Late Spring (1949) Banshun (original title)

Director:

Yasujirô Ozu

Writers:

Kazuo Hirotsu (based on the novel "Chichi to musume" by)
Kôgo Noda (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

21 July 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Noriko is 27 years old and still living with her widowed father. Everybody tries to talk her into marrying, but Noriko wants to stay taking care of her father.

Plot Keywords:

Widower | Marriage | Baseball Bat | Spinster | Affection

Awards:

5 wins

Cast

Chishû Ryû	...	Shukichi Somiya
Setsuko Hara	...	Noriko Somiya
Yumeji Tsukioka	...	Aya Kitagawa
Haruko Sugimura	...	Masa Taguchi
Hohi Aoki	...	Katsuyoshi
Jun Usami	...	Shôichi Hattori
Kuniko Miyake	...	Akiko Miwa
Masao Mishima	...	Jo Onodera
Yoshiko Tsubouchi	...	Kiku
Yôko Katsuragi	...	Misako
Toyo Takahashi	...	Shige (as Toyoko Takahashi)
Jun Tanizaki	...	Seizô Hayashi
Ichirô Shimizu	...	Takigawa's master
Yôko Benisawa	...	Teahouse Proprietress
Manzaburo Umewaka	...	Shite
Nobu Nojima	...	Waki
Ichiro Kitamura	...	Little drum
Haruo Yasufuku	...	Big drum
Soichi Konparu
Tadaichi Aoki	...	Prompter
Nagahiro Yoshida
Seiju Kanze	...	Nô chorus
Shintaro Umewaka	...	Nô chorus
Shizuo Kanze	...	Nô chorus
Seiji Toda	...	Nô chorus
Kozo Fukuda	...	Nô chorus
Shinichiro Takayama	...	Nô chorus
Seinosuke Ishida	...	Nô chorus
Yutaka Aoki	...	Nô chorus
Kinzo Hasegawa	...	Nô chorus
Gazan Hasegawa	...	Nô chorus
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mikuma Shimada	...	Flute

Directed by
Yasujirô Ozu

Writing credits
Kazuo Hirotsu		(based on the novel "Chichi to musume" by)
Kôgo Noda		(screenplay) and
Yasujirô Ozu		(screenplay)

Produced by
Takeshi Yamamoto	....	producer

Original Music by
Senji Itô

Cinematography by
Yûharu Atsuta

Film Editing by
Yoshiyasu Hamamura

Art Direction by
Tatsuo Hamada

Set Decoration by
Mototane Komaki

Costume Design by
Bunjiro Suzuki

Makeup Department
Hisae Kakizawa	....	hair stylist
Toku Sakuma	....	key hair stylist
Kingorô Yoshizawa	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Dai Watanabe	....	executive in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Buichi Saito	....	assistant director
Kôzô Tashiro	....	assistant director
Shôkichi Tsukamoto	....	assistant director
Kôzô Yamamoto	....	assistant director

Art Department
Makoto Aihara	....	assistant property master
Masao Kumagai	....	assistant art director
Kakuzô Sasu	....	assistant set designer
Kintaro Yamamoto	....	set designer
Tetsuji Yamazaki	....	assistant property master

Sound Department
Yoshiomi Hori	....	sound recordist
Rokusaburô Saitô	....	sound effects editor
Hidetaka Sasaki	....	sound
Hirofumi Satô	....	sound recordist
Yoshisaburô Senoo	....	sound mixer
Kôjirô Suematsu	....	sound recordist
Ryô Ôfuji	....	sound recordist

Camera and Electrical Department
Akira Aomatsu	....	assistant camera
Seiji Inoue	....	assistant photographer
Haruo Isono	....	gaffer
Takashi Kawamata	....	assistant photographer
Takeo Matsuda	....	assistant photographer
Motoshige Oikawa	....	assistant photographer
Yoshiji Shagawa	....	assistant photographer
Shigeo Suzuki	....	assistant camera

Editorial Department
Michiyo Haneta	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Ryûji Hayashi	....	film development
Kôichi Nakamura	....	photo printing
Tayû Tajiri	....	stage manager
Masao Yagi	....	stage manager

Production Companies

• Shôchiku Eiga

Distributors

• Shôchiku Eiga (1949) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Shochiku Home Video (2003) (Japan) (DVD)
• Alive (1994) (France) (theatrical)
• trigon-film (2007) (Austria) (theatrical)
• trigon-film (2007) (Germany) (theatrical)
• trigon-film (2007) (Switzerland) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Criterion Collection, The (2006) (2012) (USA) (DVD)
• Lume Filmes (2007) (Brazil) (DVD)
• New Yorker Films (1972) (USA) (subtitled)
• trigon-film (2007) (Switzerland) (DVD) (subtitled)

Also Known As:

"Banshun" - Japan (original title)

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:G | UK:U | Portugal:M/12 | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Chigasaki, Kanagawa, Japan

Company:

Shôchiku Eiga

Trivia:

The film was written and shot during the Allied Powers' Occupation of Japan.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: A camera/dolly shadow is visible on the sidewalk as it follows Noriko walking.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Stranger Than Paradise (1984)

Hara's acting

This is my favorite Ozu film. I like to think that it is an homage to Italian Neorealism. But I'm mostly writing in defense against those who don't like Setsuko Hara's acting. First of all, whenever we western audience viewers critique someone's acting, the main argument is that it's not realistic.

Well, I would like to say that Hara did a very realistic portrayal of her character. The women of 1949 Japan had her mannerisms that we will probably find "annoying".

This is a difficult film for those who are not used to "Eastern" style of films. Especially ones from the 1940s. As long as we watch with an open mind, the theme of the film is as universal as it can get. Who knows? In 50 years, someone will make fun of Naomi Watts' acting in "21 Grams" deeming it unrealistic.