Tokyo Twilight (1957)

Two sisters find out the existence of their long-lost mother, but the younger cannot take the truth of being abandoned as a child.

Director:

Yasujirô Ozu

Writers:

Kôgo Noda, Yasujirô Ozu

Stars:

Setsuko Hara, Ineko Arima, Chishû Ryû

Cast

Credited cast:
Setsuko Hara	...	Takako Numata
Ineko Arima	...	Akiko Sugiyama
Chishû Ryû	...	Shûkichi Sugiyama
Isuzu Yamada	...	Kisako Aijima
Teiji Takahashi	...	Noboru Kawaguchi
Masami Taura	...	Kenji Kimura
Haruko Sugimura	...	Shigeko Takeuchi
Sô Yamamura	...	Seki Sekiguchi
Kinzô Shin	...	Yasuo Numata
Kamatari Fujiwara	...	Gihei Shimomura, noodle vendor
Nobuo Nakamura	...	Sakae Aiba
Seiji Miyaguchi	...	Policeman
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Junji Masuda
Eiko Miyoshi	...	Midwife
Teruko Nagaoka

Storyline

Two sisters live with their father. The younger sister is embroiled in an affair and becomes pregnant. The elder sister has run away from her husband and returned with her child to her parent's home. Both sisters are astonished when their mother, long thought dead, turns up alive. The sisters are even more stunned when they learn what their mother's life has been.

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Plot Keywords:

long lost mother | japan | post war | sake | mahjong | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 8 critic reviews.

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Quotes

Takako Numata: [referring to her younger sister, Akiko] Father, please be more gentle with her. She grew up without knowing a mother's love. That's why she's so lonely.

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Connections

Referenced in I Lived, But... (1983)

User Reviews

Dark twilight

Yasujiro Ozu in my mind has got to one of the greatest directors in Japanese cinema, second only to Akira Kurosawa (also hold Hayou Miyazaki in high regard). As well as film in general, a feeling immediately felt after being blown away by 'An Autumn Afternoon' and especially 'Tokyo Story' years ago and this deep appreciation developed more when watching more of his work relatively recently. Again his work takes patience getting into it but if stuck with it's well worth it and more.

'Tokyo Twilight' is somewhat atypical Ozu. One can tell without any problem or hesitation that it's Ozu's style, which was a distinctive one and obvious in all his films regardless of the subject. The story though is a more intense one compared to what is usually seen with him and the approach is darker and bleaker than the usual gentle touch. That doesn't in any way stop it from being a wonderful film in every way, and is actually an interest point and what makes it stand out among his filmography.

It looks great, purposefully static yet never cheap, for starters, being notable for being the last Ozu made in black and white. With 1958's 'Equinox Flower' and all the films between that and 1962's 'An Autumn Afternoon', so the director's last six films, being made in colour. It is beautifully shot with distinctive techniques that Ozu used frequently, adds so much to the film's bleakness and an intimacy that allowed one to further engage with the drama. Ozu's direction has a little more tension than usual but also has the sensitivity, present in all his other major films, that few other directors before and since matched.

Kojun Saito, an Ozu regular, provides a haunting yet typically understated and sometimes nostalgic score, used intimately. The script is thoughtful and doesn't lay either the intense bleakness or poignancy on too thick. The story is deliberate but never dull, it is one of Ozu's darkest and bleakest films, with a never overplayed intensity between characters, while also very human and affecting.

Characterisation is not one-dimensional and very human, their strengths and flaws relatable and not taken to extremes in either way. Their situations also come over realistically and powerfully. The acting is great with a particularly riveting performance from Ineko Arima.

Overall, wonderful and one of Ozu's best. It is a shame though that it is not as better known as it deserves to be. 10/10

Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

19 July 1972 (USA)

Also Known As:

Tokyo Twilight

Company Credits

Production Co:

Shochiku

Technical Specs

Runtime:

140 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1