william d
Naruse truly coveys the abandonment the children must feel and Futaba Ichiki is adorable as Junko.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
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Audience Member
Mikio Naruse turns his depressive's eye toward kids, showing how they must cope when buffeted by events beyond their control. 12-year old Hideo and his mother move to Tokyo from rural Nagano prefecture when his father dies of TB. She leaves him with her brother's family and begins work at a nearby inn. Hideo gets teased by other boys but meets a young girl, Junko, a couple of years younger who befriends him. It turns out that her mother is his mother's employer. This might be fine but Hideo's mother suddenly disappears, apparently running off with a customer from the ryokan. As it turns out, Junko's father is only vaguely in the picture, he's a married businessman from another city and only visits occasionally. When he shows up with his other older kids, there is tension. Neither Hideo nor Junko fully comprehend their circumstances but they have their friendship. When Junko suddenly moves away, Hideo is alone again - and the film ends. Sad, but rings true.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
02/04/23
Full Review
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