Seishun no yume ima izuko

Ureo Egawa is a third-year student at university. He's the son of a rich company director, and pretty lackadaisical about his studies. He's on the cheer-leading squad, hanging out at the local tea house where Ozu regular Kinuyo Tanaka is the object of his fancy, and cutting class to play chess with his cohort. However, while they're cheating on finals, he's summoned home. His father has died, and he has to take over the business. A year later, his pals show up and ask for jobs. He slips them the answers on the entrance exams.

Gradually, Egawa notices that the easy friendship of their former life is slipping away. They've become yes men. When Miss Tanaka shows up, engaged to one of them, he is startled. Didn't she know he loved her? Didn't his friend know he loved her? What did he think, getting engaged to her?

Ozu always showed a lot of compassion for the underdog in his movies, but in this one, he asks about the top dog. I found the answer surprising, if, as always, compassionate.