Late Spring and Tokyo Story are generally considered Ozu’s masterpieces and are among the greatest films ever made. In Late Spring we have two people, a father and his daughter, perfectly content with the way they live. It is when outside forces intervene, in this case an aunt, that the father feels he must push his daughter towards marriage, even if it means telling a lie to do so. By the end of the film we come to two realizations-that change is an inevitability of life, and that sometimes our decisons are based on outside forces and not what we truly want. Yes, a daughter marrying and moving away from home is a natural and sometimes necessary part of life. However, Noriko(played by the exquisite Setsuko Hara) does not want to move out. She is truly happy taking care of her father and feels no urge to marry. As the film progresses we sense the sadness and anger behind her smiles. Eventually she gives in because that is what her father supposedly wants. The father (played by the great Chishu Ryu) also is perfectly happy living with his daughter, but gives in because that is what he feels is best for his daughter. We see two people sacrificing their own happiness in order to make an arrangement that they think is best for the other, even though they were both perfectly content with the way things were. The only ones who are truly happy with the new arrangement are those outside forces who pushed for it in the first place. This all culminates into one of the most simple, yet powerful endings in film history. Late Spring is also one of Ozu’s most personal films, as he never married and lived with his mother her whole life. While making compromises for those you love are a necessary part of life, making decisions based on what you feel others want you to do will only end in unhappiness. This is a sad and common part of life, one that Ozu illustrates perfectly. It is not told melodramatically like most films would, but in a serene and naturalistic way that makes the film all the more powerful and profound by it’s end.