MILD SPOILERS
This is Ozu's first film produced outside Shochiku. That might the reason why the story is rather unconventional for an Ozu's film, too melodramatic and romantic (rather sickly is Mariko's insistence on marrying Hiroshi and asking her sister to divorce her husband). Also, never before or after generational differences have been so overtly exposed as well as there are too many, for an Ozu film, references to the war. Ryu , playing the sister's father, acts as a mediator (Ozu's alter-ego?) between the two, and tries to be just, even though his preferences are for old Japan. Whoever believes that Ozu's films philosophy isn't essentially Buddhist should pay more attention to Ryu's words of accepting different ways of life and Tanaka final's refusal to marry Uehara (sign of transcending the material world and personal desires or just pure old fashion?) and the ultimate death of Yamamura right after he gets his long sought job (Karma in action). Takamine Hideko ( a Naruse's regular) ,playing the role of Munekata Mariko, is extremely funny at some points. Her outrageous (specially when she visits Hiroshi 's girlfriend Yoriko or her habit of sticking out her tongue, bodily ticks are essential elements of the characterisation of Ozu's film actors) behaviour reminded me of my shock when I first saw I Was Born But Nevertheless her character gets a bit boring with her parody of some sort of Noh narrator (the joke just goes for too long). Also Setsuko Munekata might not be a suitable role for Tanaka Kinuyo, in particular when she's got to keep smiling (something typical in actresses working with Ozu) while telling her sister that she decided not to marry Hiroshi. Technically is what you'd expect from Ozu, interesting matching cuts, even though I have to say that some shots were very predictable (cut on action shots) and not as perfect as for example the ones in Tokyo Story (technically an almost perfect film). Quite unusual for Ozu's work, at least during this period, are some tracking shots of Hiroshi and Setsuko walking down the street ending in a beautiful long shot of her disappearing around a corner. Specially weird is an unmotivated tracking shot to the right, moving away from the sisters at the entrance of a Kyoto temple that essentially goes nowhere and then stops suddenly, the image framed by two trees . What I found really amusing was(probably an Ozu's trick to confuse audiences) the way in which the film begins with news of the sisters' father (played by Chisu Ryu) diagnosed with cancer. Given only 6 months of life, nevertheless he remains alive and kicking throughout the whole film with no signs of departing this world. Funnily enough is somebody else who dies first. Also the way in which ends, when everybody was hoping for a final reunion between Uherara and Tanaka she decides to dump him, and so breaking any expectations. I thought it was brilliant (a bit reactionary though).
The Munekata Sisters might not be the very best of Ozu but I found it intriguing and funny enough to watch again.
This is Ozu's first film produced outside Shochiku. That might the reason why the story is rather unconventional for an Ozu's film, too melodramatic and romantic (rather sickly is Mariko's insistence on marrying Hiroshi and asking her sister to divorce her husband). Also, never before or after generational differences have been so overtly exposed as well as there are too many, for an Ozu film, references to the war. Ryu , playing the sister's father, acts as a mediator (Ozu's alter-ego?) between the two, and tries to be just, even though his preferences are for old Japan. Whoever believes that Ozu's films philosophy isn't essentially Buddhist should pay more attention to Ryu's words of accepting different ways of life and Tanaka final's refusal to marry Uehara (sign of transcending the material world and personal desires or just pure old fashion?) and the ultimate death of Yamamura right after he gets his long sought job (Karma in action). Takamine Hideko ( a Naruse's regular) ,playing the role of Munekata Mariko, is extremely funny at some points. Her outrageous (specially when she visits Hiroshi 's girlfriend Yoriko or her habit of sticking out her tongue, bodily ticks are essential elements of the characterisation of Ozu's film actors) behaviour reminded me of my shock when I first saw I Was Born But Nevertheless her character gets a bit boring with her parody of some sort of Noh narrator (the joke just goes for too long). Also Setsuko Munekata might not be a suitable role for Tanaka Kinuyo, in particular when she's got to keep smiling (something typical in actresses working with Ozu) while telling her sister that she decided not to marry Hiroshi. Technically is what you'd expect from Ozu, interesting matching cuts, even though I have to say that some shots were very predictable (cut on action shots) and not as perfect as for example the ones in Tokyo Story (technically an almost perfect film). Quite unusual for Ozu's work, at least during this period, are some tracking shots of Hiroshi and Setsuko walking down the street ending in a beautiful long shot of her disappearing around a corner. Specially weird is an unmotivated tracking shot to the right, moving away from the sisters at the entrance of a Kyoto temple that essentially goes nowhere and then stops suddenly, the image framed by two trees . What I found really amusing was(probably an Ozu's trick to confuse audiences) the way in which the film begins with news of the sisters' father (played by Chisu Ryu) diagnosed with cancer. Given only 6 months of life, nevertheless he remains alive and kicking throughout the whole film with no signs of departing this world. Funnily enough is somebody else who dies first. Also the way in which ends, when everybody was hoping for a final reunion between Uherara and Tanaka she decides to dump him, and so breaking any expectations. I thought it was brilliant (a bit reactionary though).
The Munekata Sisters might not be the very best of Ozu but I found it intriguing and funny enough to watch again.