Product Description
Yasujiro Ozu's final film is also his final masterpiece, the gently heartbreaking story of a man's dignified resignation to both life s ever-shifting currents and society's gradual modernization. Though widower Shuhei Hirayama (Ozu's frequent leading man Chishu Ryu) has been living comfortably for years with his grown daughter, a series of events leads him to accept and encourage her marriage and departure. As elegantly composed and achingly tender as any of the Japanese master's films, An Autumn Afternoon (Sanna no aji) is one of cinema s fondest farewells. SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES: New, restored high-definition digital transfer, New audio commentary featuring David Bordwell, author of Ozu and the Poetics of Cinema, Excerpts from Yasujiro Ozu and the Taste of Sake, a 1978 French television program looking back on Ozu's career, featuring film critic Michel Ciment, Theatrical trailer, New and improved English subtitle translation, PLUS: A booklet featuring new essays by film scholars Geoff Andrew and Donald Richie
.com
Deceptively breezy, Yasujiro Ozu's final film, made in 1962, is the lovely culmination of the mysterious writer-director's fascination with family, and the social mechanisms by which different generations fulfill obligations to one another and to themselves. The central character, Shuhei Hirayama (Chishu Ryu, Ozu's longtime collaborator), is a 60-ish executive and widower who slowly grows concerned that his 24-year-old daughter, Michiko (Shima Iwashita), has not married because she feels responsible for taking care of him at home. Taciturn, low-key, but affable, Shuhei is a hard man to read. But through his friendships, habits, daily reminders of his past and fear that he might rob his daughter of her youth, Shuhei gradually comes to terms with his responsibility to see Michiko fulfilled and happy. There is also more to it than that: An Autumn Afternoon is also about Shuhei turning a page in his small part in history, the closing chapters of a life that involved military service during World War II and settling into post-war, largely Westernized Japan. These things are all understated, but Ozu gives every character a shape, a recognition that one must play the cards one is dealt without self-deception. With that comes a certain Zen serenity, humor and perhaps melancholy, but in An Autumn Afternoon's spirit of acceptance, a bittersweet life is a good life. Special features on this Criterion release include trailers and excerpts from a French television special about Ozu. --Tom Keogh
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Review
A completely realized example of the Ozu art. --New York TimesOne of Ozu's purest, most elemental works. --Dave Kehr, CHICAGO READER
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M**E
Classic Ozu
There are three or four Ozu films that everyone should see, and there are ten others you ought to see. This is in the first category. Get it, find it, buy it, borrow it, see it. The usual Criterion transfer -- flawless, authoritative -- and wrapped around with commentary. If you have an interest in well made films from other countries Ozu is one of the best, up there with Jean Renoir, Powell and Pressburger, Fritz Lang, and others. Look for his still camera and his tiny, Austenian subjects. His films are never operatic, always focused on people, closely observed, but there is something about the stillness of the camera that requests a reserved involvement from us that makes the films unique, and uniquely moving stories about the passage of time itself through families and relationships.
A**L
a taste of mackeral
though director ozu was not aware of the fact that this would be his last film, 'autumn' seems, on the surface, the same subject, same characters and same circumstances as his other works, though there is a slight change. ozu does not imbrue this film with the same overwhelming sense of doom and resignation that pervade his other films. no reference is made to an 'autumn afternoon' but the film is saturated with wood-grain browns and tans, subdued lighting and easy movement within the frame that arouses the lethargic feel of an autumn day. the translation of the title is actually 'a taste of mackerel,' which, like 'barley harvest' for 'early summer' and 'flavor of green tea over rice' no doubt conveyed to Japanese audiences the specific tastes and smells of the seasons. after 40 years of enjoying and appreciating this director's work, i can still recall the 'taste and smell' of a Japan i visited back in 1968. now that i am in my mid-sixties, these films have even more meaning to me. thanks to criterion for serving up these delicious films.
M**O
This was not meant to be the last...
But in the end this IS the last work of Yasujiro Ozu's life. I can't say it is a surprise or fresh because he uses the same actors and actresses he loves. And the plot of a dad trying to get his daughter married off and happy is also recycled - if you are reading this you know this. While in other films of this type the father in the end seems to be OK with what he did in this one the father seems to be lonely and sad that he has lost one of his children, even when he still has a son at home. It is the same - with a twist.Being able to see a movie drama from Japan in color was amazing in itself - the ruins, the play of red and white, the angle of the camera allowing us to almost look up at the characters and down the layered settings, with the foreground and background and everything in between seeming to jump out at you. The reunion of old friends, the TV set, the fridge, the vacuum cleaner, the tiny plots that twist around the main plot, and the baseball game show the change in Japan in the post-war years. But the old traditions and ways of the family still hung on. It makes such a great mixture of new, old and, sometimes, lovely themes that pop out at you. Get it new or used.
J**D
Cinematic perfection
Ozu is, in my opinion, Japan's greatest filmmaker, despite the fruitful fame of Kurosawa. And one is hard pressed to name his second best film, after the masterpiece "Tokyo Story". It could be "Early Summer", "Late Spring", or this structurally perfect film: An Autumn Afternoon.There are several levels of the zenith of the cinematic arts represented here. First of all the visual aspect featuring amazing uses of the color red and his consummate organization of each scene in terms of blocking and actor movement through the assigned spaces. But even more so, the craft of his asking his actors not to "act" creates the most gorgeous and moving poignancy of any movie I know of. So here one finds perfection of both structure and substance.It is another Ozu masterpiece. Highly recommended.
J**N
Wonderful
These Japanese films during this period are outstanding.Anything with Chrishu Ryu is great.When he is with the greatest female star I have ever seen (Setsuko Hara - not in this film) then the pair are unbeatable.Autumn Afternoon is long in some small parts, but well worth it.
S**A
I really enjoy watching it
I must have watched 6 or seven times. I really enjoy watching it.
I**N
Great Izu.
Beautiful Ozu film. Like all his films it’s quiet, intimate and leaves a strong impression. Obviously not for the action film set.
T**S
Autum Afternoon
Recently made available on DVD. Yasujiro Ozu's final masterpiece. A true classicfilm. Ozu is known for his 50mm lens used on all his movies, shot at low angle, andyet the world is just starting to discover his work. All his movies from after thepacific war focuses on middle class Japanese family. Superb acting and is consideredto be a true genius of story tellers as well. His stories are simple, and yet verydeep. Take a trip into Yasujiro Ozu's films. He has touched my heart with all hiswonderful movies. Autum Afternoon was his last movie completed in 1962 as he passedaway the following year at his prime age of 60.
D**T
Transcendental, melancholic Ozu with good Blu-ray transfer
I was keen to see how one of Ozu's colour films held up in high definition. The transfer is fair, but still affected by age and source issues - there's some print damage, heavy grain, some instability (particularly on cuts during scenes). But overall there's a little level of detail on display than the DVDs of Ozu's films and this really allows his unique style and composition to shine. It's really a beauty to behold.Most of Ozu's films are quiet and slow-paced, but for some reason I found this more transcendental and melancholic than his others - perhaps because it came so late in his career. There's a distinct world-weariness to the central characters and a sense of mortality that's less present, in my view, in his earlier films. It makes for quite a mature and rewarding experience to watch.Highly recommended.
L**T
A marvellous film about very little at all.
I believe this is one of the most enjoyable films I have ever watched. A masterpiece of observation and understatement with tremendous good humour intrinsically linked in there. I am not going to outline the plot other than to say, like all later Uzo films it is a magical description of everyday life with understated drama and all the better for it. You simply have to see it and wind yourself into the Japanese psyche which is entirely different from the cliche portrayed in Western productions where Japanese feature.
G**T
Classic Japanese cinema
Love Yasujiro Ozu’s slow cinema
B**S
Delightful, as with all Ozu re-makes, from his earlier films...
Always a delight from this Japanese master, best served in a mellow mood with wine and a cosy armchair.
M**G
The taste of Sanma
According to the (short but informative) booklet, the original title of this film means 'The taste of Sanma', where Sanma means mackerel pike. The film was made in 1962 and is Ozu's last. I think it may be my favourite. All the Ozu elements are there: the usual actors, the theme of marriage, the influence of Western culture, relations between generations in post-war Japan. Despite using the same actors (in different roles) and themes through the films, they never become tedious. In 'An Autumn Afternoon', a father (played by Chishu Ryu) living with his grown up (24 yrs old) daughter and younger son is gradually convinced by his friends that the daughter should marry. The daughter is not too interested, she wants to take care of dad, and the father is dependent on the daughter like a housewife. I don't know why this is my favourite Ozu, maybe because the elements are here blended in perfection, and the mix of comedy and sadness (marrying away the daughter is not an easy thing for Ryu). Here is also the bar scene where patriotic war music is played and made fun of, Japan having moved on from the rule of Hirohito and towards consumerism.The world Ozu conjures from his usual actors, and also using the same studio props as in other movies: the office, the corridor, the home etc, is quickly drawing the wiever inside. I become involved in the social play, problems and relations and they make me forget that the same actors and setups are re-used. This world is also very patriarchal: the men have their (more or less important) jobs and they meet every night at bars for sake and whiskey, discussing how to manage their families. But at the same time, Ozu uses strong women who sometimes put fathers and brothers in their place and make fun of them. Anyway, the insights in a different culture is fascinating.The picture of this Blu-Ray is amazing, of course it will never look like a new film with sharpness and so on. But it looks sharp enough and with nice film grain, and the subtle colors used in early colour films. If you have the slightest interest in Japanese film, or in Japan, or in cinema in general, you should watch this.
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Get it, find it, buy it, borrow it, see it. The usual Criterion transfer -- flawless, authoritative -- and wrapped around with commentary. If you have an interest in well made films from other countries Ozu is one of the best, up there with Jean Renoir, Powell and Pressburger, Fritz Lang, and others. Look for his still camera and his tiny, Austenian subjects. His films are never operatic, always focused on people, closely observed, but there is something about the stillness of the camera that requests a reserved involvement from us that makes the films unique, and uniquely moving stories about the passage of time itself through families and relationships."},{"@type":"Review","reviewRating":{"@type":"Rating","ratingValue":"4.0"},"author":{"@type":"Person","name":"A***L"},"datePublished":"Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2013","name":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n a taste of mackeral\n \n","reviewBody":"though director ozu was not aware of the fact that this would be his last film, 'autumn' seems, on the surface, the same subject, same characters and same circumstances as his other works, though there is a slight change. ozu does not imbrue this film with the same overwhelming sense of doom and resignation that pervade his other films. no reference is made to an 'autumn afternoon' but the film is saturated with wood-grain browns and tans, subdued lighting and easy movement within the frame that arouses the lethargic feel of an autumn day. the translation of the title is actually 'a taste of mackerel,' which, like 'barley harvest' for 'early summer' and 'flavor of green tea over rice' no doubt conveyed to Japanese audiences the specific tastes and smells of the seasons. after 40 years of enjoying and appreciating this director's work, i can still recall the 'taste and smell' of a Japan i visited back in 1968. now that i am in my mid-sixties, these films have even more meaning to me. thanks to criterion for serving up these delicious films."},{"@type":"Review","reviewRating":{"@type":"Rating","ratingValue":"5.0"},"author":{"@type":"Person","name":"M***O"},"datePublished":"Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2009","name":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n This was not meant to be the last...\n \n","reviewBody":"But in the end this IS the last work of Yasujiro Ozu's life. I can't say it is a surprise or fresh because he uses the same actors and actresses he loves. And the plot of a dad trying to get his daughter married off and happy is also recycled - if you are reading this you know this. While in other films of this type the father in the end seems to be OK with what he did in this one the father seems to be lonely and sad that he has lost one of his children, even when he still has a son at home. It is the same - with a twist.Being able to see a movie drama from Japan in color was amazing in itself - the ruins, the play of red and white, the angle of the camera allowing us to almost look up at the characters and down the layered settings, with the foreground and background and everything in between seeming to jump out at you. The reunion of old friends, the TV set, the fridge, the vacuum cleaner, the tiny plots that twist around the main plot, and the baseball game show the change in Japan in the post-war years. But the old traditions and ways of the family still hung on. It makes such a great mixture of new, old and, sometimes, lovely themes that pop out at you. Get it new or used."},{"@type":"Review","reviewRating":{"@type":"Rating","ratingValue":"5.0"},"author":{"@type":"Person","name":"J***D"},"datePublished":"Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2012","name":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n Cinematic perfection\n \n","reviewBody":"Ozu is, in my opinion, Japan's greatest filmmaker, despite the fruitful fame of Kurosawa. And one is hard pressed to name his second best film, after the masterpiece \"Tokyo Story\". It could be \"Early Summer\", \"Late Spring\", or this structurally perfect film: An Autumn Afternoon.There are several levels of the zenith of the cinematic arts represented here. First of all the visual aspect featuring amazing uses of the color red and his consummate organization of each scene in terms of blocking and actor movement through the assigned spaces. But even more so, the craft of his asking his actors not to \"act\" creates the most gorgeous and moving poignancy of any movie I know of. So here one finds perfection of both structure and substance.It is another Ozu masterpiece. Highly recommended."},{"@type":"Review","reviewRating":{"@type":"Rating","ratingValue":"5.0"},"author":{"@type":"Person","name":"J***N"},"datePublished":"Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2016","name":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n Wonderful\n \n","reviewBody":"These Japanese films during this period are outstanding.Anything with Chrishu Ryu is great.When he is with the greatest female star I have ever seen (Setsuko Hara - not in this film) then the pair are unbeatable.Autumn Afternoon is long in some small parts, but well worth it."},{"@type":"Review","reviewRating":{"@type":"Rating","ratingValue":"5.0"},"author":{"@type":"Person","name":"S***A"},"datePublished":"Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2018","name":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n I really enjoy watching it\n \n","reviewBody":"I must have watched 6 or seven times. I really enjoy watching it."},{"@type":"Review","reviewRating":{"@type":"Rating","ratingValue":"5.0"},"author":{"@type":"Person","name":"I***N"},"datePublished":"Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2020","name":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n Great Izu.\n \n","reviewBody":"Beautiful Ozu film. Like all his films it’s quiet, intimate and leaves a strong impression. Obviously not for the action film set."},{"@type":"Review","reviewRating":{"@type":"Rating","ratingValue":"5.0"},"author":{"@type":"Person","name":"T***S"},"datePublished":"Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2009","name":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n Autum Afternoon\n \n","reviewBody":"Recently made available on DVD. Yasujiro Ozu's final masterpiece. A true classicfilm. Ozu is known for his 50mm lens used on all his movies, shot at low angle, andyet the world is just starting to discover his work. All his movies from after thepacific war focuses on middle class Japanese family. Superb acting and is consideredto be a true genius of story tellers as well. His stories are simple, and yet verydeep. Take a trip into Yasujiro Ozu's films. He has touched my heart with all hiswonderful movies. Autum Afternoon was his last movie completed in 1962 as he passedaway the following year at his prime age of 60."},{"@type":"Review","reviewRating":{"@type":"Rating","ratingValue":"5.0"},"author":{"@type":"Person","name":"D***T"},"datePublished":"Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 19, 2012","name":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n Transcendental, melancholic Ozu with good Blu-ray transfer\n \n","reviewBody":"I was keen to see how one of Ozu's colour films held up in high definition. The transfer is fair, but still affected by age and source issues - there's some print damage, heavy grain, some instability (particularly on cuts during scenes). But overall there's a little level of detail on display than the DVDs of Ozu's films and this really allows his unique style and composition to shine. It's really a beauty to behold.Most of Ozu's films are quiet and slow-paced, but for some reason I found this more transcendental and melancholic than his others - perhaps because it came so late in his career. There's a distinct world-weariness to the central characters and a sense of mortality that's less present, in my view, in his earlier films. It makes for quite a mature and rewarding experience to watch.Highly recommended."},{"@type":"Review","reviewRating":{"@type":"Rating","ratingValue":"5.0"},"author":{"@type":"Person","name":"L***T"},"datePublished":"Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 1, 2015","name":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n A marvellous film about very little at all.\n \n","reviewBody":"I believe this is one of the most enjoyable films I have ever watched. A masterpiece of observation and understatement with tremendous good humour intrinsically linked in there. I am not going to outline the plot other than to say, like all later Uzo films it is a magical description of everyday life with understated drama and all the better for it. You simply have to see it and wind yourself into the Japanese psyche which is entirely different from the cliche portrayed in Western productions where Japanese feature."},{"@type":"Review","reviewRating":{"@type":"Rating","ratingValue":"5.0"},"author":{"@type":"Person","name":"G***T"},"datePublished":"Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 10, 2021","name":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n Classic Japanese cinema\n \n","reviewBody":"Love Yasujiro Ozu’s slow cinema"},{"@type":"Review","reviewRating":{"@type":"Rating","ratingValue":"5.0"},"author":{"@type":"Person","name":"B***S"},"datePublished":"Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 28, 2016","name":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n Delightful, as with all Ozu re-makes, from his earlier films...\n \n","reviewBody":"Always a delight from this Japanese master, best served in a mellow mood with wine and a cosy armchair."},{"@type":"Review","reviewRating":{"@type":"Rating","ratingValue":"5.0"},"author":{"@type":"Person","name":"M***G"},"datePublished":"Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 4, 2011","name":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n The taste of Sanma\n \n","reviewBody":"According to the (short but informative) booklet, the original title of this film means 'The taste of Sanma', where Sanma means mackerel pike. The film was made in 1962 and is Ozu's last. I think it may be my favourite. All the Ozu elements are there: the usual actors, the theme of marriage, the influence of Western culture, relations between generations in post-war Japan. Despite using the same actors (in different roles) and themes through the films, they never become tedious. In 'An Autumn Afternoon', a father (played by Chishu Ryu) living with his grown up (24 yrs old) daughter and younger son is gradually convinced by his friends that the daughter should marry. The daughter is not too interested, she wants to take care of dad, and the father is dependent on the daughter like a housewife. I don't know why this is my favourite Ozu, maybe because the elements are here blended in perfection, and the mix of comedy and sadness (marrying away the daughter is not an easy thing for Ryu). Here is also the bar scene where patriotic war music is played and made fun of, Japan having moved on from the rule of Hirohito and towards consumerism.The world Ozu conjures from his usual actors, and also using the same studio props as in other movies: the office, the corridor, the home etc, is quickly drawing the wiever inside. I become involved in the social play, problems and relations and they make me forget that the same actors and setups are re-used. This world is also very patriarchal: the men have their (more or less important) jobs and they meet every night at bars for sake and whiskey, discussing how to manage their families. But at the same time, Ozu uses strong women who sometimes put fathers and brothers in their place and make fun of them. Anyway, the insights in a different culture is fascinating.The picture of this Blu-Ray is amazing, of course it will never look like a new film with sharpness and so on. But it looks sharp enough and with nice film grain, and the subtle colors used in early colour films. If you have the slightest interest in Japanese film, or in Japan, or in cinema in general, you should watch this."}],"aggregateRating":{"@type":"AggregateRating","ratingValue":4.923076923076923,"bestRating":5,"ratingCount":13}}
