Kaze no naka no mendori

I'm not a big fan of Ozu's downbeat dramas, but Hen is easily the worst film of his I've seen, and it's hard to believe he followed it up with Late Spring only a year later, which is a complete masterpiece. It's a rather dreary post-war drama about a secret 'indiscretion' that tears a couple apart when it's finally revealed. Although the treatment of this potentially scandalous scenario wisely avoids melodrama, it's hardly subtle either, and the 'hopeful' ending rings strangely false.

Uma galinha ao vento estreava há 75 anos no Japão. Ah, Ozu, assim não dá pra te defender, estava tudo ótimo num Ozu inusual com muito sofrimento e me vem uma cena de violência doméstica seguida de final "feliz". Aff. Box Versátil O Cinema de Ozu Volume 2.

A troubled war-time marital dilemma when the wife had to prostitute herself in order to save her 4-year-old son when he gets ill. All while the husband is out fighting the war. When he returns he's confronted with this information and we follow his journey dealing with the pain and confusion. The turning-point felt very brutal for a Yasujirô Ozu film, but one can't deny the impact it had and how well it was done. The Ozu details were on-point. And what a trooper Kinuyo Tanaka was!

This was a very well done movie with flawless acting, score and direction. The husband kind of pissed me off at the end, he should've been more concerned for her, but overall I was happy with the final scene.

Star Rating: ★★★★1/2

Yasujiro Ozu #1

By no means Ozu's best, lacking the subtlety that makes him so bitching, but alright nonetheless.