Setsuko Hara again plays the part of Noriko the single girl who must find a husband.
That's it as far as plot goes.
Once again Ozu proves that simple is beautiful. He seems to be at odds with Wildes declaration that; "The truth is rarely pure and never simple" for here he shows us the truth of life for the middle class in post-war Japan and reveals that it is, indeed, pure and simple. There are no Machiavellian machinations, no twists and turns, no complicated or hidden desires just a family interacting with one another and the joy of one young woman finding someone she wants to be with.
In this film Ozu returns to familiar characters, images and themes but still manages to give us something fresh and stimulating. The relationship between Norikos brother and his children echoes that of the children and father in "I Was Born, But...", Noriko herself is, of course, the name of the put upon "old maid" in "Late Spring" and the grandmother is Haruko Sugimura who also played the role of grandmother in "Tokyo Story" are all familiar but are all presented anew.
Another wonderful evening in the cinema watching the slow master at work.
Gutted that I've missed this again on the big screen, but enjoyed your remarks.
ReplyDeleteLooks like I will have to splash out on the DVD box set.