Late Spring is a tome to the Japanese family. It is Japanese director Ozu’s look, at a 27 year old woman’s point of view on family structure. Setsuko Hara, gives a marvelous performance as Noriko Somiya. She is beautifully captured on film, by Ozu. The actress is helped by Chishu Ryu, who plays her father, Shukichi Somiya, her father. The screenplay was written by Ozu, and Kogu Noda, which was adapted from Noda’s novel, Chichi to musume.
The story is one about living your own life, or giving in to what is expected. Noriko Somiya is happy living with her widowed father. She loves taking care of him. She likes all of his male friends. She even playfully chastises one, who was widowed, and recently remarried. Noriko says it is a horrible thing that the man has married a woman younger than she is. Noriko even flirts with, and goes bike riding with her father’s business associate. He is a little older than she is. He enjoys her company, and wants her to accompany him to a concert. The problem is the man is engaged, and she tells him no. Uzu shows the man greatly disappointed, sitting next to an empty seat, that he bought for Noriko.
Noriko is so devoted to her father, that she doesn’t feel any woman is worthy of him. She does not want him to remarry. She loves him very much, and believes he can’t get along without her. Her aunt, (Haruko Sugimura), has a marriage prospect for her. She wants her niece, to agree. Noriko hesitates, because she likes her life. She talks to her friend, Aye Kitagawa, (Yumeji Tsukioka). Aye is a divorce, who tells Noriko, that she hopes to do better next time. She give Noriko advice, that she doesn’t like. She says an arranged marriage is something good for Noriko. It is only when Noriko’s father, explains to her that she must marry, that she understands. He further states his intention is to remarry. This is a wonderful dialogue, that puts the entire film together. After her conversation, she tells her aunt, that she will marry. Her aunt is delighted, and says she will inform the future husband’s family. Noriko, goes through with her commitment, unhappily conforming to society’s expectations. Her father is shown, after the wedding day, alone and peeling a piece of fruit.
Yasujiro Uzu has given a true visual masterpiece to the audience. He shows the train station at the beginning. He gives a view of Noriko’s life, riding a bicycle to the beach. The camera shows off her beauty during these scenes. There are scenes in the restaurant, that show how she has a special bond with her father, and his male companions. Noriko in these scenes, seems to function, outside of Japanese society. She behaves like one of her father’s friend’s, rather than his daughter. Ozu’s wedding scene, is more of a funeral for Noriko. She is giving up her treasured lifestyle for the expected role of wife. This is her final duty to her father.
Late Spring manages to be one of those films, that can only be liked. It gives a picture of Japanese postwar society. It shows the happy soul Noriko, coming to grips with the reality of her situation. It has dialogue that is powerful and meaningful. Foreign films can be challenging. They often present a different worldview, than many American films. That is what Late Spring does. Its story and the camerawork, make it a unique and special film.