It’s far from his first film, and he’s had stronger narratives/characters before and more laughs before- but for me this is the beginning of Ozu as a high-level auteur with his use of editing—specifically cutaways to nature, trains, flags, clothes on laundry, etc—also known to cinema and Ozu-admirers as “pillow shots”
Woven cloth background for his credit titles- uses throughout career
Unlike most of his work prior this is a larger ensemble- you’re 3-4 minutes and there’s not forced attachment to any one character (or more appropriately you are connected to 5-6)—lots of cutaways to the town scenery
Backstage drama- lots of prep montages for a theater show
Slice of life drama—really it’s melodrama
Ozu is clearly in love with these characters and it’s very infectious
There’s a rhythm in the editing of the father and son fishing- quite beautiful
Tracking shot, later than usual for him to introduce it, of the crowd at the show
A story of a visiting acting trope and the town and people on both sides
It’s a comedy—charming—it rains during the show and the trope puts out pots and pans—montage of rain is really well done
Soapy in some narrative—the plot takes over in the ladder third and Ozu forgets the cutaways for the most part— which is a shame because there are spots of brilliance here and it’s a true breakthrough (for me and Ozu)- shots of a bicycle (like 5 times), laundry blowing, clocks, it’s rhythmic, formally perfect and quite beautiful
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