Ozu's 1953 masterpiece is the deceptively simple tale of an elderly couple who decide to make the long journey from their small hometown of Onomichi to visit their children in Tokyo.
They visit each one in turn, discover a few truths behind their lives and return home. The elderly mother falls ill on the way back and, soon after arriving home, lapses into a coma.
As the family gathers, she simply passes away; the family disperses and the old man is left alone. That's it. Observations on the ingratitude of one's children, the effect of progress and relocation and the fragility of love between husband and wife punctuate each scene with undiminished potency. A film of quiet amazement, it is utterly beguiling and quite brilliant.
Tokyo Story
Cert: U
