One Wonderful Sunday (1947)

During a Sunday trip into war-ravaged Tokyo, despairing Yuzo and optimistic Masako look for work and lodging, as well as affordable entertainments to pass the time.

Director:

Akira Kurosawa

Writers:

Akira Kurosawa, Keinosuke Uekusa

Stars:

Isao Numasaki, Chieko Nakakita, Atsushi Watanabe

2 wins.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Isao Numasaki	...	Yuzo
Chieko Nakakita	...	Masako
Atsushi Watanabe	...	Yamamoto
Zekô Nakamura	...	Dessert Shop Owner
Ichirô Namiki	...	Street Photographer
Toppa Utsumi	...	Street Photographer
Ichirô Sugai	...	Yamiya, the black-marketeer
Masao Shimizu	...	Dance Hall Manager
Tokuji Kobayashi	...	Overweight apartment receptionist
Shiro Mizutani	...	Waif
Aguri Hidaka	...	Dancer
Midori Ariyama	...	Sono, Yamiya's mistress
Katao Kawasaki	...	Bakery Owner
Toshi Mori	...	Apartment Superintendent

Storyline

Yuzo and his fiancée Masako spend their Sunday afternoon together, trying to have a good time on just thirty-five yen. They manage to have many small adventures, especially because Masako's optimism and belief in dreams is able to lift Yuzo from his realistic despair.

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Plot Keywords:

cigarette smoking | miming | full moon | swinging | swing | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film's climax was considered a failure in both Japan and the U.S. as audiences refused to clap for the lead characters, though supposedly it went over very well in France, gaining much audience participation.

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Quotes

Masako: All you people, applaud. All you young lovers, applaud for your dreams.

User Reviews

One wonderful, magical Sunday indeed!

Far from being one of Kurosawa's best films, it is still a powerful and thoughtful one. He had already developed his filmmaking mastery at this point of time, and it can surely be seen by the way some of the scenes are made.

The film concerns a story of love surrounded by poverty and despair; the main characters of the film have the whole Sunday to go out and be together, the only problem being their shortness of money, as they only had 35 yens to go through the day. Being short of money as they were, there were not many things they could do, so they had to spend them wisely. This mainly leads to frustration from both sides, and so the film becomes depressing most of the time, even though they are really in love with each other and are happy to have a day available for them. Throughout the film they will encounter many obstacles and disheartening experiences, which will push them towards feeling impotent, but they always manage to bring happiness out of all that awful moments, and there is where the magic of this film resides.

It might seem like a simple, clichéd love story we have always been familiar with, and it actually could have just been that, if it was not for the Excellency of Kurosawa's filmmaking skills. He brings magic to many of the main scenes of the film, which definitely increases the experience by showcasing everything in detail. The last scene is really outstanding because of the way it is portrayed; you can actually feel both the pain and happiness they are feeling.

In conclusion, this film is definitely overshadowed by other masterpieces from Kurosawa's filmography, and is definitely not the best from him, but this little film is not to be skipped if you really like the director.

My score: 7.7/10

Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

June 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

Wonderful Sunday

Filming Locations:

Toho Studios, Tokyo, Japan

Company Credits

Production Co:

Toho Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1