The past few month I saw three late movies of Yasujiro Ozu who were recently restorated. Two things caught my eye.
In the first place there were heavy, controversial subjects. It was a clearly something more than two generations that have become alienated from each other, as was the case in "Tokyo story" (1953, Yasujiro Ozu).
Secondly Ozu no longer is merely the chronicler of Japan after te Second World War, he also criticizes it. See for example "Early spring" (1956, Yasujir Ozu) in which film he critizes the Japanese work ethos where loyalty to the company goes above loyalty to ones family.
"Tokyo Twilight" is about a father (regular Ozu actor Chisyu Ryu) and his two daughters. The mother has disappeared with another man long ago. The reappearance of the mother disturbs the fragile equilibrium, with all its consequences,
In another review "Tokyo Twilight" was called the "East of Eden" (1955, Elia Kazan) for daughters. This makes some sense. The youngest daughter (the rebel) fights, without fully realizing it, for the approval of her father.
The (slight) weakness of "Tokyo Twilight" is that there are too much heavy subjects for one film (failed marriages (two times), addiction to gambling, abortion).
By means of the well known Ozu style, especially by adding scenes in which little happens but which give the viewer the opportunity to reflect on the preceding actions, the director skilfully prevents the film from turning into a melodrama.
In the first place there were heavy, controversial subjects. It was a clearly something more than two generations that have become alienated from each other, as was the case in "Tokyo story" (1953, Yasujiro Ozu).
Secondly Ozu no longer is merely the chronicler of Japan after te Second World War, he also criticizes it. See for example "Early spring" (1956, Yasujir Ozu) in which film he critizes the Japanese work ethos where loyalty to the company goes above loyalty to ones family.
"Tokyo Twilight" is about a father (regular Ozu actor Chisyu Ryu) and his two daughters. The mother has disappeared with another man long ago. The reappearance of the mother disturbs the fragile equilibrium, with all its consequences,
In another review "Tokyo Twilight" was called the "East of Eden" (1955, Elia Kazan) for daughters. This makes some sense. The youngest daughter (the rebel) fights, without fully realizing it, for the approval of her father.
The (slight) weakness of "Tokyo Twilight" is that there are too much heavy subjects for one film (failed marriages (two times), addiction to gambling, abortion).
By means of the well known Ozu style, especially by adding scenes in which little happens but which give the viewer the opportunity to reflect on the preceding actions, the director skilfully prevents the film from turning into a melodrama.