Seishun no yume ima izuko

Pff, where do I even begin. The first half is way too funny for a silent film that doesn't use slapstick as its method for comedy. Then the film slowly and surprisingly transforms into one of the most poignant melodramas that uses elements that were set up in the first half masterfully. Every scene, every shot, every intertitle feels so crucial for the story of the film and every shot is constructed so carefully, as I have come to expect from Ozu. It's absolutely magnificent how a film without sound managed to make me so engaged to the pictures. I read a review which stated that 'Where Now Are the Dreams of Youth' borrowed elements from Ozu's earlier body of work and as I have seen none of his earlier films I really hope that seeing them won't affect my views on this film negatively.