Watches
December 27, 2009
Kurosawa going for a more straightforward drama. Just imagine if the script for Visitor Q didn't land on Miike's desk but was handed to Kurosawa instead, and you should have a pretty decent idea of what to expect from this film. It comes with minor genre influences embedded in the plot, but for the larger part, this is a pure drama.
The film focuses on a very typical Japanese family, or at least, one that looks typical from afar. On closer inspection, the family unit isn't as tight and organized as it wants to appear. The father has been fired and doesn't dare tell his wife, the oldest son hardly comes home anymore, the youngest is taking piano lessons without his parents' approval and the mother feels she can't be the glue that holds everything together.
Back then, this was one of Kurosawa's first forays into drama cinema, by now it's pretty much familiar territory for fans of the man's work. There are some interesting themes and plot choices, the performances are good, but the styling is a little underdeveloped and it doesn't quite do enough to set itself apart from other films. Quality work, but it lacks that little extra to truly stand out.