Ozu’s darkest film since at least A Hen in the Wind in 1948
His last B/W film and the lighting even looks darker here to match the devastating sadness and dour atmosphere in the film- it’s cold, winter, snow—can’t remember any other Ozu film like that— matches his films that have titles like Early Spring, Late Spring, early summer – we even have many characters with surgical masks (I’m guessing from the possible nuclear fallout but no idea really)—first time in ozu’s oeuvre for that
Consistent camera 3 feet off the ground
Hara and Ryu are both here- and both great- Hara retired in1963 when Ozu died
Ineko Arima—my first time seeing her in an Ozu film—she’s gorgeous- does a good job here as a tragic character
The setup, with the abonnement, tragedy, abortion- is very melodramatic—again most since A Hen in the Wind
Love the establishing skyline opening—train shot—then a cluttered mise-en-scene alley with a motorcycle.
Hara is such a great actress- there’s a line from her father—Ryu where he says “I should’ve let you marry Soto” (she’s in a bad marriage with someone else and she clearly loved this unseen Soto character) and it crushes her- but she smiles—it’s fabulous acting
Very very heavy signage- I love this shot below- stunning mise-en-scene
Family has heavy issues
Tea kittle in foreground, chairs, lamps
When Arima’s character collapses in the street it’s unseen- and then we have a long pillow shot to a sign—it’s a great moment
Death bed cutaway to the grandfather clock is perfection as well
Very grim film- and Ozu doesn’t give you much to cling to for optimism—there’s no lose mother/daughter connection and the train farewell is a reunion that never happens
Great shot near the end of Hara on the ground framed by two sets of doors
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