Record of a Tenement Gentleman
Dir: Yasujirô Ozu
1947
*****
Regarded by most as Yasujirô Ozu's most sentimental work, it's often dismissed and overlooked. It is as heart warming as it is heartbreaking, but it's certainly not as gratuitous as say a Frank Capra film, it is far more subtle. Filmed at a time when Japan was still feeling the effect of the second world war and was getting back on its feet. People had become anxious and frightened but also, as Ozu suggests, selfish and unthoughtful. It could have been mistaken for Japanese propaganda, as the west was being introduced to Asian cinema around this time but for those of you who know Yasujirô Ozu's work, you'll know that this was never the case, this was for the people of Japan, a much needed lesson in unity and also a timeless story of hope, kindness and doing what was right. I know I've made it sound like an excruciatingly wet film, it isn't, it still has plenty of humour and intelligence for it not to be too potent. It's actually a rather special film and hugely underrated. I can't recommend it enough, it's an absolute classic.