Yama no oto

"Yama no oto" is, in essence, the story of the love between a daughter-in-law (Setsuko Hara) and the father (So Yamamura) of her neglectful and selfish husband (Ken Uehara). As Yamamura becomes more and more aware of the unhappiness of Hara, he takes ever more unconventional steps to try to rescue his son's marriage (for instance, approaching his son's mistress). Though the issues of infidelity, abortion and divorce swirl through this film, the tone is remarkably low-key and unmelodramatic. The cinematography here is similar to that found in Ozu's films of this period, though not so rigorous. The performances of Hara and Yamamura are superb. A very well-done and moving film by Japan's greatest neglected master.

This is a family drama. The story slowly unfolds to expose a complicated family dynamic. It can be a challenging watch for those who don't want to have to think too much.

I can't help but wonder if this movie was considered quite forward or daring or maybe even racy for its release date of 1954. If you're familiar with Japanese culture around this time, you know that tradition ruled and emotions and personal issues were skirted around and rarely confronted head on. The norm was to internalize everything. This movie actually does the opposite, and it does it expertly.

Well acted. Directed with perfection. Poignant dialogue. And composer Ichiro Saito nails the music score with a wonderfully romantic quality. My only critique is the editing is a bit choppy in spots, but it doesn't detract from the overall genius of the film.

I'm well aware that Mikio Naruse is one of those holy cows of film history. Criticising him is some kind of blasphemy.

And yet I'll gladly die painfully on this hill: Every single one of his movies is terrible out of principle.

I've you've seen one Naruse, you've seen them all because there is literally nothing to it. Every single story - this one included - is basically about a ridiculously noble, self-pitying, suffering woman in a world where virtually every man is a smug, condescending parody of a man.

Women always have the moral highground and the whole thing is nothing but a mawkish didactic-play with the depth of a sunday morning cartoon.

It's redundand to say anything about his laughable radical feminism and I want my review to finally get through.

Again, his movies are objectively bad, people just don't (want to) see it because we live in objectively bad times.

The team of Hara, Kawabata, Naruse, and Uehara is back with another inconsistent, too long film about marital (and other) woes. When it's focusing on the love affair between the elderly father, wonderfully played by So Imamura, and his young, child like daughter in law, affectingly portrayed, as usual, by Setsuko H, the film can stand comparison with the master of heartbreaking, Japanese family drama, Ozu. However, when it wanders off into side stories, like the one about the son's mistress and the mistress' room mate, things can, frankly, get a bit dull. Give it a B minus. PS...It's a long time coming but that last scene in a Tokyo park is a real ticker tugger.

I admit it. I'm a sucker for this type of movie. Old black-and-white film, well-acted and scripted, whether Japanese or American, and I'm lost.

Even better, this one has some top-notch dialogue. The scene where the father confronts the brassy mistress of his son has dialogue worthy of more than one Hollywood greats.

This film is a terrific high-class soap opera which brutally examines fracturing personal relationships in one family in post-war Japan. The previous reviewer implies that this is not among this director's great work. All I can say is, if this is a middling effort, then I for one have much movie-viewing pleasure ahead.

Highly recommended.