Part of Trilogies, Part 2 and The Noriko Trilogy
The Mamiya family is seeking a husband for their daughter, Noriko, but she has ideas of her own. Played by the extraordinary Setsuko Hara, Noriko impulsively chooses her childhood friend, at once fulfilling her family’s desires and tearing them apart. A seemingly simple story, EARLY SUMMER is one of Yasujiro Ozu’s most complex works — a nuanced examination of life’s changes across three generations.
“A marvel of organic detail and deceptive naturalism. Ozu's late style — the serene, easy flow, the smooth succession of floor-level interior shots, the quietly restrained acting, the mastery of intimate psychology and the subtle portrayal of Japanese society in transition — are all in place.” —Michael Wilmington, Los Angeles Times
“Ozu was fascinated with the changing role of women in postwar Japan, and the decline of traditional family values following the influence of the West, in particular, the presence of Allied forces in postwar Japan.” —Hanah Johnson, Screen Rant
“In its delicate balance of humor and sadness — and of inevitable and unexpected developments — it is one of Ozu’s masterpieces.” —Ben Kenigsberg, New York Times