"Late Spring" is a story about the daily life of a university professor and his daughter in a quiet residential area of northern Kamakura after the war in Japan. The film was shot in 1949, shortly after Japan's defeat in the war. People's lives were not stable, people's values were still vague, and the chaos of the war had not been eliminated. In the film, Yasujiro Ozu did not show the unemployment, black market, labor disputes and American occupation army bases in the society at that time, but showed the daily life of gentle, polite and neatly dressed people, and even the tea ceremony was shown in the film. , Noh and other elegant tastes, which seem to be very different from the actual situation of that era. However, the film was loved by a wide audience and praised by critics. The expression of the emotional life between parents and children can be said to be the eternal theme of Ozu's works, and the expression of their intimate relationship of mutual care and consideration is the core of the moral concept in Ozu's works. After the war, the idea of democracy was introduced into Japan, and the new wave impacted the old customs of Japan. After experiencing the pain of war, people yearn for the arrival of a stable life. "Late Spring" as a happy image makes people feel gratified. Therefore, it can be said that this is an epoch-making work by Yasujiro Ozu after the war.
Yasujiro Ozu is recognized by the international film industry as the most Japanese-style film master. His works always show a peaceful life and a kind heart, full of pure taste, humor and a touch of sadness. "Late Spring" is a film full of Japanese taste and human touch. It shows the daughter's unwillingness to marry in order to take care of her father's life, and the father is unwilling to delay his daughter's life for himself. The pure father-daughter relationship. The conversation between the father and daughter at the end of their trip to Kyoto in the film vividly embodies this feeling. Noriko said that she didn't want to go anywhere, and that she would be happy as long as she could be with her father. Zhou Ji said earnestly that his life is almost over, but his daughter's new life has just begun. Only in the process of creating a new life will new couples have happiness, and that is the law of human life. He said he would happily wait to see a happy future for his daughter. Noriko quietly wiped away her tears in shame. She said that she was grateful to her father for worrying so much for her, and that she would definitely let her father see her happiness. Although the film focuses on the daughter's marriage as the main plot, the image of the groom does not appear. It can be seen that the film emphasizes that marriage does not mean the birth of a new couple, but the separation of father and daughter. Separation is sad after all. Zhou Ji's laughter after talking with Xiaoling in "Doxichuan", and the scene where he was alone at the table cutting apples alone after returning home alone, express the sorrow of separation in life. It is also the essence of Ozu's work.
There are no bizarre storylines in "Late Spring". Like Ozu's other works, some of the details of daily life and the personalities of the characters are interesting. For example, when Zhou Ji's friend Onodera came to Zeng Gong's house, the two had a chat-like conversation, and they talked about the direction while drinking. Onodera asked: Is this direction the sea? Zhou Ji said: No, it's that side. Onodera asked: So, is Hachiman Shrine on this side? Zhou Ji said: No, over there. Onodera: In which direction is Tokyo? Zhou Ji: Tokyo is here. Onodera: So, this is the east side? Zhou Ji: No, that's the east side! Onodera: Oh, was this always the case? Zhou Ji: No way! The dialogue is humorous and rhythmic, just like talking cross talk. The harmonious effect of this very ordinary chat is an important factor in Ozu's work. Another example is that Zhensha's behavior in the film is often not commensurate with her age status, but in the whole play, her appearance plays a foil role. For example, when she was talking with Zhou Ji about Jizi's blind date in the monastery, she suddenly found a wallet on the ground and hurriedly picked it up and tucked it into her arms. This marriage will definitely go well." Another example is in the scene of Noriko's marriage, when everyone walked out of the room, Maya went back to the house and walked around. Here the director not only shows that she is a nagging and busy woman, but also does not make her a vulgar image, but still highlights the good side. In Ozu's works, the comical characters of the supporting characters inevitably play a role in activating the atmosphere.
Yasujiro Ozu entered the film industry in the 1920s. There is no doubt that at that time movies were all based on American movies. Ozu also likes American movies very much, but he does not imitate it bluntly, but creates his own film art with his own unique style and shooting techniques. All the indoor shots in the film are shot at an upward angle, that is, the camera is fixed at a position several tens of centimeters above the "tatami", and Ozu tries to make it symmetrical in the picture and composition. This is because it can make a Japanese-style room show its unique beauty. However, in order to make the audience feel the novelty and uniqueness of the characters' movements, Ozu occasionally adopts a composition method that breaks the balance of the picture. There is a scene in "Late Spring" where Noriko meets Miwa Akiko at Shinsa's house. When Miwa Akiko leaves, they say goodbye. Noriko and Shinsa kneel on a straw mat and bow down to salute. The camera shoots from the side. Because the movements of the two people are slightly different in time, the left-right symmetrical pattern is broken, and this slight change between the pitch and the pitch just gives people a vibrant beauty. In "Late Spring", Ozu's exceptional use of mobile photography is also very successful, that is, the scene where Noriko and Hattori go for a walk by the sea. The two were riding bicycles on the asphalt, with low pine forests and endless sandy beaches in the background. The camera first shot Noriko's upper body from the side, then Hattori next to her, and then a long shot of the two of them from the front, and then panned the camera by moving the camera at the same speed they were riding. Group shots give a harmonious lighthearted feeling. In short, in "Late Spring", we can fully appreciate the Japanese-style aesthetic taste, that is, Yasujiro Ozu's unique artistic style.
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