Yama no oto

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.

(1954) Sound of the Mountain/ Yama no oto (In Japanese with English subtitles) DRAMA

Adapted from the novel by Yasunari Kawabata, that plays like Yasujirô Ozu movie starring Setsuko Hara as an already married wife Kikuko Ogata married to a husband Shuichi Ogata (Ken Uehara) who cheats on her at the small token while living with her husbands parents. Kikuko(Haras) interventions with other characters is a backdrop to the relationship between her and her stepfather, Shingo Ogata (Sô Yamamura). AS I had pointed out, this is what Ozu does best and that he should not be the the only director to be making these drama movies when they're others. It is subtle and self-explanatory.

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.

"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.