The Ozu Collection: Late Autumn (1960)/An Autumn Afternoon (1962) Blu-ray Reviews

• 25th May 2011

The BFI have released two more of Japanese drama master Yasujiro Ozu’s films on Blu-ray and DVD and plan to release his entire oeuvre onto disc. Late Autumn and An Autumn Afternoon come right at the end of his career; the latter being his last film (he died in 1963). Both of these films are in most senses remakes of one of his masterpieces, Late Spring (1949) although many of his films can be termed as variations on a similar theme as can be seen in the other two films included (on the DVD version only) in A Mother Should Be Loved (1934) and A Hen in the Wind(1948). These, as with most of his films, are about the family and responsibility, the conflict between generations and the ever encroaching westernisation of Japanese culture, particularly in his post-war films. This theme or sub-genre was not something particular to Ozu, but was also covered by other Japanese filmmakers such as Mikio Naruse who is less known in the West. Both films presented here are about a young woman whose future marriage is arranged by others and the generational conflicts this creates. The drama is gentler and less explosive than you would expect in a western film. The earlier of the two films, Late Autumn stars Yoko Tsukasa as Ayako who is reluctant to wed the young suitor picked out for her by her uncle and his business friends as she is fearful that she will be leaving her widowed mother alone. Fearing this, the men also plan the mother’s future marriage, much to her annoyance and, as she sees it, lack of respect for her father’s memory. Their interference creates familial tensions on all sides. Setsuko Hara, then 40-years-old and one of Japan’s best known actresses, plays the conservative and caring mother to Ayako. Ironically, this was not only one of Ozu’s last films, it was also one of Hara’s who in the early sixties, at a time when Japanese cinema was also changing went into, what the sleeve notes described as, “Garbo-like seclusion”.

The plot of An Autumn Afternoon is a little more complex.  Chishu Ryu plays Shuhei Hirayama, the concerned and caring father to his daughter, Michiko (Shima Iwashita) who he wants to do the right thing by. However, he feels pressure from all sides – from family to friends and business colleagues – to see her wed. There is also the rather sad, old and lonely tragic-comic figure simply known as The Gourd (Eijiro Tono) who is Hirayama’s reflection of the future if he doesn’t do the right thing by his daughter.

In both films, we end with a wedding with the bride dressed in traditional Japanese wedding kimono and the future seeming to be settled for all concerned. The scenes are also inter-cut with shots of office buildings, apartments, factories and side streets with bars and noodle houses and Ozu is able to give charm to these buildings and places with the music employed. For a western audience these films may seem too alike or repetitive with not much in the way of drama to keep them engaged. However, for those with the patience, these are enduring and charming dramas that give some insight into Japanese culture and society.

It is a pity that the earlier and rarer films of Ozu’s are only released on DVD and have been omitted from the Blu-ray version (which I viewed). Although these later films with their sharp tones in Agfacolor and nicely shot interiors do benefit from the Blu-ray.

Chris Hick