As if to show it wasn't just old age that he was adept at conveying, in 1959 Ozu virtually remade his silent "I was born, but ..." in this delightful comedy about children and the petty foibles of their parents and he made it in colour. "Good Morning" may not be one of his masterpieces but it's hugely enjoyable nevertheless with lovely performances from both the children and the adults. The plot is simplicity itself; two young brothers stop speaking as a protest against their parents not buying a television set, leading to all kinds of complications with their grown-up neighbours. It may be slight but it is also a wonderful picture of human behaviour, gorgeously shot in typically Ozu fashion from the ground up as if we are seeing the world from the perspective of the children. Masahiko Shimazu is particularly outstanding as little Isamu, silently turning his nose, and his arms, up at the world around him. Minor then but also unmissable.
Review of Good Morning
