Late Spring

words, because it is in the very simplest form, essentialist, honest and effective. It's a story of the daily lives of middle class people in japan after the world war. During war most Japanese people were either fighting war, or doing hard labour, ignoring all little things of the life cycle. Thats why Ozu made this film to remind those people to come to the real reality and think about their happiness and future. There are so many things which Ozu highlights or references about war, like why noriko is still unmarried at 27 because she was doing hard labour, and because of war many young men died in it leaving her lack of suitable options. But Ozu also pushes his modern narrative about women's freedom, divorce, and marriage in old age. These were not common in Japanese society but Ozu highlights them very well. Ozu is a master of using conversation or little scenes to reveal a greater sub plot which we don't even see happening until characters talk about it. Like we never noriko's wedding when the marriage was a major theme of film, we don't get to know Hattori had a fiance until noriko tells her father, that train switching scenes to get to tokyo. All these scenes come across like an interlocked web. That's why you can never miss a conversation in this movie, otherwise you will miss a major plot point. I like how ozu links marriage to life and death, because for one person its start of new life, and for another person (noriko's father) he will never have her daughter by his side anymore taking care of him, loving him. Its like losing a person from your life. I liked how the film showed the complicated personality of Noriko, she does not want to leave her father alone by getting married selflessly, but she also preferred it that way, she was more happy being single than embracing new consequences. But eventually she did get married, which shows the stereotypical cycle of life which society has put on us. Ozu's films are mostly centered around the house and characters residing in house, highlighting their relationship dynamics, expectations and shows how middle class family really operates. Here we don't see external social conflicts, or other character arcs. This is truly a masterpiece of simplicity and yet complex daily lives of most people.