This is an excellent film and I enjoyed it, but for some reason it didn’t register as much as the other Ozu film I’ve seen, ‘Late Spring.’ Noriko, the two small boys (especially the youngest) and grand-uncle came across as the warmest and most likeable of characters, while most everyone else appears distant, sullen or superficial. Of course, as the story unfolds you subtly find out why most behave the way they do (tragedy, jealousy, tradition, etc.) and in showing us Ozu masterfully makes us apart of the society and culture he’s filming. Would defintely agree that there’s not a wasted effort or effect in his style; the stationary and floor level placement of the camera made me think, at times, that I was a member of the family.