AN AUTUMN AFTERNOON - MIFF 2011

I knew that Japanese master filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu would wash the bad taste of the previous film from my mouth, but unfortunately I wasn’t anticipating the other problems we had to deal with at my screening of “An Autumn Afternoon”, namely projection problems.  They were regular and many and at two times during the film it had to be stopped with the first time resulting in a five minute delay before the restart.  Still in the end, while frustrating, I was still able to enjoy this delightful and delicate film, which was also Ozu’s final.  Now I am no expert on Ozu, only having seen four or five of his films, but he is basically the master of the inoffensive family drama.  He tells his story at his own pace and as such, the film has its own deliberate rhythm, but once you are in tune with that rhythm and pace, it is not at all hard to fall in love with “An Autumn Afternoon”.

The film is basically about a father, Shuhei, coming to terms with having to marry off his daughter, and struggling with the decision to do so, because it means he will be left alone, even though it would result in a better life for her.  At the start of the film, he is quite hesitant to the suggestion stating that Michiko is not ready and is too young (she is 24), but it is after a reunion with one of his old teachers that he begins to reconsider his position.  After dropping off his highly intoxicated teacher home, he sees that the man’s daughter is still looking after the widower and is unmarried herself.  The coldness and bitterness the woman exudes is evident, due to the fact that she has no life of her own, she has given it up to look after her father.  Shuhei decides he does not want that for Michiko and sets out to find her a suitable husband.  Michiko is also hesitant to the idea, not because she does not want to be married, rather she wants to marry for love.

I suppose someone with no knowledge of Ozu at all my think this sounds incredibly dry and boring, but it is just not the case.  It is extremely well acted, beautifully shot (as usual for Ozu the camera barely moves, if at all), and it is packed full of emotion.  It is also incredibly moving.  The scene after Michiko has been married and Shuhei realizes that he is all alone and thus breaks down a little, is so beautifully done without being soppy or falling into sentiment.  The visual highlight of the film for me is when we see Michiko dressed for her wedding.  She looks so gorgeous and you can see how proud her father and brothers are of her.

Overall, “An Autumn Afternoon” is a sweet, funny and emotional film, without ever falling into the traps of being overly sentimental.  It is a quietly powerful film about family dynamics, and this swansong of an amazing director is a fitting film to go out on.

3.5 Stars.