Early Spring (1956)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ 

Early Spring (1956) – Y. Ozu

Yasujirô Ozu offers a negative view of the salaryman’s life in 1950s Tokyo, following a young man (Ryô Ikebe) who is stuck in a daily routine with little promise of change.  Even his mentors remark “I hate my job” (Chishû Ryû, whose character has been transferred to distant Lake Biwa) or quit to run a coffee shop instead (Sô Yamamura).  His peers mostly distract themselves with mah-jong in the evenings and outings on the weekends and gossip about each other.  Most are married, as is Ikebe’s character, but he seems to be going through the routine at home too.  His wife (Chikage Awashima) is unsatisfied too and spends most of her time confiding in her mother or best friend, who offer different responses.  When Ikebe is targeted romantically by a flirtatious woman in his circle, nicknamed Goldfish (Keiko Kishi), he gives in and then regrets it.  However, it is impossible to hide from his wife.  Then each character reflects on how this affects the marriage.  Although atypically glum for Ozu, who usually keeps a moderate level of existential awe in even his saddest features (e.g., Tokyo Story, 1953), the film remains as absorbing as all of his best work.  Somehow the characters draw you in with their complex feelings and predicaments – as usual, they speak directly to the camera while Ozu uses unusual shot-reverse shot configurations during conversations.  This might heighten our involvement psychologically. Or perhaps it is Ozu’s focus on family relationships and the predicaments of the lower and middle class (typical of the shomin-geki genre) that makes his films feel relevant. Finally, even if you don’t feel sympathy for the central protagonist, Ozu’s expertise is such that he makes you feel the humanity of the situation from every perspective and allows us hope for the future.