240 Early Summer

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dad1153
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Re: 240 Early Summer

#51 Post by dad1153 » Mon May 18, 2009 11:00 pm

Michael Kerpan wrote:
dad1153 wrote:"Early Summer" is a very good Ozu movie in a filmography (and trilogy) featuring two other outstanding, far superior 'Noriko' pictures. Oh well, two out of three ain't bad!
Maybe you will eventually come to realize that this is, in fact, the equal of the others.
You're probably right. After three viewings "Early Summer" went from 'it's OK' to 'very good' in my Ozu-worshipping eyes, not the 'this is AWESOME' gut reaction from watching "Tokyo Story" and "Late Spring." Give me time, a few more Ozu movies under my belt and a couple of extra viewings and "Early Summer" might just grow on me.

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HerrSchreck
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Re: 240 Early Summer

#52 Post by HerrSchreck » Tue May 19, 2009 5:41 pm

You cite the transcendance of melodrama-- and it's "usual trappings"-- as the strengths of Late Spring & Tokyo Story, but something tells me deep down that its standard melodrama that you're missing in Early Summer. You're missing the glassy eyes & throat lump that you got from the aforementioned, which you're not getting here, and thus you feel the film is 'weaker' or less powerful. Maybe?

It's true that ES may not trigger the gushers of the aforementioned two titles, but that's because it's a different kind of film, and explores a different (perhaps more consistently broad range of) emotional terrain.. with some great humor along the way.

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dad1153
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Re: 240 Early Summer

#53 Post by dad1153 » Tue May 19, 2009 8:25 pm

You're mostly right (and the light comedic moments are a welcome change of pace from the dreariness of the other 'Noriko' movies) but it's not the tears and throat lump I felt with the other two movies that I missed from my "Early Summer" experience. It's that feeling that I just witnessed something profound, deep and bigger than myself, the movie characters and/or the situations they were staging for my (and pressumably Master Ozu's) enjoyment. "ES" spreads its dramatic/pathos around too many characters and family situations for over two hours, which is why I was surprised Ozu went for the cheap trick of having Noriko bust out crying at the end. Without engaging in such histrionics the Noriko from "Late Spring" and "Tokyo Story" broke my heart, proof that if there is pathos to be felt in "ES" it will come from repeated viewing of the movie for me to soak over the multitude of pathos experienced by most of the characters. This only further cements the mastery of "LS" and "TS" to engage and grip me on first viewing, probably the result of its more streamlined cast of characters and tighter plot.

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Michael Kerpan
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Re: 240 Early Summer

#54 Post by Michael Kerpan » Tue May 19, 2009 10:27 pm

The "proposal" scene in ES is my favorite scene in any movie by anyone ever. Is it "profound"? I don't know and I don't care. I just know that it made me an Ozu addict -- on first viewing.

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dad1153
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Re: 240 Early Summer

#55 Post by dad1153 » Tue May 19, 2009 11:44 pm

The deathbed scene in "There Was A Father" (my first Ozu movie) did it for me. Different strokes, different folks, same master storyteller! :)

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Re: 240 Early Summer

#56 Post by movielocke » Fri Mar 21, 2014 4:22 pm

I cannot believe I missed out on watching this masterpiece for so long. Early Summer is tremendous, one of Ozu's finest films, and in my opinion it's the best of his series of films that dealt with the marriage question as a central tenet of the plot. I was startled to find out just how funny the film is. I love the gentle domestic humor of his films, but this seems to be an exceptional example of his particular gifts, where every moment seems to click and land, the whole film the comedy feels effortless, natural and spot on.

I've often felt in his marriage films that there is an undercurrent of criticism of the system, and here that is definitely prominent, as the only way Noriko can have any self-determination in her own fate is to make a snap decision late in the film, when a less distasteful alternative suddenly presents itself, offering her a figurative, as well as literal, escape from the well-meaning machinations of the family she's been subject to for the rest of the film. It's fascinating that in confirming the system--she gets married in a semi arranged fashion--she is also undermining it, because she escapes an arranged marriage and also chooses to marry someone socially unacceptable (a single parent). The latter point about her marrying a man who already has a child seemed a nice continuation of Ozu's direct condemnation of society's treatment of orphans in Record of a Tenement Gentleman.

I also found it fascinating that by having a character explictly question whether Noriko was interested in men, followed by a direct question of whether or not she chased women (was homo sexual) managed to implicitly imply that the 40 year old man is probably homosexual (or would be a philanderer, either way a very unhappy outcome her family is probably forcing her into). On the otherhand, shouldn't we perhaps give the poor unseen man the same benefit of the doubt we give Noriko? There is an interesting parallel between the two, when so much is made of the Noriko's tremendous age (she's 28, the horrors!) and the family suddenly has doubts when they realize the unseen bachelor is also of a shocking elderlyness. Perhaps he is someone, like Noriko, who also doesn't want to participate in this social ritual; perhaps he even has the same or similar reasons that Noriko has.

In any event, the film is flawless, one of Ozu's finest pieces, and possibly my second favorite of his, after There Was a Father (which pushes Tokyo Story down to third, I think). I hope the film gets an upgrade soon, the print on the dvd is fine, but prone to several minor problems throughout that could and should be fixed.

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Michael Kerpan
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Re: 240 Early Summer

#57 Post by Michael Kerpan » Fri Mar 21, 2014 4:51 pm

Glad you liked this one.

Noriko's decision here is interesting -- she is really not deciding simply to marry a man, but to become a part of a family (that includes not just the man, but his mother and his little daughter). If she went with her family's pick, she would likewise be "marrying into a family" -- but not one she knew and liked and felt comfortable with.

For personal reasons, my favorite scene (the "proposal") is now a bit sad for me. But I still love the film immensely.

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whaleallright
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Re: 240 Early Summer

#58 Post by whaleallright » Fri Mar 21, 2014 5:02 pm

Noriko's decision also reflects a decision (maybe conscious, maybe not--there's no way to know) to honor her late brother's memory. indeed that's one of the ways to interpret the final shots of waving grain, as either a metaphor for and/or the transubstantiation of her brother and by extension all of the Japanese war dead. the grandeur of this final shot stands out, presumably for a reason.

(recall that Noriko's future husband was her brother's best friend, and she's nostalgic for the time they spent together as a group, before the war. in one of his (last?) letters home, her brother enclosed part of a stalk of grain from Manchuria. I'm told the Japanese title translates to something like "wheat- (or barley-) harvest season.")
Last edited by whaleallright on Sat Mar 22, 2014 8:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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movielocke
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Re: 240 Early Summer

#59 Post by movielocke » Fri Mar 21, 2014 5:08 pm

I love all the layers and complexities embedded within Noriko's decision. The family dimension is a good illustration, I think she even says, "I will join your family" to the mother--and the daughter must have factored into her decision as well, perhaps she is thinking she can help raise the adopted daughter to break further with social restrictions than she was able to. I do feel sorry for her husband though, who did not get to make a decision--on the other hand he got to make a career decision, and there's an interesting parallel between a man being able to decide upon a career and a woman being able to decide upon a marriage. Both decisions are disruptive for the families, and both are made independently of family consultation. And his career was sort of 'match-makered' as well by Chishu Ryu recommending him.

I also wonder about the subtext of Noriko's final scene with her boss, I believe this is the only scene where the two are alone together, and he wonders aloud to her if she would have accepted his suit. She really has no answer for him, but Hara's performance made me wonder if Noriko did have some attraction to her boss. I assume the professional distances between the two of them, as well as perhaps the potential it would be seen as scandalous if coworkers did marry, made broaching the topic out of the question?

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Michael Kerpan
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Re: 240 Early Summer

#60 Post by Michael Kerpan » Fri Mar 21, 2014 5:18 pm

"Bakushu" refers to the first grain crop of the agricultural year (it can apparently be either barley or wheat). It takes place around mid-June.

There is some nostalgia in Noriko's decision to be sure -- but one gets the impression that she also affirmatively loves her the older neighbor lady and the lady's grand-daughter. There is a certain warmth there that Noriko does not really seem to share with her own family.

I suspect that Noriko found her boss more than a little creepy. Perhaps she had seen "Dragnet Girl" and knew she should be suspicious of such a smooth operator.

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Re: 240 Early Summer

#61 Post by movielocke » Sun Mar 23, 2014 9:39 pm

while I was sweeping and cleaning up the house today I put on the Donald Richie commentary.

Did you know that one of the unique characteristics of Ozu's cinema is that his sets were constructed? His sets were constructed! but he's thought of realist, how do we resolve the cognitive dissonance of this unique insanity?

And did you know Ozu often thought about his compositions? This is unique compared to all other cinema, which compositions are all happy accidents?

Did you know that all of Ozu's details in his films are chosen details? In choosing a detail, he covers the detail with his Ozuness making each detail metaphysically unique from all other film details which are not as Ozu-ey.

Did you know Ozu edits his films carefully? He took such care with editing. As we all know, other films are not edited, especially not carefully?

I'm amazed, I never realized that Ozu used lighting, constructed sets, and edited his films together--just insanity how talented and unique he was.

:/

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manicsounds
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Re: 240 Early Summer

#62 Post by manicsounds » Sun Mar 23, 2014 11:25 pm

Yup, all of his interiors were done in studio. For low angle camera shots, the sets were built a few feet above the ground, so cameras could be placed lower, sometimes in a hidden trap door with the top of the camera sticking out.

Watch the other bonus feature on the disc to hear cast and crew talk about it as well, including scouting exterior locations by walking around (actually near where I live) for hours at a time.

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Re: 240 Early Summer

#63 Post by low » Sun Mar 23, 2014 11:52 pm

In addition to the aforementioned trap doors, I seem to remember reading something about how the floor plans were specially designed to accommodate his preferred 50mm focal length (as the field of view would tend to be a bit too narrow, otherwise). I haven't listened to the commentary in some time, but I'd imagine that's what impressed Richie.

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Re: 240 Early Summer

#64 Post by Michael Kerpan » Tue Mar 25, 2014 11:25 am

I suspect a Donald Richie video essay would have been more useful (but then I prefer video essays to full-length commentaries in almost all cases -- except for Herzog commenting on his own fims).

Ozu (like Ford -- among others) essentially edited his films in the shooting process (specifying exactly how many frames should be shot, etc.). Not unique -- but not common -- then or now (supposedly).

Did you know that amost all the props in Ozu's films were furnished by himself and his crew, rather than relying on Shochiku's prop department (I forget in Richie mentions this).

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Re: 240 Early Summer

#65 Post by whaleallright » Tue Mar 25, 2014 4:57 pm

.

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Re: 240 Early Summer

#66 Post by hmarote » Tue Aug 20, 2019 10:45 pm

I just watched the film and wandered why mr yabe seems to dislike the news that he is getting married again. His mother even told him to show his feelings about that. He doesn't want to remarried or he doesn't like noriko as his wife? Maybe there's still someone there..

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Re: 240 Early Summer

#67 Post by Michael Kerpan » Tue Aug 20, 2019 11:05 pm

Presumably he thinks of Noriko as more like a little sister than as a woman he might want to marry -- but, aside from that, the engagement (and the way his mother delivers the news) is pretty shocking abrupt. My guess (wish?) is that the marriage will be reasonably happy (but we will never know). ;-)

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Re: 240 Early Summer

#68 Post by dustybooks » Sun Nov 03, 2019 4:35 pm

I saw this for the first time over the weekend and was deeply moved, to the point that no words seem to quite capture it. It’s my seventh Ozu I think but my favorite thus far — I found its family of disparate characters, the subtle but complex series of strikingly lifelike events and the masterful performances so compelling that I didn’t want to leave the world of the film. More than anything the languid rhythm of it really stuck to me, given that the narrative is subtle but of immense importance to the characters themselves; Ozu’s sheer respect for human emotion (which is never presented in simplistic terms), and the seriousness with which he takes it, feels like the ideal form of cinematic melodrama to me. To borrow a phrase used upthread by HerrSchreck, just glancing at that family portrait leaves me with “glassy eyes and throat lump.”
Last edited by dustybooks on Mon Nov 04, 2019 12:03 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: 240 Early Summer

#69 Post by Michael Kerpan » Sun Nov 03, 2019 11:20 pm

Seeing this (and Tokyo Story -- on the same weekend) definitely changed the course of my life. ;-)

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Re: 240 Early Summer

#70 Post by FilmSnob » Sat Sep 12, 2020 9:31 am

Michael Kerpan wrote:
Fri Mar 21, 2014 5:18 pm
I suspect that Noriko found her boss more than a little creepy. Perhaps she had seen "Dragnet Girl" and knew she should be suspicious of such a smooth operator.
I just watched Early Summer for the first time tonight, so I hardly consider myself an expert. As with all Ozu films, this will need multiple re-watches and every time I'm sure I will love it more and discover something new. But I did notice Noriko's boss making sex jokes (with food as euphemisms) during the conversation with her friend Aya. Then Ozu's very next scene was the one with Noriko and Mr. Yabe when he mentions the book and the stalk of wheat. Seems to me an important contrast between everyone in her family wanting her to marry money, her boss trying to hook her up with a playboy, and Noriko choosing to marry for love and trustworthiness instead.

Very much an assertive choice of her own volition.

Also, I'm certain Ozu drew a ton of inspiration from Setsuko Hara and Kōzaburō Yoshimura's film Temptation (1948) when he made Late Spring (1949) the following year. There are also some ideas he took from The Blue Mountains, the film Hara made right before Late Spring. Similarly, I just watched Setsuko Hara star in Akira Kurosawa's The Idiot the other night, and Ozu starts Early Summer with a music box playing over the introduction to the Mamiya home, something Kurosawa had used in Mifune's home in The Idiot a few months earlier. I think there may have been a little bit of Taeko Nasu's character present in Noriko's heart. She calls herself an "old maid" at one point, implying nobody respectful would want her at that age when she's leftover "Christmas cake". She's certainly not interested in marrying for sex, money, or out of fear that she might wind up alone. The question of whether she felt compelled to marry, or whether she genuinely wanted to marry, could be as simple as a sudden revelation and change of heart.

That's why I felt the wheat/book scene with Noriko and Yabe, and the film's title, and the last shot of the wheat field so much. Most people get married in the early-mid Spring of their life, certainly in Japan at that time, and Noriko's previous incarnation had been pressured into getting married as possibly her last chance in Late Spring. But the Early Summer of her life, she may very well have felt resigned, yet content, to staying single all her life, and living with her family. Until her dead brother's friend gave her that gift, a symbol of fertility that was finally ripe for harvest.

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Re: 240 Early Summer

#71 Post by Michael Kerpan » Sat Sep 12, 2020 10:17 am

In a sense, Noriko is marrying into a family she loves -- not just marrying Yabe-san. This resonates for me. My wife found the warmth and demonstrativeness of my family a big positive. ;-)

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Re: 240 Early Summer

#72 Post by whaleallright » Sat Sep 12, 2020 4:04 pm

It's probably also worth noting that Hara was a staple of wartime-era patriotic films (as a kind of virginal emblem of Japanese womanhood) and for Japanese, her portrayal of Noriko would probably be invested with echoes of those characters. For that reason among others, the part of Noriko's decision that honors her fallen brother might have loomed large to the film's original audiences.

This gets my vote as the greatest film I've ever seen FWIW.

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Re: 240 Early Summer

#73 Post by FilmSnob » Sat Sep 12, 2020 11:38 pm

whaleallright wrote:
Sat Sep 12, 2020 4:04 pm
It's probably also worth noting that Hara was a staple of wartime-era patriotic films (as a kind of virginal emblem of Japanese womanhood) and for Japanese, her portrayal of Noriko would probably be invested with echoes of those characters. For that reason among others, the part of Noriko's decision that honors her fallen brother might have loomed large to the film's original audiences.
Excellent point. And in Tokyo Story of course, after the Occupation ended, Noriko finally has to make the painful decision to move on from the memory of her dead husband.

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Re: 240 Early Summer

#74 Post by FilmSnob » Sat Sep 12, 2020 11:39 pm

Michael Kerpan wrote:
Tue Mar 15, 2005 11:09 pm
Michael Grost seems to miss the fact that there are, in fact, three generations of women being bound by affection, not two. Noriko has a strong affection for Yabe's little daughter -- as well as his mother. One wonders what link Noriko had with Yabe's late wife -- could the two have been close friends? Lots of unanswered questions in the film.

This discussion has inspired me to revisit Ozu's post-war films. So far I've watched "Tenement Gentleman" and "Hen in the Wind". Both have only tiny amounts of camera movement ("Hen" having a bit more) -- in all instances, simply tracking moving characters.
MK, I believe Ozu was criticized around the time of Who's Who of the Tenement and A Hen in the Wind, that if he wasn't careful, his career might stagnate. He was missing some kind of forward momentum and needed to break away from the war and the aftermath of the war which he saw all around him. To that point, I believe Ozu used more camera movement 1949-1952 to kind of move forward with his narrative style, just as his individual camera movement choices were often meant to move the plot forward or foreshadow the passing of time.

Some examples:

In Late Spring, there are two tracking shots that I can recall. One where Noriko runs away from her father after the Noh play. He's startled by her behavior, but also realizes in that moment what must be done. The camera follows him as he walks after Noriko and starts to push her out of the house from that moment forward. The other tracking shot takes place when Somiya and his sister walk up to the temple to offer their prayers. Noriko's father and her aunt are literally moving forward with their plan at the same moment that Ozu is moving forward with his camera. I think that's one way Ozu used camera movement in the post war films, right after some big argument when he wanted to move forward with the story.

In Early Summer, there's a transition after everyone leaves a room, and it's empty, and the camera starts moving forward. Ozu immediately match cuts to more camera movement at the theater, which is empty. A few moments earlier, it had been the scene of a great performance. I think Ozu used camera movement in this way too -- mono no aware -- foreshadowing the change of time and the change that will take place for the Mamiya family later in the film.
Last edited by FilmSnob on Sat Sep 12, 2020 11:56 pm, edited 5 times in total.

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Michael Kerpan
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Re: 240 Early Summer

#75 Post by Michael Kerpan » Sun Sep 13, 2020 9:53 am

People were bothered by (and unreceptive to) Tenement Gentleman and Hen in the Wind because they rather explicitly criticized bad Japanese behavior in the immediate post-war period -- and neither audiences nor critics were particularly interested in such criticism. He made the same "mistake" with Early Spring and (even moreso) Tokyo Twilight -- for the period of the early post-war boom -- and got a similar frosty reception. Especially after the latter films, he recognized that criticism had to be coated by large quantities of humor.

The films between the first group of "failures" and the second seem to try out all sorts of different ideas and techniques. Late Spring, in particular, seems to draw a lot from Hollywood (albeit mixed with massive amounts of Japanese traditional material). After all, Ozu watched massive amounts of Hollywood material when he was supposed to be spending full time doing a propaganda film while based in Singapore -- and it is easy to imagine he had an urge to play with techniques he found interesting.

One aspect of Late Spring I find especially interesting is the extremely physical aspect of Hara's performance -- which rivals (but is very different from) what one saw from her the year before in Oba's Woman of the Typhoon District. In Oba's film she plays a vamp (modeled on Rita Hayworth, perhaps), while she strikes me as very much a grown-up tomboy (pardon the expression). Hara would never exhibit the same degree of "energy" in an Ozu film (though we do see an outburst of this sort of behavior at the end of Naruse's Sudden Rain).

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