Wasei kenka tomodachi (1929)

Director:

Yasujirô Ozu

Writer:

Kôgo Noda

Stars:

Atsushi Watanabe, Hisao Yoshitani, Eiko Takamatsu

Cast

Credited cast:
Atsushi Watanabe	...	Ryukichi
Hisao Yoshitani	...	Yoshizo
Eiko Takamatsu	...	Omitsu
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tomoko Naniwa
Ichirô Okuni
Nobuko Wakaba
Ichirô Yuki

Storyline

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Genres:

Short | Comedy

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Details

Country:

Japan

Release Date:

5 July 1929 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Fighting Friends

Company Credits

Production Co:

Shochiku Kinema (Kamata)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

14 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

User Reviews

An early minor work by Ozu

This early short (and silent) film by Japanese master Ozu seems to be the perfect illustration for XVIIth century French poet Jean de La Fontaine's fable "The Two Cocks" : "Two cocks in peace were living, when / A war was kindled by a hen." It is the simple story of two friends who live together in a poor tenement and who share about everything in life (food, hopes, work...). Everything goes well until they gallantly rescue a young (and pretty) woman injured in a road accident. Since the lady has nowhere to go, the two good-hearted friends invite her to their home. She soon becomes their housemaid and they soon begin to seek her favors. Alas, she falls for a young student she has met in the neighborhood, much to the two friends' dismay. Set in the austerity of depression-era Japan, this little comedy has some effects a la Chaplin, yet it ends in a bitter way which is typical of Ozu. The last scene will remind Ozu's fans of some of his later works when the young woman and her fiancé wave goodbye to the two "fighting" friends from a train. This last scene and its very nice shots are the little treats of this minor work by Ozu. Only for Ozu addicts.