#526: OZU, Yasujiro: There Was a Father (1942)

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THE ONLY SON/THERE WAS A FATHER: TWO FILMS BY YASUJIRO OZU (#524)

OZU, Yasujiro (Japan)
There Was a Father [1942]
Spine #526
DVD


Yasujiro Ozu's frequent leading man Chishu Ryu is riveting as Shuhei, a widowed high school teacher who finds that the more he tries to do what is best for his son's future, the more they are separated. Though primarily a delicately wrought story of parental love, There Was a Father offers themes of sacrifice that were deemed appropriately patriotic by Japanese censors at the time of its release during World War II, making it a uniquely political film in Ozu's body of work.

87 minutes
Black & White
Monaural
in Japanese
1:33:1 aspect ratio
Criterion Release 2010
Director/Writers


Screenplay by Tadao Ikeda, Takao Yanai, and Yasujiro Ozu.

Film Rating (0-60):

60

The Extras

The Booklet

Thirty-two page booklet featuring an essay by critic and historian Tony Rayns, an appreciation of actor Ryu by Japanese film scholar Donald Richie, and comments by Ryu on director Ozu.

Commentary

None.

Video interviews

With film scholars David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson.
Extras Rating (0-40):

39

60 + 39 =

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