Good Morning (1959 film)

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

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

Tokyo Story

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 3/24/09 w/ Additional Edits.

Directed by Yasujiro Ozu with a script co-written with longtime collaborator Kogo Noda, Tokyo monogatari (Tokyo Story) tells the story of an elderly couple traveling to Tokyo to visit their grown children. Upon their arrival, they see that their children have become too absorbed in their own lives as they ponder their existence around the children they had raised. The film is a personal tale of a couple dealing with their own existence as well as what their children have become and the treatment they receive. Starring Chishu Ryu, Chieko Higashiyama, Kyoko Kagawa, Setsuko Hara, Haruko Sugimara, and So Yamamura. Tokyo monogatari is a thoughtful yet universal tale from Yasujiro Ozu.

Shukichi (Chishu Ryu) and Tomi Hirayama (Chieko Higashiyama) are set to go on a trip to Tokyo to visit their elder children. Living with them in their seaside town of Onomichi is their youngest daughter Kyoko (Kyoko Kagawa), who works as a schoolteacher. Arriving to Tokyo to meet their eldest son Koichi (So Yamamura), who is a pediatrician, and their hair salon manager Shige (Haruko Sugimara). Shukichi and Tomi live at Koichi's place for a while with his wife Fumiko (Kuniko Miyake) and two sons. The eldest child Minoru isn't really happy, even when they were supposed to go on a tour of the city that got cancelled because Koichi had to help a sick child. Even Shige has a hard time trying to fit in her time with her parents as they call in their widowed sister-in-law Noriko (Setsuko Hara) for help. Noriko takes them on a tour of the city with much delight while telling them stories about her late husband.

With the living situation troubled, Shige and Koichi suggests they stay at a modern-day spa to relax. Unfortunately, the spa was too loud for the elderly couple to stay as they decided to return to Shige's. With Shukichi wanting to visit a couple of old friends where he expresses his disappointment over his elder children, Tomi stays at Noriko's where she suggest that Norkio should remarry. Shukichi and Tomi decide to return home with Noriko giving Tomi some spending money as gratitude while hoping to visit them at their seaside home. With Shige and Koichi set to return to their normal, busy lives, they receive some news about Tomi that forces them to go to Onomichi with Noriko joining them. With the youngest song Keizo (Shiro Osaka) coming as he met his parents briefly on their way back. The children is forced to ponder the days of the trip with Kyoko wondering about the idea of getting old as Noriko has own perspective about growing up.

The film's story is a simple story about an elderly couple visiting their older children in Tokyo and dealing with the lives of their children along with the changes that's going on. Yet, that's what the film is about in some respects but it's really more about two journeys the parents take to Japan and the children's journey to visit their parents during a catastrophic event. What it's really about is how a family is disconnected by changes and other things and how the children are trying to have the time to spend the day with their parents but are forced to deal with their own lives. For the parents, the visit for their kids haven't been as enjoyable as they wanted to be as the elderly kids feel a bit disappointed while their parents aren't happy about it either with the exception of the daughter-in-law Noriko who was the only person to give her whole day's worth for her in-laws.

For the parents, it's clear that changing times and maybe expectations for their children are some of the reasons why the trip wasn't enjoyable along with the grandchildren who aren't as engaging or disciplined as they wished they could be. Still, they have managed to accept that it's their lives and wish they could have more time as they decided to go home. When news came about their mother's illness, the children along with Noriko go to the seaside home despite their mother's wishes not to visit them. Yet, it's clear that what happens prove to be troubling with the youngest son feeling guilty for not getting the telegram right away due to business travel. What happens afterwards near the end has the youngest daughter Kyoko upset over the selfishness of the two elder kids. It's Noriko's comments about life and changes that prove to be more profound and universally truthful.

The screenplay is not very plot-driven as it the story does start out slow early on when the parents arrive to Tokyo. Yet, the subtle touches Yasujiro Ozu and co-screenwriter Kogo Noda like Tomi's comments to Noriko about getting married again so she wouldn't have to be lonely. A lesser film would've delved into sentimentality but the story and character refuses to in order to have the story told. Even little touches that the writers create that would prove to be foreshadowing at first don't seem like a big deal until later on. Yet, the interaction between parents and children and grandparents and grandchildren feel very realistic in its storytelling. Even in the film's third act where Shige makes comments that might seem heartless but it's only because she wished that she wouldn't have to go through this current state of event in her life while wanting something that Kyoko feels is very selfish.

The storytelling and development of characters and their situation is genius to how the story is told. It's the approach of what Yasujiro Ozu does as a director by bringing in an intimacy and minimalist staging to telling the film. With his striking compositions he creates in his direction along with the camera not making any kind of movements. There's something that is engaging yet also, a bit imposing in what Ozu is doing with the direction. A lot of the film's interior scenes are shot on the floor to emphasize its intimacy as well as exploring the conversations that goes on. Ozu's camera is invested in what is going on while the compositions he creates including some far exterior shots of the cities to know where the characters are. Even though it takes a while for the film to move in its slow-pacing, Ozu's direction definitely pays off towards the end as he creates a film that is universal and relevant more than fifty years since its release.

Cinematographer Yuuhara Atsuta does an excellent job with the film's black-and-white photography to help Ozu in the film's unique, striking visual compositions. Atsuta's work including the shadings of light in some of the rooms as well as the use of sunlight for the daytime exterior scenes in emphasizing the film's mood. The overall cinematography is one of the film's technical highlights along with the editing by Yoshiyasu Hamamura. The editing is mostly straightforward since there's no camera movements as it has a nice, rhythmic cutting along with transitions with not much use of fade outs. Instead, the cutting is just a simple cut to display the film's sense of simplicity. The production design by Tatsuo Hamada and Itsuo Takahashi is very good for its contrast of traditional Japanese housing in the parents' home with the more modern-day look of the homes that everyone else lives in.

Costume designer Taizo Saito does a nice job with the film's costumes with its robes and suits that Shukichi wears along with the robes in the film's third act. The music by Kojun Saito is truly extraordinary with its sense of melancholia and playfulness to emphasize on the film's varied emotions with lots of sweeping and somber arrangements. Saito's score is truly mesmerizing as it's another of the film's notable technical achievements.

The cast is excellent with its small appearances from Sachiko Mitani as the neighbor of Shukichi and Tomi along with Nobuo Nakamura as Shige's husband. Hisao Toake is good as Shukichi's longtime friend Hattori along with Eijiro Tono as another friend who expresses disappointment over how his son turned out. Zen Murase and Mitsuhiro Mori are excellent as the sons of Koichi with Mori having a more memorable role as the selfish older son. Kuniko Miyake is good as Koichi's wife Fumiko who is trying to remain order in her house for her in-laws while Shiro Osaka is very good as Keizo, the youngest son of the family who expresses guilt over not getting a telegram in time about his parents.

Kyoko Kagawa is great as Kyoko, the youngest daughter who lives with her parents while being very angry over what happens about their trip and at her siblings. Haruko Sugimara is excellent as the eldest daughter Shige who might seem cruel in how she says things about her family though in truth, really does care about them despite her very busy life. So Yamamura is also excellent as Koichi, the eldest son who has no idea what to do with his parents due to his own work as he makes the suggestion of putting them in a spa. The film's best supporting performance easily goes to Setsuko Hara as Noriko, the daughter-in-law who does all of her efforts to spend her time with her in-laws. Hara's performance is truly phenomenal and not drenched with sentimentality as a woman trying to move on with her life though deciding not to get married while is convinced that she is selfish even though Shukichi and Tomi believe that she isn't.

Chieko Higashiyama is great as Tomi, the lively mother who smiles a lot as she tries to understand her kids and connect with her grandchildren. Higashiyama's performance is full of life and wisdom as she has a great scene with Hara that requires little emotion the interaction they have is full of magic. Chishu Ryu is brilliant as Shukichi, the father who is hoping to see all of the great things he hears about his elder kids while dealing with the changing times. Ryu, a regular of Ozu's films, is truly amazing in his understated performance while he has great scenes with Higashiyama as the chemistry the two have is amazing. The near-last scene with Ryu and Hara is also amazing for its understated tone and its emotional impact with Ryu being so subtle and not doing much with Hara giving into a heartbreaking performance that is devastating to watch.

Tokyo monogatari is a mesmerizing yet heartbreaking film from Yasujiro Ozu with a universal message about family and changing times. Audiences new to Ozu will find this film as a great introduction to his unique, visual style and compositions while film students will definitely find something in his minimalist technique in terms of directing and staging. With a superb cast led by Chishu Ryu, Chieko Higashiyama, and Setsuko Hara, it's a film that has themes that are still relevant to this day as it crosses many barriers. In the end, for a film that is touching about the idea of family, growing up, and expectations. Tokyo monogatari is the film to see from one of cinema's great masters is 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) - Early Spring - Tokyo Twilight - (Equinox Flower) - Good Morning - Floating Weeds - Late Autumn - The End of Summer - An Autumn Afternoon

© thevoid99 2011