Yes, another one.
Ozu himself said of "Early Spring"; "Although I hadn't made a white-collar story for a long time, I wanted to show the life of a man with such a job - his happiness over graduation and finally becoming a member of society, his hopes for the future gradually dissolving, his realizing that, even though he has worked for years, he has accomplished nothing." This sense of sadness and dissatisfaction can be found in many of the films of Ozu and as a result it can seem, especially when viewed very close together, that one is seeing the same story again.
Here though Ozu does offer something different to the other films by way of marital infidelity. The central protagonist indulges in a brief affair with the office flirt. That, of course, allows Ozu to focus his eye on how that affects the husband and wife, the lover and those associated with all of them.
It is as beautiful to look at and as honest and delicate as each of the other pieces in this season.
Missed it at the Filmhouse, but hope to catch it on another day.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know if "Snow Country" the novel by Yusanari Kawabata was ever turned into a film?