Ohayô (1959)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Yasujiro Ozu

Writers:

Kôgo Noda (screenplay) &
Yasujiro Ozu (screenplay)

Release Date:

February 1962 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Two boys go into a silence strike to pressurize their parents into buying them a TV set.

Plot Keywords:

Boy | Television | Japan | 1950s | Remake

Cast

Keiji Sada	...	Heichiro Fukui
Yoshiko Kuga	...	Setsuko Arita
Chishu Ryu	...	Keitaro Hayashi
Kuniko Miyake	...	Tamiko
Haruko Sugimura	...	Kikue Haraguchi
Koji Shitara	...	Minoru
Masahiko Shimazu	...	Isamu
Kyouko Izumi	...	Midori Maruyama
Toyo Takahashi	...	Shige Okubo
Sadako Sawamura	...	Kayoko Fukui
Eijirô Tôno	...	Tomizawa
Teruko Nagaoka	...	Mrs. Tomizawa
Eiko Miyoshi	...	Grandma Haraguchi
Haruo Tanaka	...	Haraguchi
Akira Oizumi	...	Akira Maruyama

Also Known As:

Good Morning (International: English title)
Ohayo (Japan) (alternative transliteration)
Yasujiro Ozu's Good Morning (USA)

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Portugal:M/12 | UK:U (1975) | Australia:G | Spain:T

Company:

Shochiku Kinema Kenkyû-jo

Quotes:

Isamu: I love you.

Movie Connections:

References The Defiant Ones (1958)

sharp, funny and wise

This movie is sometimes called a remake of Ozu's silent I Was Born, But..., however, for an artist that would repeat and retread various themes and story-elements throughout his work, ‘remake' is a big word. Both I Was Born and Ohayo contain a strike by two boys against their parents, but that's about the only thing they have in common. It's much more interesting to look at the differences: In I Was Born, But... the kids go on a hunger-strike after seeing their father humiliate himself in front of his boss. The strike is therefore one for such old-school values as honor and dignity. No such lofty goals in Ohayo, here the object of the strike is that ultimate symbol of western consumerism, the television. One could conclude that in this change lies Ozu's criticism, that he is bemoaning how traditional Japanese values are being exchanged for materialism. That, however, would be far too simple. In I Was Born But,... the kids had to compromise, in Ohayo it's the parents who compromise. The kids in Ohayo get their television, the kids in I Was Born But,... had to learn that for their father, supporting his family is more important than upholding samurai-ideals. Neither movie is a criticism on, but a clear-eyed portrait of a changing society.

The main theme in Ohayo is communication. The kids want a television, the parents don't and in an argument one of the boys remarks how adults talk a lot but never say anything important. Consequently, the kids refuse to talk until they get their tv. Chaos and comedy ensues and meanwhile Ozu and Noda incorporate some sharp observations in their script on our inability to communicate meaningfully with each other. The scene in which two people who have an inexpressed love for each other talk about the weather is as funny as it is tragic.

And I almost forgot to mention: Ohayo contains some of the funniest fart-jokes in any movie.

***1/2