Late Spring
This film was both wholesome and heartbreaking. It shows human beings doing what they have to in the face of society's norms and expectations, despite not wanting to. I really liked this blunt presentation of life's truths, and as with Tokyo Story, Ozu does not provide opinionated statements nor condemnations of these ways of life. Setsuko Hara was wonderful and her lovely smile often hid deep sadness, and she was framed beautifully on the screen. The entire film was composed skilfully and the inky darkness in many shots only infused the film with more expressiveness and complex emotions under a facade of minimalistic storytelling.
