Late Spring
Dear Ozu, why the fuck are your movies so damn good, like seriously? Ozu strengthens my love for Japanese cinema, he makes me emotional, and I’m thankful for that. Late Spring might just be my favourite feminist movie of all time. By going against traditional marriage culture that leads to modernization, Noriko (lead actress) battles her forceful aunt that tries to put her up in an arranged marriage. The contrast of different generations of women is striking - the insecure elderly / the liberal young. Her father is also a very well written character, making the father-daughter relationship a harmonious chemistry driven duo. The film’s themes are not quite relevant in the current time anymore but the choice of whether to marry still remains crucial to women, and many recent movies consisted of same ideas but none can compete with the sheer brilliance of Late Spring.
98/100
Even for one that does not appreciate movies that push feminism or such, this makes a perfect family movie with bits of comedy, companionship, admiration and romance. True love doesn’t exist in every marriage, but happiness does if both parties commit to the new life together.