Audience Member
"The Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice" eases its way into a story which appears superficial at first, but eventually blooms into a work of real substance and poignancy. It contains one of the most beautiful sequences ever filmed by Ozu, in which a husband and wife quietly prepare a meal together in real time, saying nothing as nothing needs to be said. There are no heightened dramatic moments in this film, and characters evolve in relation to inner emotional states which Ozu wisely declines to articulate. The film is surprisingly accessible and pleasant to watch despite its overly leisurely tone and unhurried approach. "The Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice" may be regarded as minor Ozu, but such a classification in no way diminishes the subtle, cumulative power of this film; it simply attests to the truly impressive heights to which Ozu was able to ascend.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
02/14/23
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william d
Another understated and elegant work from Ozu.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
Full Review
nick s
The Flavour of Green Tea over Rice was released in 1952 during the most prominent and prolific years of Yasujiro Ozuâ(TM)s filmmaking. Later, he would be saying he doesnâ(TM)t consider this film up-to-a-mark, but I truly think The Flavour of Green Tea over Rice is another fantastic and touching addition to the collection of family dramas made by Ozu.
This time Ozu shows on the screen unstable and bumpy relations of a recently married couple which is quite uncommon to him. In the majority of Ozuâ(TM)s films, the love and respect of husband and wife are shown as an unconditional thing, but not in The Flavour of Green Tea over Rice. The troublesome union consists of snobbish and spoiled daughter of wealthy businessman Taeko (Michiyo Kogure) and her provincial husband Mokichi (Shin Saburi) from a remote part of Japan who became a successful business executive. The marriage has been arranged, and Taeko doesnâ(TM)t seem to be very happy about her family life. In fact, she doesnâ(TM)t have many things to be anxious about as housework is handled by the servant, and her husband doesn't mind her living the way she is comfortable with. Taeko hates the habits of her husband considering him provincial, not a well-mannered and chuffy villager. She laughs at him talking to her friends, yet he doesnâ(TM)t really give her any reason to humiliate or disrespect him. We see Taeko being not mature enough to understand Mokichi.
Once again Ozu talks about the arranged marries. Introducing the character of Setsuko (portrayed by gorgeous Keiko Tsushima), he has shown how inconsistent the arranged marriages could be, from the point of view of the youth. A 21-years old Setusko prefers to spend time with her girlfriends drinking, having fun, watching baseball or playing in pachinko parlour and she doesnâ(TM)t want to go for dates for arranged marriage, as her family insists. She considers such union a primitive feudalistic custom, and we see her attitude has merit. Taeko shares the same opinion. At the same time, some other protagonists talking about the arranged marriages explain that it might look inconsistent from the first sight, yet the things are not so simple. As plot advances and time goes by, Mokichi continues loving Taeko and trying to adjust with respect to her wishes and egoistic, surly behavior. We see there is a room here to think if such arranged marriage is actually as bad, as Setusko imagined it to be.
Eventually, Taeko would come to the eye-opening point when she understands how loving and considerate her husband is, and their union is a blessing for both of them, despite being arranged by the parents. She learns that the most important things in life are simple and basic just as working-class food such as rice and green tea. She learns there is no wisdom in her snobbish behavior and she understands that modesty, love and respect are the pivotal qualities she can develop in family life, along with Mokichi.
The Flavour of Green Tea over Rice is one of the most moving films of Ozu. There are a lot of amusing scenes from the life of Teako, Setsuko and Aya (Chikage Awashima) when they sneak out deceiving Taekoâ(TM)s husband. This sense of humour of Ozu will get developed with Akibiyori and An Autumn Afternoon radiating with funny domestic scenes. Despite an abundance of amusing episodes, Ozu talks about very serious things being able to avoid the traditional melodrama genre which applies to many similar films. Also, Ozu shows the characters of Mokichi and Setsuko in a very elaborate way. We see that Mokichi is a really decent man who deserves respect. And Setsuko meanwhile is an incendiary, restive girl who is actually not meant for any marriage, as of yet. There is no universal truth about arranged marriages applying to all cases, and it could be different for Mokichi and Setsuko. As Mokichi is finally on the way to embrace happiness in his family life with Taeko at the end of the film, we see Setsuko on a date walking with a ânonchalantâ? guy, implying this could be the beginning of their romantic relationships.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
Full Review
Audience Member
A cheeky but ultimately moral tale about the blessing of groundedness and 'reliability'. The portraits are winning, and the coming and goings of domestic life in Japan during the 1950s are mesmerising. As a window in to a beautiful culture the film succeeds, even if the storyline is more straightforward.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
02/25/23
Full Review
Audience Member
A cheeky but ultimately moral tale about the blessing of groundedness and 'reliability'. The portraits are winning, and the coming and goings of domestic life in Japan during the 1950s are mesmerising. As a window in to a beautiful culture the film succeeds, even if the storyline is more straightforward.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
01/12/15
Full Review
Audience Member
For a 1960s film with a modern-day relevance, I can say it's a masterpiece both in style and context. Nevertheless, the pace is too slow.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
02/15/23
Full Review
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