YASUJIRO OZU

Bil’s rating (out of 5):  BBBB.5

Original title:  Nagaya Shinsiroku

Japan, 1947.  Shôchiku Eiga.  Screenplay by Tadao Ikeda, Yasujiro Ozu.  Cinematography by Yuharu Atsuta.  Produced by Mitsuzo Kubo.  Music by Ichiro Saito.  Production Design by Tatsuo Hamada.  Costume Design by Taizo Saito.  Film Editing by Yoshi Sugihara.  

Another Ozu classic, about a little boy who is accidentally abandoned by his father after they go to Tokyo to look for work. A man finds the boy and brings him home to his apartment complex, only to find that no one wants to take the child in. A grumpy old woman (a marveous Chôko Iida) reluctantly takes the boy, but even she tries to lose him as quickly as she’s found him. Eventually he works his way into her heart and soon she finds her parting with him to be too painful.  The film’s relationship develops ever so subtly, with no obvious cliches or predictable outbursts of emotion, only the sweet sense of love growing in the air. It’s a marvelous experience.