210. Ozu Film #44: Early Summer (1951) [Part 1]
*44. Bakushû (Early Summer) (10/3/51) (125 min.) [Sound B&W] [buy it here]
Various small stories, almost anecdotes, make up this picture of a family. Six family members live together in Kamakura. At the end the daughter agrees to marry and the family is dissolved.
- Second in the "Noriko trilogy."
Ten of the final eleven films are on Criterion or Eclipse (the next entry [#45] is an Asian DVD). This Criterion release gives the film the treatment it deserves -- really great essays by Bordwell and Jim Jarmusch; Richie commentary; a great interview about behind the scenes stuff and the original trailer.
The above précis gives a pretty clear idea about what an Ozu picture looks like from here on. His style is fully developed and his scripts written with such polish and elan that you cannot help but be completely sucked into these 125 minutes, so naturally does everything unfold before your eyes and ears. Even the root menu of the DVD is adorable -- the scene of the family photograph, repeated on a loop...
Richie brilliantly describes what it meant for Ozu to reach this stage:
- "Ozu's early diaries are filled with complaints about 'no story,' that is, no visible way of dramatizing what story he has. They are so frequent (the only entry more often encountered is 'drunk again last night') that one realizes what a problem dramatization was for him ... from The Brothers and Sisters of the Toda Family on, Ozu solved his problem. He did not untie the knot; he cut it. [In these late pictures] we see the results -- the 'story' is simply the recounting (balanced, artful, incisive) of what happened. It became increasingly possible to compress this 'story' into a one-line description, though to do so gives no indication of the film's enormous emotional power" (p. 237).
The film begins with the usual magnificent pillow shots:
PILLOWS - #001 0:02:32: The first image is a familiar one -- the sea, waves washing in ... but here we have a dog running along the surf. Once the dog exits the frame, Ozu continues to hold on the small crashing waves [:23]
- #002 0:02:55: Another stunning composition: we are looking through an open window. The left and right sides create a smaller sub-frame. We look out on a hillside (for really eagle-eyed Ozu viewers, look carefully! Ozu has filmed this exact hillside from different, wider angles where you can clearly see the half-dozen lone trees at the top!). On the upper right of the frame -- a birdcage (and a chirping bird) [:07]
- #003 0:03:02: Int: view of hallway, two birdcages ... here the music begins. Home Sweet Home (played on the celesta) will permeate the soundtrack for a great deal of the remainder of this film. Here, it continues -- nonstop -- for the next five minutes [:08]
SCENE 1
In the following scene, note the wonderful delight we observe in the family eating breakfast and the magnificent details of the set ...
- #004 0:03:10: [C01] CU Grandfather, Shukichi Mamiya (Ichirô Sugai), mixing something in a bowl. He takes the white teapot and begins to pour [:18]
- #005 0:03:28: Reverse axial cut ... the camera pulls back as he finishes pouring. (Here, Ozu elides a second or two! In the first cut, he is just beginning to pour; in the second he has finished. We do not see the liquid go into the cup ... [C02] His grandson, Minoru (Zen Murase), comes to tell him that breakfast is ready. He leaves the frame / cut / [:16]
- #006 0:03:44: hallway shot; Minoru is coming down the steps (notice Ozu's logical filmic geometry -- Since Minoru is coming down the steps, we can place Grandfather upstairs ... [C03] Mother, Fumiko Mamiya (Kuniko Miyake), gives Minoru a bowl to take to the table; Minoru exits frame right / cut / [:11]
- #007 0:03:55: Camera low, directly facing [C04] Daughter, Noriko (Setsuko Hara). [C05] Father, Koichi Mamiya (Chishu Ryu) is in the background getting dressed for work and Minoru has just brought in the bowl of pickles ... They are calling /cut / [:15]
- #008 0:04:10: [C06] Minoru's younger brother, Isamu (Isao Shirosawa). He walks sleepily towards the camera / cut / [:08]
- #009 0:04:18: Camera now behind Noriko, facing Isamu. Noriko tells him to go wash his face [:14]
- #010 0:04:32: Hallway shot, towards Mother [:06]
- #011 0:04:38: Turns right. Stands on stool, wets towel in sink, hangs up towel. (He never washed his face) [:17]
- #012 0:04:55: Original camera position facing Noriko. Isamu enters from background, takes his seat. Ozu extends the cut a bit to give Noriko time to glance up at Isamu several times [:15]
- #013 0:05:10: Brilliant composition. The normal thing to do would be to film Isamu in the now-traditional straight-on close-up shot, but here Ozu puts the camera right on the edge of the table -- we see all the bowls and cups in the foreground, with the boy perfectly framed by the windows in the background [:06]
- #014 0:05:16: CU Noriko [:05]
- #015 0:05:21: Reverse axial to medium shot. Grandpa joins the table [:19]
- #016 0:05:40: MCU Grandpa speaking to Koichi [:04]
- #017 0:05:44: MCU Koichi [:03]
- #018 0:05:47: Back to 0:04:55 camera position (*). Mother enters [:25]
- #019 0:06:12: Hallway shot Mother says goodbye to Father [:14]
- #020 0:06:26: * ... Mother rejoins the table just as Isamu gets up to leave. [C07] Grandmother, Shige Mamiya (Chieko Higashiyama) [fantastic as the busybody mom in Kurosawa's The Idiot, made this same year], enters. Noriko gets up, taking a few bowls with her to the [:30]
- #021 0:06:56: Kitchen. She puts the bowls in the sink and then begins to ascend the staircase [:07]
- #022 0:07:03: Empty room. Noriko enters, unties apron, picks up briefcase, preens before mirror, picks up white gloves, quick look at something she forgot -- a saucer and teacup, exits. Hold on empty room [:20]
- #023 0:07:23: Camera facing kitchen. Noriko descends, puts dishes in sink, turns around [:08]
- #024 0:07:31: Reverse * shot, facing Isamu. Noriko is off to work [:05]
- #025 0:07:36: Camera facing Minoru in his room; a blizzard of action: Noriko walks towards Minoru, telling him to hurry, exits frame right. Mother enters frame left and gives Noriko (mostly unseen) Grandfather's letter to post. Mother turns to Minoru and tells him to hurry it up. Enter Isamu frame left. He goes into his room just as Minoru is leaving. He gives Isamu a little pat on the head and / cut /[:25]
- #026 0:08:01: Same as 0:07:31. Minoru says goodbye [:06]
- #027 0:08:07: And leaves. The tinkling of the doorbell transitions us to [:07]
SCENE 2
SU#1: Medium-shot of Fumiko, Noriko (back to camera) and Koichi.
#153 0:31:45: Empty hallway as she enters frame. She goes down the steps. Music beings, and camera slowly pushes forward! [:13]
- #028 0:08:14: The train rounds a curve [:09]
- #029 0:08:23: Train interior. Father and [C08] Nishiwaki (Seiji Miyaguchi) [Seven Samurai] are reading the newspaper [:13]
- #030 0:08:30: They exchange sections. Koichi looks out the window [:13]
- #031 0:08:47: The Kitakamakura sign from the train station (filmed from a different angle than the one in Late Spring). Train passengers walking by. (Senji Itô's score [his last of six for Ozu] here begins a rather mournful Largo, which continues until 0:10:18 Noriko, standing on the platform. She takes a few steps / cut / [:11]
- #033 0:09:06: Sees [C09] Kenkichi Yabe (Hiroshi Nihon'yanagi), approaches, says good morning [:12]
- #034 0:09:18: A lovely composition: On the left, an anonymous passenger, an older man. Noriko and her friend stand together on the right side. The sound of the train begins in the last few seconds of this cut [:15]
- #035 0:09:33: The camera is now placed behind the railing where the passengers were waiting. The train rolls by / cut / [:13]
PILLOW SHOTS
- #036 0:09:40: This is one of my favorite cuts in all of the Ozu canon! The camera is high on a hill, overlooking the rooftops which slope down towards the railroad tracks and then another hill rises above in the background. The first thing the eye notices is two people -- specks in this perspective -- walking along the road, just as the 10-car train is entering the right of frame. Naturally, Ozu won't move on until the train is completely out of frame. He also got extremely lucky with this shot -- at the very end you can see a bicyclist going in the opposite direction [:28]
- #037 0:10:08: Here Ozu repeats two pillow shots from the film's opening. First, #002 and then [:05]
- #038 0:10:13: #003 Both shots are slightly shorter than the previous versions [:05]
SCENE 4
- #039 0:10:18: Two-shot, Grandpa is clipping Isamu's toenails. He gets an "I love you" for every piece of candy he gives the boy [:29]
- #040 0:10:47: Cuts on action of Isamu standing up; camera pulls back. Now it's "I hate you" [:13]
- #041 0:10:54: CU Isamu [:04]
- #042 0:10:58: CU Grandpa. Long hold (fermata). Score resumes [:12]
PILLOW SHOTS
- #043 0:11:10: Exterior: office building [:07]
- #044 0:11:18: Interior: looking out window. Sound of typing [:05]
SCENE 5
- #045 0:11:23: CU old Royal typewriter, hands. We can see she's typing in English. (Look carefully -- there's a copy of Time Magazine lying flat next to the typewriter. In looking through Time's archives, I can't seem to match it -- but wouldn't it be funny if it were this one! (General MacArthur) [:13]
- #046 0:11:36: Noriko, shot from a 45° angle [:11]
- #047 0:11:47: Door. [C10] Satake (Shûji Sano), Noriko's boss, enters [:06]
- #048 0:11:53: Discuss business [:10]
- #049 0:12:08: CU Satake [:07]
- #050 0:12:15: CU Noriko (She is recommending a coffee shop in Ginza) [:06]
- #051 0:12:21: Satake: "Did you see the company president?" [:03]
- #052 0:12:24: "Yes, why?" [:02]
- #053 0:12:26: "No reason." He writes in his little notebook [:06]
- #054 0:12:32: Door. [C11] Aya (Chikage Awashima) enters [:09]
- #055 0:12:41: Satake: "Here comes the bill collector." [:04]
- #056 0:12:45: Wide shot covering all three [:10]
- #057 0:12:55: CU Aya [:02]
- #058 0:12:57: Satake: "So what happened the other night?" [:04]
- #059 0:13:01: "Mr. Yada sang." She begins to sit down / cut / [:05]
- #060 0:13:06: Wider two-shot. Turns to Noriko. "Did you hear? Chako is getting married." [:17]
- #061 0:13:23: CU Noriko. "I didn't know. To whom?" [:03]
- #062 0:13:26: CU Aya. "Mr. Tsumara. You know him? Played basketball for Waseda." [:06]
- #063 0:13:32: "I didn't know him. Are they in love?" [:04]
- #064 0:13:36: Wider two-shot. "Yes, she's had a crush on him forever." Satake: "You're like two jealous old maids -- a sad sight." He stands [:10]
- #065 0:13:46: Aya leaves with him [:28]
- #066 0:14:14: Out the door [:06]
- #067 0:14:20: Back on Noriko, now alone [:13]
PILLOW SHOTS
- #068 0:14:29: Ext: Buildings, lamp, night [:08]
- #069 0:14:37: Shikikawa [:06]
SCENE 6
- #070 0:14:43: Int delivering order [:12]
SU#1: Medium-shot of Fumiko, Noriko (back to camera) and Koichi.
SU#2: Slightly angled CU of Noriko. When she speaks to Koichi she is nearly facing the camera.
SU#3: CU Koichi, straight-on.
SU#4: Like SU#1, but Koichi, Fumiko (back to camera) and Noriko.
- #071 0:14:55: SU#1 Noriko, Fumiko and Koichi. Jokes about drinking [:26]
- #072 0:15:21: SU#2 CU Noriko [:06]
- #073 0:15:27: SU#3 CU Koichi [:02]
- #074 0:15:29: SU#2 Noriko [:03]
- #075 0:15:32: SU#3 Koichi [:01]
- #076 0:15:33: SU#4 Etiquette [:41]
- #077 0:16:14: SU#3 Koichi on wartime; women [:07]
- #078 0:16:23: SU#2 Noriko, side-on [:06]
- #079 0:16:29: SU#1 Orig. cp, behind Noriko. "Hear, hear" Koichi: "That's why you can't get married" [:06]
- #081 0:16:35: SU#2 Noriko: "It's not that I can't. I could in a minute if I wanted to" [:04]
- #082 0:16:39: SU#3 Koichi: "So you say" [:02]
- #083 0:16:41: SU#1 "Just don't marry a doctor" And a lazy coda with everyone enjoying the delicious-looking food [:49]
- #084 0:17:30: Laundry on the line [:09]
SCENE 7
- #085 0:17:39: Grandfather with his [C12] brother (the wonderful Kokuten Kôdô, 13 films with Kurosawa), from the back. They are staring at a scroll [:09]
- #086 0:17:48: CU scroll [:02]
- #087 0:17:50: Camera reverse, facing uncle on left, Grandfather on right. "What happened to the smaller scroll?" "I sold it" [:10]
- #088 0:18:00: Orig. cp: "Really?" [:16]
- #089 0:18:16: Grandma making tea [:21]
- #090 0:18:37: Hallway, facing kids' room. Father leaves. Grandma enters frame / cut / [:12]
- #091 0:18:49: Enters frame, gives tea tray to Noriko (she asks Fumiko if it's okay) and goes up steps [:12]
- #092 0:19:01: Grandpa and Uncle, who asks Noriko her age [:17]
- #093 0:19:16: CU Noriko: "Twenty-eight" [:03]
- #094 0:19:19: Camera behind Noriko; Uncle, Grandpa [:16]
- #095 0:19:37: Camera pulls back behind the men [:08]
- #096 0:19:45: Downstairs. Noriko descending. Talks with Fumikio about ¥ [:29]
- #097 0:20:14: Hallway. Minoru is playing with a toy truck. Noriko walks towards camera. Minoru calls to her [:11]
- #098 0:20:25: CU Minoru "Is great-uncle deaf?" [:01]
- #099 0:20:26: CU Noriko: "Not at all." [:02]
- #100 0:20:28: "He can't hear me." [:03]
- #101 0:20:31: Noriko: "Yes he can." [:01]
- #102 0:20:32: Back to orig. cp (0:20:14). Uncle descends [:12]
- #103 0:20:44: Uncle sits in chair, back to camera [:18]
- #104 0:21:03: Frontal shot. Isamu enters and calls him a "fool" [:18]
- #105 0:21:21: Hallway. Minoru: "Speak louder" [:05]
- #106 0:21:26: Frontal shot. [:08]
- #107 0:21:34: Reverse. Nice fermata; Uncle laughs [:25]
PILLOW SHOT
- #108 0:21:59: "The Great Bhudda" [:09]
SCENE 8
- #109 0:22:08: The kids are playing by the steps in front of the Bhudda [:11]
- #110 0:22:19: Noriko and Uncle [:25]
- #111 0:22:54: Noriko greets [C13] Kenkichi's mother, Tami Yabe (Haruko Sugimura) and her little girl, [C14] Mitsuko (Ito Kazuyo, no speaking lines; her only IMDb credit) [:36]
- #112 0:23:30: The boys and Uncle [:25]
- #113 0:23:55: Camera pulls back [:13]
PILLOW SHOT
- #114 0:24:08: Car, poster (Kabuki theatre) [:09]
- #115 0:24:17: Interior: theatre [:06]
SCENE 9
- #116 0:24:23: The rare pan! The camera comes to rest on the family, Uncle centered [:11]
- #117 0:24:44: Frontal shot: Unknown woman, Grandma, Uncle, Grandpa. (Observe Kôdô here!) [:20]
- #118 0:25:04: Hallway (we can still hear the play) [:06]
- #119 0:25:10: Int. room. (We are at the restaurant owned by Aya's mother) [:10]
- #120 0:25:20: Aya and Noriko sitting on a couch [:13]
- #121 0:25:33: Camera shifts 90° clockwise; wider; Woman rises, shuts off radio. They talk about [C15] Taka (Takako [Kuniko Igawa]), who is taking a bath. Apparently, she had a fight with her husband and asked to stay with Aya. She comes in as they are talking about her. First Aya, then Noriko, get off the couch and sit on the floor with Taka [:53]
- #122 0:26:26: Reverse cut; Taka (back to camera), Noriko and Aya. The conversation is worth transcribing. Noriko and Aya are trying to find out what happened.
Takako: "It's my pet dog."
Aya, to Noriko: "It chewed on his pipe."
Takako: "He was rather careless leaving it around."
Aya: "It's a nice pipe from London."
Takako: "He blamed me. So I served him carrots out of spite."
Noriko: "To whom? The dog?"
Takako: "Not the dog -- my husband!"
Aya: "A horse would have liked the carrots."
Takako: "Baka! [Silly!] ... Anyway, he exploded this morning."
Noriko: "Over a trivial thing like that?" [:26] - #123 0:26:52: CU Takako, frontal:
"It was really upsetting"
"Noriko: "Yes he can." [:03]
- #124 0:26:55: CU two-shot, Aya and Noriko, who says:
"You should be patient. That's nothing."
Aya: "You're a married woman." [:04]
- #125 0:26:59: Taka: "So?" [:01]
- #126 0:27:00: The girls make fun of Tata's marital status, using the word "ne" ("what?" "right!" "fer sure," etc.)
Aya: She doesn't have to put up with it. (Turns to Noriko) Doesn't she? ne!"
Noriko: "It's only natural, isn't it? ne!"
"Husband's are all like that. That's we don't get marry, ne!"
"That right, isn't it! ne!" [:14] - #127 0:27:14: Taka: "You don't know anything about married life." [:02]
- #128 0:27:16: Cut #122 setup. Taka begins to rise [:08]
- #129 0:27:24: Cut #121 setup. Taka sits down again. [C16] Her mother, Nobu (Toyo Takahashi) enters, sits [:39]
- #130 0:28:03: Noriko-Aya two-shot. Nobu wants Koichi to examine her heart [:07]
- #131 0:28:10: CU Nobu. Sake [:12]
- #132 0:28:22: Behind Nobu, taking in all three [:16]
- #133 0:28:38: Behind Noriko. Nobu leaves, telling Noriko her boss is upstairs. Takako returns and says she's leaving to meet her husband [:29]
- #134 0:29:07: Aya, sitting. "Who, Mr. Carrot?" [:02]
- #135 0:29:09: Taka [:02]
- #136 0:29:11: Aya [:02]
- #137 0:29:13: Wide shot. Aya sitting, Taka standing [:18]
- #138 0:29:31: Noriko, going to meet Satake [:09]
- #139 0:29:40: Entering room [:03]
- #140 0:29:43: Satake [:03]
- #141 0:29:46: Noriko, bows, begins to sit; cut on action [:05]
- #142 0:29:51: Wider two-shot. They drink [:35]
- #143 0:30:26: Noriko [:02]
- #144 0:30:28: Satake: "Why don't you get married?" [:02]
- #145 0:30:30: Noriko, giggling [:39]
- #146 0:30:36: Satake [:39]
- #147 0:30:49: Wider two-shot. L-R: Noriko-Satake. He shows her photos of Manabe [:26]
- #148 0:31:15: Satake: "Don't try to escape." [:03]
- #149 0:31:18: Noriko has to meet her parents [:03]
- #150 0:31:21: Satake: "Then take my car" [:04]
- #151 0:31:25: Noriko thanks him, begins to rise [:06]
- #152 0:31:31: COA Medium shot. "Take the pictures." [:14]
PILLOW SHOTS
- #154 0:31:58: Taka: "So?" [:01]
- #155 0:26:59: Taka: "So?" [:01]
- #156 0:26:59: Taka: "So?" [:01]
- #157 0:26:59: Taka: "So?" [:01]
- #158 0:26:59: Taka: "So?" [:01]
- #159 0:26:59: Taka: "So?" [:01]
- #160 0:26:59: Taka: "So?" [:01]
- #161 0:26:59: Taka: "So?" [:01]
- #162 0:26:59: Taka: "So?" [:01]
- #163 0:26:59: Taka: "So?" [:01]
- #164 0:26:59: Taka: "So?" [:01]
- #165 0:26:59: Taka: "So?" [:01]
- #166 0:26:59: Taka: "So?" [:01]
- #167 0:26:59: Taka: "So?" [:01]
- #168 0:26:59: Taka: "So?" [:01]
- #169 0:26:59: Taka: "So?" [:01]
- #170 0:26:59: Taka: "So?" [:01]
- #171 0:26:59: Taka: "So?" [:01]
- #172 0:26:59: Taka: "So?" [:01]
- #173 0:26:59: Taka: "So?" [:01]
- #174 0:26:59: Taka: "So?" [:01]
- #175 0:26:59: Taka: "So?" [:01]
- #176 0:26:59: Taka: "So?" [:01]
- #177 0:26:59: Taka: "So?" [:01]
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