Hana saku minato

The sweet but naive denizens of a charming port town are hoodwinked by a couple of con men who prey on them at the outset of the war. But the hustlers' plan backfires when they come down with severe cases of conscience.

Although lesser known internationally than his fellow filmmakers such as Akira Kurosawa, Kenji Mizoguchi and Yasujirō Ozu, Keisuke Kinoshita was nonetheless a household figure at home beloved by audience and critics alike, especially in the forties through the sixties. Indeed, those catching "Port of Flowers" on Criterion's collection of Kinoshita films may never have heard of the man at all, despite his numerous honors.

The film is quite good, with an interesting plot and solid direction. Unfortunately the sound is a little patchy, with a slight echo, like an old phonograph. But when considering the film has never seen a proper release and was made while Japan was in the middle of a war (which it would end up losing), it comes as no surprise the film industry was not working at full strength.