I watched both Woman of Tokyo and An Inn in Tokyo, both silent films.
I agree with you Chyp about the reporters at the end of Woman in Tokyo, it did feel like a prised in bit of social commentary. The mood was already grim without the Sun reporters forcing their way in. Without them it would've ended on a more reflective note and an essay on not repeating gossip! Still, it was really interesting seeing Ozu develop those characteristic glancing away still shots, as well as others like the ones from floor height. Interesting too for the appearence of Kinuyo Tanaka (as the girlfriend Harue) who seemed very familiar to me - on research of course then I realised that she's the star in a lot of Kenji Mizoguchi's masterpiece films and a director herself .
An Inn In Tokyo follows an unemployed man with two young sons roaming around trying to find a job to support themselves. He's lucky enough to chance upon an old aquaintance who helps him out. In turn he tries to help a woman in the same position as him with a young daughter. This woman is played by the same actress who plays the sister in Woman of Tokyo. Interesting fact - the actress Yoshiko Okada and her boyfriend defected to the USSR , he was executed as a spy and she spent 10 years in a labour camp - there's a film in that somewhere!
Both of these films revolve around the disgrace of a fallen woman, sacrificing herself for her brother/daughter. Very melancholy films
I agree with you Chyp about the reporters at the end of Woman in Tokyo, it did feel like a prised in bit of social commentary. The mood was already grim without the Sun reporters forcing their way in. Without them it would've ended on a more reflective note and an essay on not repeating gossip! Still, it was really interesting seeing Ozu develop those characteristic glancing away still shots, as well as others like the ones from floor height. Interesting too for the appearence of Kinuyo Tanaka (as the girlfriend Harue) who seemed very familiar to me - on research of course then I realised that she's the star in a lot of Kenji Mizoguchi's masterpiece films and a director herself .
An Inn In Tokyo follows an unemployed man with two young sons roaming around trying to find a job to support themselves. He's lucky enough to chance upon an old aquaintance who helps him out. In turn he tries to help a woman in the same position as him with a young daughter. This woman is played by the same actress who plays the sister in Woman of Tokyo. Interesting fact - the actress Yoshiko Okada and her boyfriend defected to the USSR , he was executed as a spy and she spent 10 years in a labour camp - there's a film in that somewhere!
Both of these films revolve around the disgrace of a fallen woman, sacrificing herself for her brother/daughter. Very melancholy films