#noriko trilogy

[365filmsbyauroranocte]

Early Summer (Yasujirō Ozu, 1951)

[genteelblackhole42]

Day 14 of Project Glowing Rectangle, in which I try to divert some of my daily doomscrolling time back towards a more nourishing oblong: Cinema.

Today's film was Tokyo Story (1953) — the final part of Yasujiro Ozu's loose trilogy of films starring Setsuko Hara as Noriko (a different Noriko in each film).

Tokyo Story is about an elderly couple (Chishu Ryu and Chieko Higashiyama) who go to visit their adult children in Tokyo. But their children are too busy with their own lives, and neglect to spend much time with them. Only Noriko, the widow of their late son who died in the war, shows them much kindness. And after the couple return home, a sudden tragedy forces the whole family to reconvene.

The last time I saw this film was over a decade ago. I liked it well enough then. But Ozu's work has really clicked with me lately, and this film in particular hits much deeper now that I've gone through a similar bereavement. Watching it today, I absolutely sobbed. And it was just the emotional release I needed. An absolutely beautiful, wonderful film. Maybe my favourite of the year so far.

[maggiecheungs]

# mood

[voidincinema]

Late spring (1949)

dir. Yasujiro Ozu

[maggiecheungs]

Setsuko Hara as Noriko in Tokyo Story (1953) dir. Yasujirō Ozu

[maggiecheungs]

Setsuko Hara as Noriko in Yasujirō Ozu’s ‘Noriko Trilogy’

Tokyo Story (1953) • Late Spring (1949)

[maggiecheungs]

Setsuko Hara as Noriko in Yasujirō Ozu’s ‘Noriko Trilogy’ // Anthy Himemiya in Revolutionary Girl Utena

[maggiecheungs]

“Noriko’s ‘odd’ resistance to marriage... haunts the spectator by casting a queer shadow on this ideal Japanese daughter.” — Kanno Yuka, ‘The “Eternal Virgin" Reconsidered: Hara Setsuko in Contexts’, 2010

SETSUKO HARA as NORIKO in Yasujirō Ozu’s ‘Noriko Trilogy’