Last year NHK (national broadcaster in Japan) were playing 2 Ozu movies a night and I tuned into this by accident.
Maybe because I have lived in Japan for 10 years and was watching it in it's native language and could understand the subtle nuances in the day-to-day conversation, or maybe simply because I related to the children, having grown up in a household where getting things that you actually want was very rare - quite simply, this movie moved me tremendously, the final scene brought tears to my eyes just *remembering* it a week later.
This movie is probably most effective for anybody who grew up in a poor household with parents who tried their best against all odds to keep their children happy.
Maybe because I have lived in Japan for 10 years and was watching it in it's native language and could understand the subtle nuances in the day-to-day conversation, or maybe simply because I related to the children, having grown up in a household where getting things that you actually want was very rare - quite simply, this movie moved me tremendously, the final scene brought tears to my eyes just *remembering* it a week later.
This movie is probably most effective for anybody who grew up in a poor household with parents who tried their best against all odds to keep their children happy.