Directed by Yasujiro Ozu • 1948 • Japan
Starring Kinuyo Tanaka, Shuji Sano, Chieko Murata
Perhaps Yasujiro Ozu’s darkest film, this devastating account of Japan’s wartime realities follows the struggles of Tokiko (Kinuyo Tanaka), a mother who is forced to turn to sex work in order to pay off her ill son’s medical bills. When her husband (Shuji Sano) returns home from the war, her suffering is compounded by his refusal to forgive her actions. Anchored by a searing performance from the great Tanaka, A HEN IN THE WIND balances emotionally charged melodrama with Ozu’s characteristic subtlety.
Up Next in Directed by Yasujiro Ozu
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Late Spring
Directed by Yasujiro Ozu • 1949 • Japan
Starring Chishu Ryu, Setsuko Hara, Yumeji TsukiokaOne of the most powerful of Yasujiro Ozu’s family portraits, LATE SPRING (BANSHUN) tells the story of a widowed father who feels compelled to marry off his beloved only daughter. Eminent Ozu players Chishu...
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The Munekata Sisters
Directed by Yasujiro Ozu • 1950 • Japan
Starring Kinuyo Tanaka, Hideko Takamine, Ken UeharaJapanese golden-age greats Kinuyo Tanaka and Hideko Takamine star in this rich melodrama centered on two sisters: the reserved, traditional Setsuko (Tanaka), unhappily married to an alcoholic wastrel, and...
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Early Summer
Directed by Yasujiro Ozu • 1951 • Japan
Starring Setsuko Hara, Chishu Ryu, Chikage AwashimaThe Mamiya family is seeking a husband for their daughter, Noriko, but she has ideas of her own. Played by the extraordinary Setsuko Hara, Noriko impulsively chooses her childhood friend, at once fulfilli...
