and poignant where he knows where to put the camera in a scene and to play out a certain reaction shot. Much of it has him not wanting to use a lot of close-ups by focusing more on a conversation scene as he knows where to put the actors into a frame. Especially for the film’s eventual scene where Noriko makes her decision as Ozu’s framing and the way he puts the actors into the frame becomes crucial for the film’s dramatic climax. Overall, Ozu crafts a very exhilarating yet engrossing film about a family dealing with changing times as well as dealing with a young woman’s future.
Cinematographer Yuharu Atsuta does excellent work with the film‘s black-and-white photography with the low-key look of the scenes at the beach and some of the daytime interior and exterior settings to the scenes set at night with lighting by Itsuo Takashita to help set the mood. Editor Yoshiyasu Hamamura does nice work with the editing where it‘s mostly straightforward to play out the drama and some of its humor while using fade-outs to help structure the film. Art director Tatsuo Hamada and set decorator Shotaro Hashimoto do amazing work with the set pieces such as the home the family lives in that is quite spacious but also quaint in its look.
Costume designer Taizo Saito does terrific work with the costumes as it‘s mostly straightforward with the exception of the robes that Noriko‘s parents wear. Sound recorder Yoshisaburo Seno does superb work with the sound to capture the intimacy of what goes on in the house as well as some of the scenes set in Tokyo and in the train stations. The film’s music by Senji Ito is just exquisite for its serene yet somber orchestral score to play into some of the drama without embellishing it as it is one of the film’s major highlights.
The film’s brilliant cast includes some notable small yet effective performances from Haruko Sugimura as Kenkichi’s mother who ponders about her son’s life as he is still a widower, Shuji Sano as Noriko’s boss Satake who suggests to Noriko about meeting a friend of his as a potential prospect, Kokuten Kodo as Shukichi’s brother who brings up the subject of marriage, and Chikage Awashima as Noriko’s friend Aya who ponders about the idea of marriage as she isn’t sure after learning from friends on the downside of it. Zen Maruse and Isao Shirosawa are terrific as Koichi and Fumiko’s young sons Minoru and Isamu, respectively, as they’re two boys obsessed with trains as they test the patience of their elders. Hiroshi Nihonyanagi is excellent as Koichi and Noriko’s childhood friend Kenkichi as a fellow doctor who helps the family with some problems while dealing with his own circumstances in his career.
Ichiro Sugai and Chieko Higashiyama are amazing as Noriko and Koichi’s parents in Shukichi and Shige, respectively, as they carry a sense of warmth and wisdom as two parents who want what’s best for Noriko while dealing with the fact that times are changing as it would play into Noriko’s eventual decision. Kuniko Miyake is wonderful as Koichi’s wife Fumiko as the observer of sorts in the family as she also voices her opinion on a few things while wondering the effect of Noriko’s eventual decision. Chishu Ryu is fantastic as Noriko’s older brother Koichi as a doctor who tries to see if the prospect that Satake suggests is any good while dealing with his own family as well as up holding a sense of tradition in that family. Finally, there’s Setsuko Hara in an incredible performance as Noriko as a 28-year old woman dealing with the ideas of old and new ideas as she is eager to make her own decision but wants to respect the wishes of her family as it’s a truly mesmerizing performance for the actress.
Early Summer is a majestic film from Yasujiro Ozu. Thanks to its cast and touching portrait of a family going through changing times while finding a prospective husband for their daughter. It’s a film that is truly engaging for the way it explores tradition clashing with modernism as well as the life of a family that is truly universal for an audience to relate to. In the end, Early Summer 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 - (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 - (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
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