Naruse - Volume One

Sound of the Mountain.

Sound of the Mountain is a perfect representation of the shomin-geki film (films concerning the lifes of ordinary people) which focuses on the tender relationship between the wife of a philandering husband and her father-in-law - excellent performances from Ozu regular and 'Greta Garbo of Japan' Setsuko Hara and the prolific So Yamamura. It's an extremely contemplative and measured film with restrained emotion typical of Japanese society of the time. There is an underlying sorrow and quiet pessimism throughout which erupts in the superb frank and revelatory climax.

[Highly rated reviewer]

L'Atalante japanese style

Repast shows your standard Japanese marriage, hard workiung husband who takes his wifes duties for granted and a wife spending all day on the upkeep of the house on a low budget. A neice visiting from Tokyo causes some friction (by polite Japanese standards) and the wife decides to go off to Tokyo which she misses. Will she stary from her husband, will he cope without her ? Its pretty obvious what will happen but its still done in a simple elegant style to keep you watching. Another of the films as done by Ozu where the directors seem to have been ordered to show the sort of behaviour that is expected of the population. Will try another one but this was far from essential viewing.