Late Spring

A masterpiece of postwar Japanese cinema, Yasujiro Ozu's Late Spring (1949) serves as an elegant primer for many of the themes that would define Ozu's later career. A calm, meditative drama about the dynamics of family, the story focuses on the inevitable separation of 56-year-old father and widower Shukichi (Chishu Ryu) and his adult daughter Noriko (Setsuko Hara), who is content to care for her father and remain unmarried, despite the urging of friends and relatives to find a suitable husband. There are some viable candidates, and several attempts at matchmaking, but the likeliest partner is a man who's already engaged, and Noriko simply wishes for things to remain as they are. While Late Spring serves a secondary function as a light and lively portrait of post-war Japan, as hints of Western influence (such as a Coca-Cola sign in one of the film's most memorable scenes) signal Japan's transition toward a modern commercial economy, primarily this is a carefully observed and quietly heartbreaking story of a parent who yearns to set things right for his daughter, who must in turn balance her father's love with her own prospects for a fulfilling future. Presented on DVD and Blu-ray, extras for this Criterion release include audio commentary by Richard Peña (an Ozu expert and program director of New York's Film Society of Lincoln Center), Wim Wenders's 1985 documentary Tokyo-ga (on Ozu), and a booklet. Highly recommended. (J. Shannon)