The amazing thing about Japanese movies of this period is that a film maker of Naruse's quality can be considered 'minor' in the sense of being outside the 'big three'. This wonderful movie shows why this is so unfair. Not that Ozu or Kurosawa, who were big fans of Naruse would agree. He was a masterful director, capable of beautifully composed scenes with flowing, skillful editing.
The story is straightforward - A older man and his daughter in law forge a bond as he tries in futile manner to make up for his sons neglect of his wife.
This movie is easy to dismiss as superior soap opera, but is really much more than this. Its an astonishingly rich, detailed dissection of a family under strain. Setsuko Hara is superb at playing a charming, loving wife who suppresses her deep resentment at her mistreatment by her husband. She and her father in law have a bond - but it is increasingly apparent that neither are totally innocent - there is an element of passive aggressiveness in both the lead characters that gradually leads to greater sympathy to the bad boy husband and the other superficially less sympathetic characters. One of the joys of this movie is how even the minor characters are so complex and well rendered - the sparky grandmother, the outspoken, resentful daughter, the secretary used as a go-between.
In so many ways - the production values, the acting, the thematic richness, this movie is head and shoulders over other produced anywhere in the world at this time. Naruse's movies were emotionally so much more complex and layered than almost anything made at the time. It may be a family drama made over 50 years ago but its still fascinating and entertaining and moving.
The story is straightforward - A older man and his daughter in law forge a bond as he tries in futile manner to make up for his sons neglect of his wife.
This movie is easy to dismiss as superior soap opera, but is really much more than this. Its an astonishingly rich, detailed dissection of a family under strain. Setsuko Hara is superb at playing a charming, loving wife who suppresses her deep resentment at her mistreatment by her husband. She and her father in law have a bond - but it is increasingly apparent that neither are totally innocent - there is an element of passive aggressiveness in both the lead characters that gradually leads to greater sympathy to the bad boy husband and the other superficially less sympathetic characters. One of the joys of this movie is how even the minor characters are so complex and well rendered - the sparky grandmother, the outspoken, resentful daughter, the secretary used as a go-between.
In so many ways - the production values, the acting, the thematic richness, this movie is head and shoulders over other produced anywhere in the world at this time. Naruse's movies were emotionally so much more complex and layered than almost anything made at the time. It may be a family drama made over 50 years ago but its still fascinating and entertaining and moving.