Ozu's style, already in its ascetic mature phase, presents [the son's] struggle plainly and directly, heightening the effect of its sting. Yet the film is hardly a downer; indeed, it's full of the director's gentle, self-reflective humor.
Ben Sachs
April 1, 2016
With his first talking picture, from 1936, the Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu set the template for the films that would make his name. Relying on dialogue to sustain the drama, he conjures vast emotion through poised images of an exquisite subtlety.