DVDs in Review

Late Spring (Yasujirô Ozu, 1949)

Title: Late Spring (Yasujirô Ozu, 1949)

Release date: July 19 2010

Certificate: U

Format: Dual Format Blu-ray and DVD

RRP: £19.99

Rating: 4/5

Reviewed by Dave Lancaster

What Ozu is really good at is depicting change. He bypasses big, bold strokes and all the usual fodder like chase sequences and devastating revelations by slipping under the radar to deliver a message to his protagonists. His camera then respectfully sits back and lets the characters absorb the news organically. Nothing is pushed.

The slow burning effect of real dilemmas on characters is devastating; you get to see the words hit, and then the thoughts hit, followed by the hesitation, concluded with a response. It’s communication in its purest, most resonant form.

Ozu’s greatest films came after the end of the second world war, when Japan was thrusted into massive change and American influence. Instead of going down that route, he opts for small scale change that came about in this period.

This tells the story of a young woman who has just recovered from an illness caused by the war. She is living with her widowed father and has plenty going for her - her aunt and best friend want to see her married so she can develop her own life, but she remains dedicated to looking after her father who hides his sadness in peculiarities.

This form of sacrifice is slowly boiled down as the desire to leave home and start her own family grows, meaning that the family is destined to change. Don’t expect a great deal more in the plot department, but fans of patient, reflective cinema should love this for its simplicity, not in spite of it.