Widowed Sumiko Kurishima has a new man, but he is disturbed by her son, Fumio Hayashi. It's not that he isn't sympathetic to his issues, but he goes around with a sad face all the time. So Miss Kurishima farms him out to one of her four sisters. But they are all too poor and too busy to take care of an additional child.
It's the first film from a novel by Fumiko Hayashi, who grew up in a similar situation, and under the direction of Shirô Toyoda, his attempts to stand on his own are very compelling. These are two names that have faded in importance, if they were ever known much outside of Japan. Miss Hayashi died in 1951 atthe age of 47; that was the year when Naruse filmed MESHI, based on her writing, and the year before he directed the excellent INAZUMA. Toyoda, despite a career that began in 1925 as a writer and extended through 1976 and more than sixty movies, never earned more than nominations and honorable mentions at international festivals. He died in 1977 at the age of 71, and deserves a better reputation.
