Ozu, Yasujiro, 1903-1963
The Noriko trilogy
The Noriko trilogy; : Late spring : Early summer : Tokio Story [registo video] / Yasujiro Ozu. - Japão : Filme Daiei, 2004. - 3 DVD (ca 110 min.) + (ca 135 min.) + (ca 140 min.) : Original academy ratio, region: 2 PAL, . - romance . - - japonês . - - dvd 1 - In the first film,Late Spring,Professor Shukichi Somiya (Chisyu Ryu) has dedicated much of his time and energy to his studies, leaving his daughter, Noriko (Setsuko Hara), with the task of managing their household. It is a comfortable and nurturing environment that suits them well until one day when Noriko meets an old family friend, a widower named Onodera (Masao Mishima), who has recently remarried. Onodera reminds Shukichi of his parental duties to see Noriko marry, and Shukichi's sister, Masa Taguchi (Haruko Sugimura), suggests that his assistant, Hattori (Jun Usami), should make a suitable husband for Noriko. Upon hearing that Hattori and Noriko spent an afternoon together bicycling to the beach, Shukichi attempts to elicit Noriko's feelings on the subject of marriage, but is derailed when she explains that Hattori is already engaged. Unfazed by the disappointing news, Masa then presents Noriko with a new prospect named Satake, a Tokyo University graduate with a promising future at Nitto Chemicals who, she assuredly describes, looks just like Gary Cooper, "especially his mouth …but not the top half." In an attempt to persuade Noriko to meet the potential suitor, Masa casually brings up the topic of her plans to act as a matchmaker between Shukichi and an attractive young widow named Mrs. Miwa (Kuniko Miyake), and Shukichi continues the deception in order to help Noriko overcome her ambivalence. After observing a polite exchange between Shukichi and Mrs. Miwa during a Noh play, Noriko realizes that things cannot remain as they are, and gradually comes to a sad realization and acceptance of a life apart from her adoring father. . - dvd 2 - In the second film,Early Summer,
An independent-minded 28-year old woman living in cosmopolitan, postwar Tokyo may seem immune from the societal pressures of marriage, but in Noriko's (Setsuko Hara) environment, it is a perennially surfacing, unavoidable topic. Her father, Shukichi (Ichirô Sugai), and mother, Shige (Chieko Higashiyama), are unable to retire to her uncle's house in the provincial town of Yamato until their duty to marry off Noriko to a worthy suitor has been fulfilled. Her visits with school friends invariably break down into playful arguments between the married and unmarried women. Even her office director offers to introduce her to a 40-year old business acquaintance, providing her photographs of the obscured prospective suitor to take home to show her family. Upon learning of Noriko's suitor, her brother Koichi (Chishu Ryu) takes it upon himself to investigate the businessman's suitability (as the businessman similarly dispatches a detective to inquire about Noriko), and encourages their marriage, despite the age difference. Meanwhile, Koichi's recently widowed friend and colleague, Kenkichi Yabe (Ryudan Nimoto) has been transferred to an agricultural province. During Noriko's farewell visit to the Yabe family, Kenkichi's mother (Haruko Sugimura) confesses her hope for her son to marry Noriko, an offer that she impulsively accepts. However, her family is less receptive to the idea, believing that Kenkichi's modest income and young child would lead their beloved Noriko to a life of hardship. . - In the third film,Tokyo Story,
[The] story of the Hirayamas, an aging couple from the provincial town of Onomichi who travel to postwar reconstructed Tokyo in order to visit their children, who, in turn, seem to have little interest or time to be with them. Their pediatrician son promises to take them sightseeing through Tokyo, only to be called away on an emergency. Their daughter Shige (Haruko Sugimura) promises to take them to the theater, but cannot leave her beauty salon. Only their widowed daughter-in-law, Noriko (Setsuko Hara), seems genuinely pleased to see them, and takes a day off from work to show them around Tokyo. Not knowing how to entertain their parents (and to save money), the siblings decide to send them to a noisy, crowded spa. Unable to enjoy themselves, the elderly couple return early, only to be sent away for the evening when their unexpected arrival interferes with Shige's scheduled club meeting. Consequently, Mrs. Hirayama (Chieko Higashiyama) spends a final evening with Noriko before heading back to Onomichi, and Mr. Hirayama (Chishu Ryu) finds some old friends in town, hoping to be invited to spend the evening, but in the process, gets hopelessly drunk. On the following day, Mrs. Hirayama offers the adult children some words of reassurance at the train station, and the couple leave. . - --DVD / Drama--Romance / CDU 733
