Late Spring (1949)

Almost immediately after watching a film directed by Yasujirō Ozu, I forget all the details I have just seen. His films are like a gentle breeze to just ride along in the moment. While the events portrayed are undoubtedly important to the characters, there is no pressure or urgency for the viewer. 27 year old Noriko wants nothing more than to just live her days as a companion to her widowed father. Unfortunately everyone else thinks it’s way past time for her to be married. Post-World War 2 Japan adds complexity as the country and its people were re-evaluating their identity both by choice and as forced by their occupiers. Setsuko Hara’s Noriko is dutiful, self-sacrificing, and unwilling to rock convention, but her facial expressions betray the words she speaks.