I've seen a handful of 1930's films by director Shimazu Yasujiro, all with less-than-ideal subtitles (if any). This is the earliest one. By 1934, Japan was quickly moving away from silent films to talkies, and Shimazu's Osayo koisugata is a mix of these. Technically, this is a silent film, but a few songs have been added to the background, and in the end there is narration.
The Shimazu films I have seen to date all would seem to be blending comedy and tragedy. Of course, many Japanese directors are known to do so. Yet with his films I have greater difficulty at reaching the emotional tone of the pieces. This film starts poetically, as a painter imagines his model as a lady of past centuries, before the film reveals itself to be set in the present. The artist struggles to find inspiration. The model is sad because the man she loves has problems. They travel to a small spa town, and meet colorful locals, and stuff happens.
This is not one of the more prestigious films by Shimazu, it's pretty basic. Tanaka Kinuyo is always good, but this is a walk-through role for her. What I did like about the film was the contextualization of western-styled Tokyo in the beginning when we see the artist's residence, and the olden day surroundings during the rest of the film. But all in all this film didn't really do much for me.
