Review #134: 'Good Morning' (1959)

Japanese master Yasijuro Ozu repeated many themes in his movies. One of the key things running throughout  his films is the idea of communication, or the lack of it. Good Morning, or Ohayo (to give the film its native title) centres around two young brothers, Minoru (Koji Shitara) and Isamu (Masahiko Shimazu), who long to own a television set. Their parents refuse, citing the fact that it will kill the art of conversation as the reason why. The boys rebel after accusing grown ups of talking a lot but never saying anything worthwhile, and go on a vow of silence, much to their parents gratitude. In a key sub-plot, the town gossips accuse the neighbourhood treasurer Mrs. Haraguchi (Haruko Sugimura) of embezzling their funds in order to buy herself a new washing machine, when in fact one of the gossips' mothers had forgot to pass the money on.

Ozu's reputation as one of cinema's all-time greats and a director of elegance and sophistication is given a bit of a kick up the arse in this film. This is Ozu at his most hilarious. The mischievous brothers' increasingly desperate antics unwittingly causes mayhem amongst the townsfolk and inevitably has them bickering amongst themselves. It also contains lots of fart jokes. Yes, fart jokes, from Ozu. The brothers and their friends have a strange obsession with forcing out little farts as they push each others foreheads, which causes one unfortunate to repeatedly soil himself as he tries to take part.

The kids' accusations that grown-ups have nothing useful to say is as amusing as it is poignant. The communities breakdown in communication leads to all sorts of rumours flying around about where the treasuries money is, when a simple forgetful act is all that has taken place. Even when this is discovered and the matter appears to be cleared up, they still find ways to stir up trouble. And the scene where two singletons who are obviously attracted to each other talk about the weather to fill the awkward silences, is as heartbreaking as it is oddly magical. Only a true master such as Ozu can conjure two conflicting emotions from one scene. But beneath all the bittersweet comedy and social observations is a sobering message about the decline of community and the looming death of cinema. Stunning filmmaking from a true great.


Directed by: Yasujirô Ozu
Starring: Kôji Shitara, Masahiko Shimazu, Keiji Sada, Chisû Ryû
Country: Japan

Rating: *****

Tom Gillespie