Equinox Flower

A bachelor who lived with his mother all his life, Japanese master director Yasujiro Ozu (Tokyo Story, An Autumn Afternoon) made many films which dealt with the disintegration of the family, often through natural causes--such as adult children getting married. Equinox Flower, Ozu's first color film, made during his final period, tackles head-on the subject of arranged marriages. Based on a novel by Ton Satomi, the film stars Shin Saburi as Hirayama, a successful Tokyo businessman, who is first seen in the film's opening giving a speech at a young about-to-be-wed couple's party about how modern marriages based on love are an improvement over the traditional arranged marriage. But, when Hirayama's daughter, Setsuko (Fujiko Yamamoto), falls in love with a fellow employee and announces her intentions to marry, Hirayama blows a gasket. Ozu deftly mixes gentle humor and irony as Hirayama becomes involved in advising one of Setsuko's friends about the importance of following the dictates of her own heart rather than her mother's demands--yet he steadfastly refuses to discuss the issue with his own daughter, finally insisting that, come what may, he will not be attending the wedding. The beauty of Ozu's work is that he continually explores, seeking to understand, rather than condemn. We can sympathize with both the father and the daughter because neither are really unreasonable; they are simply caught in a time where values are shifting, and the new etiquette, so to speak, is not yet clear. While playing fair with the younger generation, there is yet an unmistakable plaintive cry over the loss of tradition which Ozu demonstrates beautifully in a touching scene with Hirayama and others at an alumni reunion. One man sings an old warrior song ("the warrior ponders: what is the world coming to?") while the others look on, various expressions washing over their faces. A lovely film. Recommended. (R. Pitman)