No Regrets for Our Youth

I really loved the first act of No Regrets for Our Youth. It creates an incredible sense of unease as Japan edges toward war. The tension runs thick, setting a sense of impending death and sadness. It felt sadly relevant to conversations I've had over the last few months. After this engaging opening, the film takes something of a dip in quality. It's not particularly bad, but everything seems unnecessarily prolonged, weary, and unfocused.

I really loved the first act of No Regrets for Our Youth. It creates an incredible sense of unease as Japan edges toward war. The tension runs thick, setting a sense of impending death and sadness. It felt sadly relevant to conversations I've had over the last few months. After this engaging opening, the film takes something of a dip in quality. It's not particularly bad, but everything seems unnecessarily prolonged, weary, and unfocused.

Första 75 min är en typisk romantisk historia, men vi lär inte känna våra karaktärer alls så alla deras repliker och känslor känns tomma. Lite annat sker efter det men jag halvkollade bara då jag inte gillade första timmen och jag tror att jag skulle varit väldigt uttråkad av sista delen också. Slutet är ksk lite neat men idk. Skådespeleriet är inte heller anything to write home about.

Jag vet i princip ingenting om den historiska kontexten vilket nog är rätt viktigt för att till fullo hänga med.

Första 75 min är en typisk romantisk historia, men vi lär inte känna våra karaktärer alls så alla deras repliker och känslor känns tomma. Lite annat sker efter det men jag halvkollade bara då jag inte gillade första timmen och jag tror att jag skulle varit väldigt uttråkad av sista delen också. Slutet är ksk lite neat men idk. Skådespeleriet är inte heller anything to write home about.

Jag vet i princip ingenting om den historiska kontexten vilket nog är rätt viktigt för att till fullo hänga med.

I’m not having a very good time with these early Kurosawa films 😅
Really didn’t connect with the first half, once it got to the farming I was a little more interested but still not super engaged
I think it was just a little bittersweet, I liked the determination of the leading lady’s character but it feels like the abrupt story beats ruined the satisfaction of any of the happy moments 😆 The bullying and injustice just left me deflated 😕

I’m not having a very good time with these early Kurosawa films 😅
Really didn’t connect with the first half, once it got to the farming I was a little more interested but still not super engaged
I think it was just a little bittersweet, I liked the determination of the leading lady’s character but it feels like the abrupt story beats ruined the satisfaction of any of the happy moments 😆 The bullying and injustice just left me deflated 😕

Better than what I thought it would be

Better than what I thought it would be

***2024 Goals***

No Regrets for Our Youth is another Kurosawa film I have watched recently that just never really clicked with me at any point.

I've discovered that I don't care for some of the romance stories of older Japanese films. They feel very over dramaticized and unrealistic. When it's the focus of the story like it is for the case of this film, it can feel like a chore to get through because the characters and writing can be frustrating. No Regrets is extremely slow paced and doesn't pick up or do much to get your attention at any point. My lack of knowledge of the politcal tension during the time period was the only thing keeping me engaged. Similar to The Most Beautiful, but not as extreme, this has elements of propaganda in it. It's less tied into the plot and shoved down your throat, but it's also less interesting than the factory worker setting in the previous film.

I will say that since I've started watching some of his earlier works, I've been able to appreciate the star of Kurosawa's career especially since it started during WWII. Regardless of the quality and credibilty of the film it's still awesome to get a glimpse at what life might have been like. Kurosawa's film making quality had increased and you can really start to see some of his signature elements here. However, even though I'm giving this a higher rating than Sanshiro Sugata Part II because it's a more cohesive film, I'd rather watch that again over this. It's shorter and more entertaining.

***2024 Goals***

No Regrets for Our Youth is another Kurosawa film I have watched recently that just never really clicked with me at any point.

I've discovered that I don't care for some of the romance stories of older Japanese films. They feel very over dramaticized and unrealistic. When it's the focus of the story like it is for the case of this film, it can feel like a chore to get through because the characters and writing can be frustrating. No Regrets is extremely slow paced and doesn't pick up or do much to get your attention at any point. My lack of knowledge of the politcal tension during the time period was the only thing keeping me engaged. Similar to The Most Beautiful, but not as extreme, this has elements of propaganda in it. It's less tied into the plot and shoved down your throat, but it's also less interesting than the factory worker setting in the previous film.

I will say that since I've started watching some of his earlier works, I've been able to appreciate the star of Kurosawa's career especially since it started during WWII. Regardless of the quality and credibilty of the film it's still awesome to get a glimpse at what life might have been like. Kurosawa's film making quality had increased and you can really start to see some of his signature elements here. However, even though I'm giving this a higher rating than Sanshiro Sugata Part II because it's a more cohesive film, I'd rather watch that again over this. It's shorter and more entertaining.