Highlights: the interplay in the central relationship between the two sisters: one, a more traditional woman grinning and bearing it in an unideal marriage, and the rambunctious and liberalised younger, sticking her tongue out when scolded and doing little skits for people. Super cute. 

It’s not as emotionally devastating as Ozu’s masterpieces, but it’s very nice.

Highlights: the interplay in the central relationship between the two sisters: one, a more traditional woman grinning and bearing it in an unideal marriage, and the rambunctious and liberalised younger, sticking her tongue out when scolded and doing little skits for people. Super cute. 

It’s not as emotionally devastating as Ozu’s masterpieces, but it’s very nice.

Ozu’s bag of tricks slanted slightly to ask less questions about getting married and more about staying married. The question, “Should I divorce?” isn’t often confronted so directly. More triumphant is the autonomous reclamation of the older sister, Setsuko. What the film leaves her with or which direction it moves her, depending on how you look at it, is brightly optimistic.

I took issue with Ozu’s concluding positioning of power in his previous film, A Hen in the Wind. Here, that complaint would be rendered inverse, almost an entirely opposite balance of hope and reconciliation.

Ozu’s bag of tricks slanted slightly to ask less questions about getting married and more about staying married. The question, “Should I divorce?” isn’t often confronted so directly. More triumphant is the autonomous reclamation of the older sister, Setsuko. What the film leaves her with or which direction it moves her, depending on how you look at it, is brightly optimistic.

I took issue with Ozu’s concluding positioning of power in his previous film, A Hen in the Wind. Here, that complaint would be rendered inverse, almost an entirely opposite balance of hope and reconciliation.

Such a strong theme of traditional vs modern age, and the younger sister feels like she fits more in with the screwball comedies of Hollywood at the time. Really great watch.

Such a strong theme of traditional vs modern age, and the younger sister feels like she fits more in with the screwball comedies of Hollywood at the time. Really great watch.