Mikio Naruse

[Michael Kerpan]

I loved Daughters, Wives, Mothers (or Daughter, Wife , Mother -- but _never_ the stupid mis-title Daughters, Wives and a Mother) on first watching -- because Hara is such a darling in this (channeling Audrey Hepburn, at least in part). But while I still like it, my ardor has cooled just a little bit. It is a bit too sprawling and diffuse. (Toho must have liked this sort of film -- when it had Ozu on loan, it had him make one of these -- and Naruse made several more of these as well).

Older Brother, Younger Sister is wonderful -- except for one thing -- Masayuki Mori is woefully mis-cast as the older brother. He's just not believable in this role. All the other parts are pretty perfectly cast, however -- and the rural cinematography (especially the river scenes) are splendid.

[Quot]

I loved Daughters, Wives, Mothers (or Daughter, Wife , Mother -- but _never_ the stupid mis-title Daughters, Wives and a Mother) on first watching -- because Hara is such a darling in this (channeling Audrey Hepburn, at least in part). But while I still like it, my ardor has cooled just a little bit. It is a bit too sprawling and diffuse. (Toho must have liked this sort of film -- when it had Ozu on loan, it had him make one of these -- and Naruse made several more of these as well).

Older Brother, Younger Sister is wonderful -- except for one thing -- Masayuki Mori is woefully mis-cast as the older brother. He's just not believable in this role.

I would mostly agree with this (particularly his scenes with Machiko Kyô), however, I think Mori is very effective in the brief sequence where he brutalizes Kyô's lover. The entire sequence seems on point, even Mori's bus stop directions to his victim, after the brawl.

[artfilmfan]

I can not tell a lie -- it took at least three viewings of Floating Clouds for me to begin to really understand and enjoy it. Prior to this, the film also left me a bit cold.

Glad to read about this.... that you've warmed up to it.

I first saw Floating Clouds on the Japanese DVD. Since the DVD didn't have subtitles, I was not able to fully understand it. But when I saw it, at the AFI's Silver Theater, with subtitles during the Naruse retrospective, it immediately became my favorite Naruse film. The AFI had added a second showing of it that night when I went to see it. After the first showing, I got out of the theater, bought another ticket and went straignt back to see it for the second time that night. I've seen it so many more times since the release of the BFI Naruse boxset and it has now become my most favorite Japanese film (fifth overall on my list of favorite films), slightly edging out Late Spring.

[Michael Kerpan]

If you like Floating Clouds, the movie -- you really need to read Floating clouds, the book. ;~}

[dad1153]

^^^ Isn't usually the other way around? :-p

[artfilmfan]

I have a copy of Floating Clouds (the book). Just need to find time to read it

[Michael Kerpan]

I have a copy of Floating Clouds (the book). Just need to find time to read it

I've only read the most recent translation (which is supposed to be an improvement over the earlier translation).

[artfilmfan]

I have the 2006 edition which must be the most recent edition.

[Michael Kerpan]

I have the 2006 edition which must be the most recent edition.

I believe it is. That is the one I've read. The other version is much older.

[sidehacker]

And an inferior translation.

[dad1153]

"Ginza Cosmetics" is up on Criterion's Hulu.com section. If you live in the U.S. you can sign for a free preview of Hulu.com's premium service and sample "GC" for free.

[unclehulot]

This must be a special final cut of Mizoguchi's Story of the Last Chrysanthemum.....it's listed as being from 1979 on Hulu's site! 8-[

[sidehacker]

Well, wasn't there a remake? Perhaps that's to blame.

[esl]

"Wife" is now on Hulu.com under the Criterion collection. Print looks decent; much better than my copy that I got off of Japanese TV.

[Michael Kerpan]

"Wife" is now on Hulu.com under the Criterion collection. Print looks decent; much better than my copy that I got off of Japanese TV.

Great news -- maybe we can hope for another Eclipse set one of these days (years).

[the mad circle]

"Wife" is now on Hulu.com under the Criterion collection. Print looks decent; much better than my copy that I got off of Japanese TV.

I Just watched Wife on hulu and despite it's surface similarities to Repast, a film I consider one of his best, I was stunned by this one. Another masterwork IMO, and wonderful to watch Mieko Takamine (Hideko's sister) in a lead role (which I've not seen too much of here in the west).

[Michael Kerpan]

wonderful to watch Mieko Takamine (Hideko's sister) in a lead role (which I've not seen too much of here in the west).

No relation -- and they were from widely separated parts of Japan -- Mieko from Tokyo and Hideko from Hokkaido. Otherwise agreed -- Mieko is wonderful -- but never got much attention in the West. Other post-war films to look out for -- Naruse's very good (but virtually unknown) Maihime / Dancer (which also features the debut of Mariko Okada) and Gosho's Banka / Elegy (with a great performance by Yoshiko Kuga as well).

[the mad circle]

No relation -- and they were from widely separated parts of Japan -- Mieko from Tokyo and Hideko from Hokkaido.

My mistake! I thought they we're sisters! I'd even convinced myself that I saw a family resemblance...

Did Hideko Takamine have a sister who was an actress or did I just imagine that completely?

[Michael Kerpan]

I don't believe Hideko had any movie business relatives (other than her husband).

[the mad circle]

Michael, how does Fufu compare to Tsuma and Meshi? According to Russell's book they are an informal trilogy, mostly due to Uehara's similar characters in each film.

[Michael Kerpan]

Michael, how does Fufu compare to Tsuma and Meshi? According to Russell's book they are an informal trilogy, mostly due to Uehara's similar characters in each film.

Also very good -- I like Meshi best -- and rate Tsuma and Fufu as about equal, a bit behind Meshi. Fufu is, in the end, a bit more hopeful than Tsuuma. ;~}

[puxzkkx]

Is Summer Clouds good?

[Michael Kerpan]

Is Summer Clouds good?

Yes. ;~}

It is a bit more diffuse than things like Floating Clouds, Repast and Woman Ascending -- it is the same sort of sprawling extended family film as Ozu's End of Summer (many of Naruse's films in this era were this sort of thing).

[Quot]

I recently watched some very good shorts from a couple of Naruse's omnibus films (Yottsu no koi no monogatari / Four Love Stories (1947) and Kuchizuke / The Kiss (1955).

Both short films featured Naruse muse Hideko Takamine, and were very different from one another. Even Parting is Enjoyable (from Four Love Stories) features Takamine as a carefree divorcee who learns that her current boyfriend may be seeing someone else. Meanwhile, her neighbors who own the bar across the street are trying to fix her up with a wealthy (and less handsome) businessman. The highlight of this short is the extended meeting between Takamine and her boyfriend in her tight, cramped apartment as they awkwardly discuss a courteous way to break-up. Takamine is effervescent to say the least, and Naruse's camerawork is sublime as if follows the couple as they weave around the tiny apartment, engaging in one final dance. He also indulges us with several striking close-up shots of Ms. Takamine, the last with a quick zoom, and makes this tender and bittersweet short a memorable one.

The final one, Women's Ways (from The Kiss) putsTakamine in a bit more reserved role as the wife of a doctor and she discovers that his young nurse has feelings for him. Although this effort is fairly lighthearted and somewhat humorous in places, it is very polished and more reminiscent of his work from this period. Takamine is sympathetic to the girl's plight, and goes about looking for a husband for her. Ultimately, she wants to ensure that her husband doesn't stray, so when she is successful at marrying off his assistant, she is happy...until she sees the next nurse who applies for the position, who happens to be even younger and prettier than the last!

Both short films are highly recommended, and fans of Ms. Takamine's work should add these their wish list. I'd just like to track down the films from which they were taken, so I can view them in their proper context.

[Michael Kerpan]

There really isn't much context to be found in the two omnibus films that the two short Naruse films come from. The Naruse bits are (as I recall) the best segments of both films.

A much better omnibus film is Ishinaka-sensei gyojoki -- based on three stories by Yojiro Ishizaka, all 3 segments directed by Naruse. The English title for this (Conduct Report on Professor Ishinaka) is especially idiotic. Ishinaka-sensei is not a "professor" but rather a writer of short stories (just like Ishizaka himself) visiting northern Honshu (Ishizaka's home base) and studying the romantic ways of the local (mainly rural) populace. The English translation of the (partial) story collection the film draws on is "Mr. Ishinaka Tells Tales of Rural Drollery". All 3 parts are fun, but each gets progressively better than the preceding one -- winding up with the best of all with Mifune as a tongue-tied (in the presence of pretty girls) farm boy who accidentally "kidnaps" a pretty girl from another village (she falls asleep on top of HIS haywagon after a long day in town -- instead of the wagon going back to her own village).