Early Summer (1951) User Reviews

much more than a family drama

[dromasca · 9/10 · 30 October 2009]

There are several repeating themes and symbols in Ozu's movies, especially the three films in his famous trilogy around the Japanese 50s where 'Early Summer' is the second installment. For example the film starts with a seashore shot, with waves hitting the sand in eternity and ends with the image of an endless field and a mountain in the background. There two vibrant images are prelude and ending to a film which superficially can be called a feminist family drama, an apparently banal story of a nice and independent girl in a traditional family under pressure to get married. And yet there is a meaning in the relation between the day-to-day family life and the universal dimension of nature - an almost sacred dimension I would say. Ozu treats family life with the full attention and respect that a great artist approaches big universal themes. For him the family is the basic building block of the Japanese society, and family relations are the fabric of the society. Day to day life is filmed with piety, as in a religious ceremony.

Recurring themes abound in 'Early Summer' and will be easily recognized by those who have seen the first film in the trilogy - 'Late Spring': Ozu's passion for trains. The theater as a component of the spiritual life, and as an institution that enables communication between the characters. No music or just minimalist soundtrack as the minuet track that accompanies the family scenes, enhancing the feelings of joy and ritualism. And of course, we have here again the magnificent Setsuko Hara, with the fragility, dignity and interior light that makes of her the Japanese Ingrid Bergman.

By telling an apparently minimalistic family story Ozu tells here again a story about the Japan he was living in, a country trying to come to terms with itself after an horrific war, defeat and occupation. What strikes at the first sight is the normality - the first few tens of minutes of the film could have happened in any of the Western countries of the period and almost nothing reminds the pressure of history around. And yet, this does exist. The elder parents carry with them the memory of a disappeared son. In a restaurant, at the end of a scene where the characters rejoice in jubilation at memories of their young age and past years, and about how the place remained unchanged a rare (at Ozu) move of camera discovers a wall hidden until then with a poster advertising an American airline. The message is low-key but yet distinct and clear - the victors of the war may have imposed their economic and political structures, but the level of pollution of the day-to-day life is relatively low and has little signification relative to the big picture. Eternal Japan survives, tradition, focus on work, and on family life is the key if this survival.

From a visual point of view 'Early Summer' is an even more sophisticated and beautiful film than 'Late Spring'. Many of the scenes of the interiors of the Japanese houses are magnificent, with a symmetric framing of the space, and successive walls and sliding doors that define the perspective and allow for concurrent movements or dialogs to happen in parallel giving a feeling of complexity in the good sense of the word, and helping actually explain the intrigue and progress it all around. Acting is superb, with some of the actors returning here from previous films of Ozu, who directs their words, silence, and movements with sympathy and deep understanding. Even if some of the dialogs at the end of the film are too explicit and sounded didactic and melodramatic to my contemporary and 'Western' taste, by the time we have gotten there we are already knowing and trusting the characters too well so that we can forgive them for speaking a few wooden language words.

It's a simple and sensible film, and a good introduction for those who start exploring the Ozu universe.

A wonderful discovery

[brendastern · 9/10 · 15 October 2007]

I had seen Tokyo Story and respected it. But Early Summer is a charming, poignant and very human movie that stands the test of time. It is the story of Noriko, a 28-year-old administrative assistant who is under pressure from her family to marry. To put this in perspective, in traditional Japan, a woman married by age 25, or she was considered a "Christmas cake "-- nobody wanted it after the 25th! It is not as common in Japan now for women to face such pressure, especially since so many Japanese women are choosing to stay single, now that they have the money to be independent. However, Noriko's case would have been common up until the current generation of women.

While the war is not a character in the movie, there are threads that connect Early Summer to World War II. The movie takes place in 1951, just before Japan emerged from the U.S. occupation, and before Japanese society had its great explosion of wealth in the 1960s. It is a snapshot of a time that no longer exists, although the family conflicts are universal. I plan to add Early Summer to my list of top movies and look forward to viewing it again.

Serene

[gbill-74877 · 8/10 · 12 May 2018]

There is a great harmony in everything about this film, which has a Japanese family of three generations wondering if it's time for the 28-year-old daughter (Setsuko Hara) to get married, and proposing an opportune match. Director Yasujiro Ozu uses many of his trademarks, both in content (e.g. two rascally little boys adding a cute element) and in style (e.g. with regular use of those shots from the mat, directly into a character's face as he or she speaks). While some of those things and the overall primness of the film threatened to get on my nerves, I have to say, I enjoyed it, and it finished strong.

In the film, Ozu gives us lessons in being gentle, patient, and bearing with the inevitable changes in life, and he does it in a simple way. Hara seems to be constantly smiling and cheery which may seem a little one-dimensional, but she ultimately stands up for herself in her own, non-confrontational way. The conversation she has with her friend, where the two discuss whether a love based on trust and friendship is true love, is deeply meaningful. The conversation she has with her sister-in-law while they're at the beach, the only one Ozu ever used a crane for, and where they talk about sacrifice and living a life without a lot of money, is as well.

The film gradually builds you to these strong late scenes, so if you're less into it early on, I would encourage patience. The subtle way in which a possible marriage is discussed, and not directly by the two involved (being intentionally vague here), is both cute and an insight into the culture. There are also universal, sentimental themes. The mother and father (Chieko Higashiyama and Ichiro Sugai) turn in strong performances, and the scene where they talk about a son who was missing in action in the war is striking. Their posing for a family picture, all smiles and jovial between takes, but then looking solemn before the picture is taken, is fantastic. The father's silence and patience as events in his family unfold culminates eventually in him recognizing that we all wish we could stay together with family members as they are, but that things inevitably change. It's quite beautiful.

Delightful, & A Triumph For Ozu's Style

[Snow Leopard · 11 April 2005]

Ozu's "Early Summer" is a delightful movie to watch, pleasant and light in its story, yet thoughtful and sensitive in a good many respects. It is also a triumph for Ozu's simple-looking but carefully conceived style of film-making, and the material in the story parallels the style in a natural but satisfying manner.

So many of Ozu's movies portray the distinctive characteristics of the Japan of his day, and yet do so in a way that make the characters and their situations seem almost universal. By focusing so much of the running time on repeated daily routines, even the habits and customs unique to its own society become points of identification, since routines are routines, regardless of how they might differ from one time and place to another.

Here, the family relationships among the central characters are fleshed out carefully, so as to create many possibilities in the interactions between the various generations. There is significant screen time given to many different characters, and all of them are worth getting to know. Noriko (Setsuko Hara) is the main character, in that she ties together her family with the characters outside of it, and as the movie proceeds, it is her life that gradually becomes the main focus. Ozu's presentation of the preoccupation that the other characters have with Noriko's unmarried status is both believable and perceptive. Hara is very endearing in the role, and she does very well in portraying her relationships with and her reactions to the other characters.

Given that Ozu deliberately makes very sparing use of camera movement and similar techniques, in favor of simple but carefully composed settings that emphasize the characters themselves, there is a nice parallel in the way that the story proceeds and the main questions are resolved. The characters' heartfelt decisions are shown to be more worthwhile than meticulous arrangements. As tends to happen with his films, a pleasing pattern with a ring of truth to it emerges, almost unexpectedly. It's enjoyable to watch, and an admirable display of cinematic skill.

Superb understated and subtle cinematography, beaming and lovely main character, Ozu transforms what might be a moderately interesting peek into a family's life into a rich and delightful film

[Dilip · 10/10 · 22 September 2003]

I am writing this minutes after I finished watching this lovely 1951 film on video, "Bakushu" ("Early Summer"). It is my first introduction to the work of Yasujiro Ozu, who directed and co-wrote the film. Ozu (b.1903, d.1963), who directed over 50 films from the 1920s-1960s, is probably most famous for his film "Tokyo Monogatari" ("Tokyo Story") of 1953, which is cited by some film critics as one of the ten best films made.

"Early Summer" is the second of three films in which Setsuko Hara plays an unmarried young woman, aged 28 in "Bakushu", named Noriko (also in Ozu's 1949 "Banshun" or "Late Spring", and in "Tokyo Story"). Her always beaming and confident smile, mischievous but loving laughter, and unselfish and loving manner are a constant joy to experience - she's the kind of person anybody would love to have as a friend. Noriko lives in post-WW II Tokyo as part of an extended family of her parents along her somewhat stern brother (a doctor) and his warm wife and their two spoiled young sons, aged approximately 3 and 6. The family partially depends on her income as an office clerk of sorts.

The central theme is the family's concern that carefree Noriko is unmarried. A proposal comes in from a man twelve years her senior; the family feels this is a great opportunity that they hope she will respond positively to. How she takes all this in stride and works through the gentle pressure of getting married is the plot of the film, but the understated, low-key and low-angle camera shots make what might otherwise be an unexceptional story sweetly captivating and delightful.

I am reminded in this film of my favorite director, Satyajit Ray. Like Ray, at least in "Bakushu", Ozu very effectively uses minimal dialogue, little or no music, and subtlety to draw the viewer into the setting and paint a realistic picture of everyday life.

I felt instant connection with Setsuko Hara as vivacious and indomitable Noriko. Her brother, Koichi (Chishu Ryu) was impeneterably unemotional, probably stereotypically so. Koichi's wife, Aya Tamura (Chikage Awashima) seemed a tamer version of Noriko, almost like an older sister from the same roots. The parents Shukichi Mamiya (Ichiro Sugai) and his wife Shige (Chieko Higashiyama) were realistically portrayed as being content in fulfilling their familial responsibilities, and provided an even emotional keel.

If this is at all typical of Yasujiro Ozu's films, then I am anxious to seek out and start to enjoy his many other creations. The film moves at life's pace, but Ozu transforms what might be a moderately interesting peek into one family's life into a rich and delightful tapestry.

--Dilip Barman Sept. 21, 2003

Charming comic variation on Ozu's typical theme

[lqualls-dchin · 10/10 · 18 May 2003]

"Early Summer" is the second of three films in which Setsuko Hara played a character named Noriko (the first was "Late Spring"; the third was "Tokyo Story"); in all three, the martial status of Noriko is a major plot device. In "Early Summer", as in "Late Spring", the problem is that Noriko is still unmarried, but in "Early Summer", Noriko is part of a large extended family, and their interactions, constant bickering, jovial meddling provide humorous counterpoint. "Early Summer" remains one of the most buoyant of Ozu's films, and shows how he can take the same theme and storyline, and create a comic as opposed to a dramatic work.

Setsuko Hara and Ozu: Perfect Combination

[crossbow0106 · 10/10 · 28 March 2008]

This film stars Setsuko Hara, a regular in Ozu films, who, to me, has to be one of the finest if not the finest actress Japan has ever produced. She exudes warmth in her roles and when she smiles can rightly be considered beautiful. She plays Noriko, a 28 year old single lady her family wants to marry off. If you think you have seen this before in Ozu's "Late Spring", you kind of have, but its still a great film. It is a testament to Ms. Hara's beguiling strength that she can pull off this role so admirably. Unlike "Late Spring" (which is also great), this film is more comic. There are little moments that will make you smile. Noriko's best friend in the film Ayako is also single and they make fun of their married female friends. This movie moves faster than "Late Spring" and the magnificent "Tokyo Story", and it heads towards the end which may fill you with mixed emotions. Ozu, to me, is one of the finest directors ever, from any country. He is a master of subtlety, and the performances he is able to get out of his actors is downright stunning at times. The combination of Ozu and Ms. Hara in film was one of the greatest pairings of actor/director ever. You just love Noriko in this film. The trilogy of "Late Spring", "Early Summer" and "Tokyo Story" is a must watch. I think you'll love it.

Comically Shrewd Ozu Classic on the Liberated Japanese Woman

[EUyeshima · 9/10 · 13 December 2005]

Having just enjoyed the quiet brilliance of Yasujiro Ozu's "Tokyo Monogatari (Tokyo Story)" for the first time last week, I was immediately drawn to another Ozu film released by the Criterion Collection last year, 1951's "Bakushû (Early Summer)". Both movies are part of his classic Noriko trilogy which uses many of the same actors playing characters with the same names but in different roles. Consequently, the great Setsuko Hara portrays a young woman named Noriko in both movies, but this time, she is the liberated daughter (rather than the forlorn daughter-in-law) and also the focal point of the story (rather than the aged parents in "Tokyo Story").

The musical chairs continue with Chishu Ryu playing his real age as Noriko's strong-willed brother Koichi (rather than the resigned grandfather) and Haruko Sugimura playing older as neighbor Tomi, the mother of Noriko's prospective fiancée (versus the conniving daughter Shige). Chieko Higashiyama still plays the grandmother, but her name is not Tomi but Shige, and her husband Shukishi is portrayed by Ichirô Sugai. It's only confusing if you are looking for some kind of plot continuity between the films, but Ozu is primarily interested in reinforcing similar themes of the evolving family unit in post-WWII Japan. This time, he does it in a more comic, sometimes even ribald fashion, and while it doesn't resonate quite as deeply as "Tokyo Story", "Early Summer" is full of Ozu's shrewd observations and insights that make it emotionally affecting, especially as the story takes a surprise turn toward the end.

The story here centers on the Mamiya family, who are trying to find a suitable husband for 28-year old single daughter Noriko. As typical in Japanese culture, several generations live together under one roof, and a frequent subject of conversation is Noriko's lack of a husband. However, she is a member of the new postwar breed of Japanese women. She dresses almost exclusively in Western clothes and holds down an administrative position in an office in the heart of Tokyo. In spirit, Noriko bears a strong resemblance to Elizabeth Bennett in Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice", a point raised by film historian Donald Richie on his informative commentary. She loves to go to dinner with her girlfriends. Of the four friends, two are married and two are unmarried. In a particularly amusing scene, the four have a spirited debate about the pros and cons of married life versus single life.

Noriko is happy with her life as it is and doesn't seem to be too concerned with changing it anytime soon. Nonetheless, the family attempts to fix Noriko up with a successful, 40-year old business associate of her boss. Although polite about the matchmaking effort, she becomes more interested in her neighbor, an old classmate now widowed and left alone with a small daughter and his mother. Noriko prefers that her potential husband is an old friend and that they will slip into their new romantic relationship more easily than two complete strangers. The bigger problem, though, is that she makes her decision without consulting with her family and that's where the familial conflict arises.

Hara continues to be a revelation to me, a beautiful, charismatic actress who radiates goodness and a sense of cunning mischief that is entrancing. The supporting performances are excellent with Sugimura again a standout in a surprising turn as the mother grateful to Noriko for her decision to marry her son Kenkichi. Kuniko Miyake has a bigger, more dimensional role here than in "Tokyo Story", playing yet again the brother's wife Fumiko. She and Hara have a particularly lovely scene on the beach at the end of the film, and the two have a pretty funny scene where they hide their clandestine cake slices from the somnambulant child.

Chikage Awashima portrays Noriko's best friend Aya with feisty charm, goading Noriko to see the man she passed up, impersonating a country bumpkin to preview Noriko's new married life and trading innuendo-heavy barbs with Noriko's politically incorrect boss. This latter interchange is surprisingly adult for 1951, as they even joke that Noriko may be a lesbian for waiting so long to get married. The children play more prominent roles here, and Ozu really plays up their bratty insubordination as they hurl inappropriate epithets when they don't get their way, though their running away from home is the catalyst for Noriko to become attracted to Kenkichi.

Yuuharu Atsuta provides the beautiful cinematography, which is gratefully captured in a fairly pristine print of the film, though I have to believe Ozu is the one most responsible for the simple yet powerful scene compositions. His now familiar low-to-the ground camera angles are used consistently in the film to replicate the perspective of someone sitting on a tatami mat. Lighter and more loosely structured than "Tokyo Story", "Early Summer" is essential viewing for Ozu aficionados and anyone interested in post-WWII Japanese society. Along with Richie's thorough commentary, the DVD package also includes a 47-minute documentary, "Ozu's Films From Behind the Scenes", which includes a table discussion with Ozu's longtime cameraman Takashi Kawamata, his sound and editing assistant Kojiro Suematsu and producer Shizuo Yamanouchi who produced six Ozu films.

Calm, serene and objective look at a family in the midst of social and cultural change

[jennyhor2004 · 7/10 · 20 May 2011]

Calm and serene with a thin plot, "Early Summer" looks at a family and the changes it undergoes as a result of one of its members deciding whether or not to marry. The movie is set in early 1950′s Japan which was under American occupation and associated social influences at the time. Noriko (Setsuko Hara) is a clerk in her late twenties under pressure from her family at home to find a suitable husband. Even her boss at work jokingly suggests she should meet an old school friend of his to see if they're a good match for each other. Noriko sweetly bats off all these hints that she's nearing her meat-market use-by date and should be settling down to obedient, passive housewifely duties. Her social set divides into singleton and married-women camps arguing the pros and cons of single-hood and supposed wedded bliss so she's well aware of what she'd be walking into if she got that gold band on her finger. Interestingly, the one person who doesn't hassle Noriko about getting married is her sister-in-law who's harried by two small sons spoilt by their grandparents.

The visual style of "Early Summer" is highly commendable: the camera positions place considerable physical space between us viewers and the characters. The cameras themselves are set at table height or at the level Japanese people traditionally kneel down to eat at low tables at home. Deep focus fixed-camera shots are used so people are often filmed in the background having conversations or doing things while framed by doorways, furniture and other interior fixtures. If the camera moves at all, it is to track people coming towards it or going away from it, or to pan slowly across the screen over a nature scene. The effect is to give "Easy Summer" a static, almost stage-like quality and viewers will feel very much like voyeurs peeking into people's private business. The very minimal acting places psychological distance between us and the characters. By forcing such physical and psychological distance, viewers observe the story as it develops and don't get deeply involved; this helps to reinforce the film's theme about how change affects families and the relationships within them for better and for worse. We shouldn't get upset if people suffer as this may be a short-term effect of the change and there may be long-term benefits; equally a short-term benefit may lead to adverse long-term effects.

"Early Summer" observes the pressure Noriko is under to conform to tradition and expectations amid fluid social, political and economic conditions, and the frustrations and distress that she experiences when social custom clashes with changing reality. At first she's unwilling to surrender her freedom, financial independence and closeness to her relatives but after continued pressure from family and friends alike, she suddenly decides to marry a widower with a child. The irony of her decision is that her relatives disapprove of the idea of a proved family man as husband over a man aged 40 years who's never married and might not be family-man material; and Noriko's impending marriage means her income will be lost to her family so her brother and his brood must move to a smaller house in Tokyo and the parents must live in the country. The hypocrisy and shallowness inherent in forcing a woman to marry purely to preserve social standing and harmony without thought for practical consequences become apparent.

The acting is so sparing in its expression as to seem stereotyped: most of the women are chirpy and giggle a lot; the men stick to one mode of expression throughout the film so Noriko's boss is usually jovial and her dad and various other aged people usually act bemused at the pace of modern life. Hara does a good job within the limits set by director Ozu at portraying a woman who hides her anger, sorrow and despair behind a cheery and upbeat façade.

Scenes of restless nature (beach scenes of rolling waves near the beginning and the end of the film, a scene at the end of rippling wheat ready for harvest) and of the Tokyo cityscape reflect the ongoing and impassive nature of change. The small children with their obsession with model train sets and demand for lollies and gifts are the focus of a small subplot emphasising generational differences which come with social and cultural change.

Slow and reserved it may be but "Early Summer" isn't at all stodgy; it just glides by, inviting neither scorn nor sympathy for its characters. The film does suffer from not being in colour which would enhance Ozu's style of filming by adding depth to deep focus shots. Mood and atmosphere might be improved with appropriate colour choices in the interior and costume design.

One aspect of "Early Summer" that some viewers might find troubling is the fatalistic attitude expressed by Noriko's parents in their new digs in the country when they kid themselves that they're happy and shouldn't ask for more in life. Their facial expressions suggest their confusion, unhappiness and feeling of being tricked or trapped in some way at the way things have turned out as a result of their daughter bowing to convention and tradition. This moment captures very well the bewilderment of a society caught up in political, economic and social changes not always of its own making.

the space between all things...

[mcshortfilm · 9/10 · 30 August 2005]

I did not know much about Yasujiro Ozu's films prior to seeing Early Summer. I knew he was as big an influence in the West as Akira Kurosawa. It is not difficult to understand Kurosawa's influence since his films were largely influenced by John Ford and his stories were occasionally based on Shakespeare. Ozu, seems to take a quiet and simple approach to the cinematic experience.

"Early Summer" is about a time when families extend and break apart. We are introduced to the Mamiya family, a typical family of 1950's post war Japan, who we see going about their daily life routines. The protagonist is the daughter Noriko, a 28 year old girl whose parents believe is ready to get married. One day, Noriko is recommended a man Takako, who is an associate of her boss. Noriko considers the offer but does not spark much interest. Her parents try to encourage her daughter to marry this man but after learning that Takako is much older, Noriko becomes even more reluctant. One day, their close neighbor Kenkichi, has been offered a job outside of Tokyo and has decided to leave. It is Kenkichi who Noriko suddenly decides to marry. The Mamiya family becomes upset because Kenkichi is not only moving away from home but he is also a widower with a child. The parents soon realize that they will have to accept and nothing will be the same again. The story has a somewhat similar structure to a documentary in that we sometimes feel as though we are witnessing real life as it happens. Much of what occurs throughout the film is not directly connected to the story. There is no surprise or ironic conclusion. Everything seems inevitable and there is no major surprises or conclusions. "Early Summer" helps us think about the essence of selfishness in the Japanese nuclear family. It is uncommon for Japanese families to leave the family because independence is looked down upon. At the same time, it is inevitable that things change for better or for worse. There is a wonderful scene with the grandparents contemplating on Noriko and their lives. "Things couldn't be better" says the grandfather. "Well they could" says the grandmother. The grandfather replies,"please, we must not expect too much from life" This seems to be an important awareness of the film and one that exists between the Mamiya family. Noriko accepts who she's in love with not because she seeked him out but because it occurred when she least expected. She tries to read into her future and accepts that marriage will be difficult. There is another wonderful moment after she has accepted Kenkichi's mother to marry her son, she is seen walking home and passes by her soon to be husband. Their exchange is very subtle and brief and yet we know they are going to spend the rest of their lives together. This scene is presented in an ironic way that helps us to pay close attention to the mundaneness of our lives. These are the moments that help us see the world in better light. Ozu has a great eye for timing, atmosphere and above all, humor. There is nothing pretentious about this film. It is an examination of family unity and the passing transition of marriage.

That underrated piece of quality cinema which was overshadowed in Ozu's Trilogy between Banshun and Tokyo Story

[SAMTHEBESTEST · 7/10 · 10 February 2021]

Bakusu / Early Summer (1951) : Brief Review -

That underrated piece of quality cinema which was overshadowed in Ozu's Trilogy between Banshun and Tokyo Story. When i was done watching Banshun i had a thought that what could be the storyline of Bakushu if it was about the similar unmarried girl. By mistake i watched Tokyo Story before this so i was like what else is left by Ozu. He told the story of an unmarried girl who finally gets married in Banshun and he told the post marriage story of old-age tragedy in Tokyo Story then could Bakushu be the the middle portion of it? My speculations were wrong as Bakushu deals with many issues ranging from communication problems between generations to the rising role of women in post-war Japan while the centre character is same as Banshun, an unmarried girl. This film was actually grinded between two grand classics of the Noriko trilogy mainly because it is lot simpler and somewhat unvaried. However, Ozu's storytelling is as impeccable as it could get and it even touches the high bar most of the times. It has different emotional touch though, like you see, we all know the scenario in the family when any girl is about to Marry. The preparations and joyful pain in the heart was too obvious hence Ozu brought Family Values in it. It may not have solid emotional ending but it has something different and better and that is called Nostalgia. Yes it sounds weird, i mean Family Values Nostalgia seems bit nonexistent thing but Bakushu had it invented right there. I was completely moved by that final discussion scene of scattered family. I could feel it, like real hence Nostalgia. Like other Ozu films this one is also blessed by powerful performances, great screenplay, classy cinematography and mesmerizing dialogues. Master Ozu knows how to deal with weak writing with his strong direction and that's exactly what he did here.

RATING - 7.5/10*

By - #samthebestest

Setsuko Hara's best role in Noriko Trilogy

[princebansal1982 · 10/10 · 27 May 2011]

Another masterpiece from Yasujhiro Ozu. Setusko Hara reprises her role as Noriko who everybody wants to marry. I loved her in this movie. Though she is beautiful, it is not her beauty that is her main attraction, but her smile and her warmth and an inherent goodness of heart that you can sense in her. Ozu's films are character driven and Noriko is a wonderful character. Just like something from Capra's films, but understated and unaware of her own qualities.

The movie has an undercurrent of humor running throughout which is very refreshing. The scene where Noriko is conversing with her friends while having tea is my favorite scene. I don't understand Japanese but just the way how everybody was making jibes at each other, I didn't needed to understand what they were conveying.

well-made and watchable but a bit dull

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 12 September 2005]

This is a lovingly directed and acted movie. It's obvious that someone cared when they made this movie. However, while these quality elements are there, I found the movie to be very dull and SOME of the characters inexplicably annoying. Perhaps I am one of the only people who became irritated by how obnoxious the two little boys were in the movie and how incredibly over-indulgent the family was. When the father FINALLY yelled at one of the brats, the jerks ran away and everyone scolded the father. I DON'T like to be around brats in my own life if I can help it, and watching brats in a movie is very unsatisfying for me. Am I the only one who wanted to see these two kids smacked?! Apart from this visceral reaction, I was amazed how LITTLE I reacted to everyone else in the film. I just found myself bored.

This film was followed up two years later with Tokyo Story. While many of the same story elements recur in the second film (a sense of alienation, spoiled kids, parents assessing and re-assessing that things have gone well despite a few setbacks, etc.), the overall story is just more compelling and interesting.

mediocre

[roundtablet · 5/10 · 14 June 2018]

This review also has some mild spoilers for the movie "An autumn afernoon", you have been warned:

"Early Summer" is a movie very similar to Ozu's later work "An Autumn Afternoon" which I saw a bit earlier than this movie. Both deal with families that somewhat break up because the daughter of the family is marrying into someone else's family and you see how the family member deal with this situation. While they have a similar theme I ended up really enjoying "An Autumn Afternoon" while I found "Early Summer" rather boring, it had a little bit going on but especially towards the end it became increasingly bland. I think this comparison is very good in showing the interest I get while watching some of ozus movies ("An Autumn Afternoon and "floating weeds") and the boredom I get while watching others (Tokyo stories, late spring). Early summer pretty much falls right in between them. For comparison: An Autumn Afternoon is a movie clearly dedicated to the change the father of the family experiences while considering giving up on his precious daughter who cared for him since his wife died. There are a lot of hints in the movie about the father being fond of the good old times and not wanting to let go on some things. Ultimately all the character who are at first against change have to realize that it is the best for everyone and cannot be avoided and everyone matures in that regards towards the end of the movie. I also find nice that the daughter could not marry the man she actually wanted to marry. You know, not everyone could choose back then and this gives you a bit of a touch of realism. The movie also had a bunch of character with actual charisma. You had the friend of the father who always boasted about how nice it is to have a wife that is 20-30 years younger than he is. You have the old teacher who has a little bit of a drinking problem. You got the wife of the son who is always snapping and complaining about money. "Early Summer" on the other hand has very little of that. The focus of the story is not the old father who loses his daughter but the daughter, and the movie doesn't really have a message it tries to tell by hinting at its audience. There is no sense of maturing from any of the characters and the ending felt rather abrupt. You also don't have the magnitude of charismatic and interesting characters. The only few character interaction I found rather special where the conversations between the old school friends of the main character, some of whom are married and some of whom aren't and you got a little bit of a fighting there. So overall I would say that Ozu definitely became a better filmmaker towards the end of his life, with "An Autumn Afternoon" probably being the best of his movies. His very similar early version of the same idea named "Early summer" is a nice watch but resembles rather his earlier movies (Tokyo Story and Late spring) rather than the complex take on family life that is given in his later work. Also an Autumn Afternoon had better actors with Shima Iwashita and Marko Okada being excellent actors who establish themselves outside of Ozus movies while Setsuko Hara most famous works all seem to have centred around Ozu and I don't find her to be that good to be honest.

And apart from "Tokyo Story".....

[jandesimpson · 18 February 2003]

There are few lovers of serious cinema who do not consider "Tokyo "Story" a masterpiece. I, for one, would be prepared to place it among the "top ten" of all time. When I first saw it on British TV many years ago I was excited by the discovery of a form of cinema unlike any other. In the months that followed I began to experience frustration that no other of Ozu's fairly large output was available. At long last "Ohayu" turned up. I remember thinking it very inconsequential beside "Tokyo Story" but pleasing nonetheless, possibly Ozu not so much having an off-day as a day off. What I found remarkable however was its stylistic affinity to "Tokyo", the absence of camera movement, the prefacing of each dramatic sequence, generally taking place in a domestic interior shot from near-ground level, with two or three shots, often still-life exteriors with background music carried over into the next dialogue scene; in other words a director who is completely true to his own way of seeing things, as instantly recognisable from a single shot as are composers as diverse as Martinu, Rawsthorne and Roy Harris from one bar of their music. It is only recently that I have managed to catch up with five other Ozu films, each a gem in its own way but small in scale. "Early Summer" is a typical example. It deals with the same situation as "Late Spring", that of the pressures on a young woman by her family to get married. Ozu generally explores family relationships which, although hardly dysfunctional, abound in tensions. Here we have an elderly couple living with their doctor son and their unmarried daughter, the son's wife and their two small sons completing the household. An elderly uncle visits early on and neighbours and friends, particularly those of the unmarried daughter make up the rest of the cast played by a company of stock actors that appear in many of Ozu's films. Each generation responds to life in its own way. The elderly couple are disappointed particularly with the younger members of the family. They sit on park benches or in the privacy of their bedroom and sigh that, in spite of everything, things could be much worse and they should be happy with their lot. The middle generation get on with the business of living, often in a blinkered way so that we wonder whether they are aware of the tensions they so often generate. The children are completely selfish little monsters who cut up rough if they don't get their own way, as when they mistake a wrapped loaf of bread that their father brings home, for the model railway accessories they are hoping to receive. There is little in the way of plot other than that of the "Will she? Won't she?" variety. But for the enormous expectations raised by "Tokyo Story", I might well have passed "Early Summer" by. And yet there is a uniqueness and purity of style that somehow draws me back to these simple vignettes of Japanese domestic life again and again. Ozu has often been compared to Jane Austen, but would not a more appropriate analogy be the novels of Ivy Compton-Burnett. Both are the unique minimalists of their respective arts.

The least well known part of the Noriko trilogy, but certainly worth looking at

[frankde-jong · 8/10 · 5 April 2021]

"Early summer" maybe the most unknown of the "Noriko trilogy" ("Late spring" (1949), "Early summer" (1951) and "Tokyo story" (1953)), it is however certainly worthwile.

The films of Ozu are all about family relations. In the Noriko trilogy they are all about Noriko, a single (never married or widow) woman in her late twenties played by Setsuko Hara (in "Tokyo story" however the parents in law of Noriko also play at least an equally important part).

An important question in the Noriko trilogy is if and with whom Noriko ought to marry. The pre war idea that the upbringing of a girl ends with her marriage when the responsibility transfers from the parents to the husband clashes with the post war idea of the individual freedom of the young woman.

We see this clash not only in the story line but also in the set pieces (very important in an Ozu movie because he works with a static camera). We see the old father meditating in a traditional Japanese house. In another scene we see Noriko dining with some of her friends (some married and others still single) in a very modern restaurant (that almost looks '70s style to me).

A masterpiece. Don't miss it.

[Red-125 · 10/10 · 22 May 2020]

The Japanese film Bakushû (1951) was shown in the U.S with the title Early Summer. The director was Yasujiro Ozu.

The film is a quiet movie about a family in postwar Japan. The family lives together in suburban Tokyo--mother, father, their son and his wife, their two young boys, and their daughter, Noriko.

The daughter is played by the wonderful actor Setsuko Hara, who is perfect for the role. (Ozu wrote, "Every Japanese actress can play the role of a prostitute . . . however, it's rare to find an actress who can play the role of a daughter from a good family.") Setsuko Hara is that actor, and the role of Noriko is that role.

Hara was a famous film star. Besides Ozu, she starred in movies by other great Japanese directors--Akira Kurosawa and Mikio Naruse. But she was Ozu's muse, and, in one case, he refused to direct a movie if she didn't star in it. She also starred in Late Spring (1949) and Tokyo Story (1953). These three films form "The Noriko Trilogy." The plots are independent of each other, but the protagonist in each film is named Noriko.

In this movie, the family is happy. Sister and sister-in-law get along well, they have a beautiful home, and the son is a successful doctor. The only problem is that Noriko is 28, and not yet married. She appears to be content. However, at the time, it was assumed that a woman would get married. In fact, it's not obvious why she hasn't married. It may be as simple as that the right man hasn't come along.

The plot works itself out from these basics. It reminded me of a Jane Austen novel--friendships, interactions, and minor disagreements. No hatred, no anger, and no jealousy. People have basically accepted the fact that Noriko won't marry, at least unless Mr. Right comes along.

This movie is pure Ozu. The camera angle is low and shoots upward. This makes sense because most of the interpersonal action takes place while the actors are seated on mats, in the Japanese fashion. Also, Ozu believed that audience members to the front of a movie theater have to look up at the screen, so be wanted the action to be closer to their eye level.

Ozu uses another interesting technique. He shows us a set with actors speaking in it. Then the actors leave, but we still see the set. That's Ozu's way of telling us that life goes on. A room is still a room, even if no one is in it.

This movie is a masterpiece. It has an amazing 8.2 IMDb rating. I rated it 10. If you love great movies, it's a must-see.

P.S. We saw the Criterion Collection version of Early Summer. Normally, Criterion Collection DVD's have many special features, but this one doesn't. There was just one extra film--a short documentary entitled Ozu's Films Behind the Scenes. This movie features three film professionals who had worked with Ozu many years earlier. It's anecdotal and interesting, but not worth seeking out.

"Once you're married, it's too late to understand"

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 23 April 2020]

The more seen of Yasujiro Ozu's films, re-discovering him recently, the bigger the impact he has had on me. His films are so well made, directed and acted, but they are also very human and emotionally investable with characters that are easy to get behind and identify with. Three prime examples being the coined Noriko Trilogy. Comprising of 'Late Spring', 'Tokyo Story' and this, 'Early Summer'. Consider the other two masterpieces, especially marginally the latter.

Also consider 'Early Summer' a masterpiece (do try not to throw that word around too often these days in fear of being criticised for being hyperbolic or over-generous) in every way. One of Ozu's best and one of the films that best show how great and influential he was and still is as a director. Everything that is so appealing about his work, both at his best and when he was not quite on peak form (even then he was better than most directors on that front), is here in 'Early Summer'.

'Early Summer' is incredibly well made as usual for Ozu. Most striking visually being the photography, really loved the intimacy of it which played some part in how one connects so much to the characters here without being too confined. The interiors are beautifully designed, and there is nothing cheap about the use of low angles. Ozu's direction also can't be faulted, it is very detailed as one expects from him and very accomodating.

Have always loved the similarly inobtrusive use of music in Ozu's films, where it adds much to the gentle mood and intimacy. The music in 'Early Summer' has that, in a hauntingly beautiful way. A lot of the dialogue is pure poetry and has an honesty and personal touch that moved me. The story is very slight, but very elegant in its simplicity, has a good deal of warmth and it really does stir the emotions. Ozu's films always had a humanity and realism, primarily in his portrayal of the middle-class and what happens in their lives, and this is no exceptions.

It was easy for me to connect with the characters, there is a good deal of depth to them and it is easy to identify with them more the more that's revealed about them. They feel like real people, not caricatures or cliches, in realistic and true to life situations. The acting is more than great, with the film being carried by the ever wonderful Setsuko Hara in a quietly dignified performance.

Overall, another one of Ozu's best. 10/10

EARLY SUMMER, is without doubt on a par with TOKYO STORY in every aspect

[lasttimeisaw · 9/10 · 27 July 2016]

My second foray into Ozu's canon, EARLY SUMMER is two years prior to TOKYO STORY (1953), the story customarily hinges on an extended household of Mamiya with Ozu's homegrown cast, and its material can be readily read as a prequel of TOKYO STORY with small identity and cast tweaks.

Shukichi (Sugai) and Shige Mamiya (Higashiyama) are an elderly couple living in their suburban home near Tokyo along with the family of their eldest son Koichi (Ryû, who would in two years, take Sugai's mantra to play the husband of Higashiyama in TOKYO STORY), a physician who is married to Fumiko (Miyake) and they have two young boys, also living under the same roof is Koichi's unmarried sister Noriko (Setsuko Hora, who passed away merely last year at the venerable age of 95), who takes the centre stage in the story, since her marriage prospect will inevitably change the status quo of this harmonious family.

Noriko is 28 years old, chirpily enjoys her bachelorette days, she works as an office secretary of Mr. Satake (Sano), and is thick as thieves with her unmarried school-days friend Aya (Awashima). At home, she is in good rapport with everyone, Fumiko especially. Apparently, it is the best time of the family, as Shukichi sighs with a dash of melancholy (they have another son, who has been presumably missing in the war).

Mr. Satake recommend a promising 40-year-old bachelor businessman to Noriko as her potential husband-to-be, she equivocates, but the family is motivated, Koichi begins to do some background research of the candidate, which turns out quite satisfactory in his view, but Shige holds her reserve about their age difference, and it ruffles Koichi's feathers, in his defence, Noriko is not a young maiden anymore, she shouldn't be too picky either (a reactionary bias on women, still today). A discord is nimbly instigated but the irony is, Noriko doesn't even have the intention to meet the hopeful at the first place, and before soon she will shock and disappoint the family with her own choice of her future husband, which suggests a lot of hardship is in the offing for her.

Even for an Ozu novice like myself, it is not difficult to discern his salient exercise of narrative lacunae, whether it is the conversation between their neighbour Tami (Sugimura) and Shige about a private detective asking about Noriko, interrupted by Shukichi's emergence and never resumes itself, or a clear shot of the said hopeful in person when Noriko and Aya are emboldened for a playful peep, even Noriko's marriage ceremony, has never be shown directly on the screen. Ozu is a master of eliding hectic actions and prefers using words, even small talks to fill the missing pages, an expedient move to facilitate the shooting and preserve his stationary style, yet, the story never slumps into monotony, all owing to the industriously composed script inundated with insightful rumination and realistic precision, penned by Ozu and his long-time collaborator Kôgo Noda.

Setsuko Hara, is forever enthralling in her good-natured etiquette and photogenic effervescence, she is the ultimate screen emblem of oriental warmth and optimism, even in the single-ladies-vs.- married-women bickering, she radiates benevolence without betraying any grudge. Here, her Noriko also epitomises a modern, more independent image of a younger generation of Japanese women after WWII, no longer curbed by family persuasion, extraneous influence or social pressure, they learn to be in the driver's seat in their own lanes.

Chishû Ryû, plays the peer of Hara, and Haruko Sugimura, plays her elder here, both would switch their social hierarchy in TOKYO STORY, an undeniable testimony of their uncanny and fluid versatility, along with a studious supporting cast dutifully verbalises their dialogues verbatim and gestures to a nicety. Elucidating eloquently Ozu's thematic concerns of social and familial changeover, individual awakening and humane poetry, EARLY SUMMER, is without doubt on a par with TOKYO STORY in every aspect, and mesmerises new audience to ask for more from Ozu's treasury.

My first Ozu

[zetes · 7/10 · 28 January 2001]

Yasujiro Ozu is considered second only to Kurosawa in the hierarchy of Japanese cinema (by Westerners, anyhow), so it has always shocked me how unavailable his films are. Most of his films do exist on VHS, and there is at least one on DVD, Ohayo, which I have considered purchasing in the past, but have not as of yet. But, for God's sake, I live in a decently large city now, and I can hardly find a single film of his.

Finally, I did manage to rent one, Early Summer. I can say right away that I did not enjoy it. I found it of interest in cultural aspects, but I was also quite unaffected by it, and, frankly, quite bored. I don't bore easily, either. The cultural aspects were valuable, in that it showed me a part of Japanese culture that I did not know very well, that is the intimate workings of family life. I have a feeling, though, that these modes of thought are outdated in Japan now. I think my main problem with the film was the script itself. I liked most of the characters, but I cannot say that I really got to know them all that well. I liked the grandparents, the uncle, and the young children the most. I found the main character somewhat uncompelling and underdeveloped.

I'm certainly not going to give up on Ozu. I know his reputation. Early Summer is not among his more famous films, anyway, and I'm sure, from reading about them, that Tokyo Story or Floating Blossoms would be much more appealing to me. I still would give this film 7/10. If you like it, may I suggest a couple of films: To Live, a Chinese film by Zhang Yimou which follows two characters from when they meet and marry to when they are aged. Also, the Apu trilogy, from Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray. I particularly like the first installment, Pather Panchali, and have actually not seen the third, World of Apu. But this film reminded me a lot of those films.

Better than Tokyo Story?

[Psychojon · 10/10 · 29 May 2007]

I watch a lot of films; it is part of my work. But I only recently stumbled across those of Ozu. I've now seen nine or ten and I've been blown away. Ozu was a genius. He did something that I've not seen any other director do; he captures the most important moments in people's lives in a realistic fashion. There is a real fly-on-the-wall character to his films, yet he does this in such a way that you genuinely feel like you are intruding on private and personal moments. There are none of the acting-up for the camera or false histrionics that we've got so used to in documentaries. In fact, these are peaceful, superficially mundane stories that somehow get to the very core of humanity. Tokyo Story and Late Spring are excellent films, but to my eyes Early Summer is the greatest. I have never seen such a human dilemma (a daughter leaves home leaving her parents both disappointed that they will no longer have her company and yet proud and relieved that she is getting on with her life) so beautifully and poignantly portrayed. If push comes to shove, I might say that this is the greatest film of all-time.

Enjoyable Movie.

[bcomo · 7/10 · 11 January 2021]

The title of the movie is wrong. It has been confused with the 1949 movie. The tile of the 1951 movie is "Autumn." Good movie. I enjoyed it. The kids are hilarious.

Serene vision of a woman and of change in post-war Japan

[jamesrupert2014 · 9/10 · 22 October 2021]

Noriko (Setsuko Hara), a 28-year old secretary working in Tokyo, feels pressure from her extended family to marry. Director Yasujiro Ozu's beautiful drama is an unhurried observation of cultural changes in occupied Japan as Noriko's life (and that of her unmarried friend) is contrasted with the lives of her more traditional, and now married pals, who are beginning to slip away. The story is touching and the cinematography is personal and evocative. The impact of the values imposed on the Japanese by the victorious Western allies pertaining to women's rights is a central, if not explicitly stated, theme that should resonate with contemporary viewers familiar with the ongoing attempts to 'Westernise' views on women's rights in countries in which traditional values limit their freedoms and cultural participation. 'Early Summer' is the middle film in Ozu's so-called 'Noriko trilogy' (between 'Late Spring' (1949) and 'Tokyo Story' (1950) in which Hara plays a character named 'Noriko' and similar themes are explored. All three films are outstanding.

The Grim Reality of Corporate Foot Soldiers.

[net_orders · 6/10 · 18 July 2016]

Viewed on DVD. Film historic relevance = nine (9) stars; restoration = seven (7) stars. This is one co-writer's/director's conception of the dreary life faced by the lowest tiers of salary men and women (i.e., corporate clerks and clerk/typists) at the start of (mid 1950's) Japan's stunning post-war recovery. The parallels between life in the military and life in post-war corporate Japan seem pretty obvious from several carefully staged shots at the start of the film. Nevertheless, the director insists on hammering away at this similarity throughout the movie (in case there are some really slow-to-comprehend viewers?). The cast is lead by a group of excellent actresses who occupy all the staring roles. They uniformly deliver excellent line readings, and create the strongest impressions. All male actors play DE FACTO supporting roles. Exteriors (real, not studio simulations) are numerous, and document many contemporary, ever-day activities in suburban and urban Japan. By far these are the most fascinating scenes in the film. This includes scary shots of scores of commuters jammed together waiting for trains and standing at the VERY EDGE of station platforms without protective barriers of any kind. These are priceless views of continuing societal trust in the midst of momentous and far-from-popular cultural changes. The film (as usual for this director) is much too long. This time out the director surpasses himself with shots of clothes lines! There are at least a dozen of them. The usual shots of ugly overhead power lines are also present. There are clever in-camera exterior shots using miniature high-rise building with each window showing the same inside activity. You have seen most/all of the real building facades (photographed from the same angles) before. Likewise for seaside location scenes. Film "score" is chaotic, tedious, and usually inappropriate for (or disconnected from) what appears on screen. The music basically distracts from rather than adds to the impact of the movie. Happy music endlessly looped during a solemn wake is not particularly amusing! And it is the exact same ripped-off Italian cinema music used in other films by this director. Also if you are a huge fan of xylophones, then this film's music is for you! Restoration including subtitles is not quit there. Frame jitters occurs especially during the opening credits. Subtitles (even ones with a few words) appear before the dialog is delivered (a frequent echo-like irritation). None of the prominently photographed signs (on doors, buildings, etc.) are subtitled. If you are a Japanese culture buff, then this is a must movie. Otherwise, more on. WILLIAM FLANIGAN, PhD.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

[theognis-80821 · 5/10 · 20 August 2021]

The mundane features of everyday life are exhaustively displayed, everything from pouring tea to knocking the ash from a pipe, as a community urges a young woman to get married. WARNING: Do not watch after a large meal or you may miss much of the "action."