
Late Spring
1949, Drama, 1h 47m
25 Reviews 2,500+ RatingsYou might also like
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Movie Info
Cast & Crew
Noriko Somiya
Shukichi Somiya
Masa Taguchi
Shôichi Hattori
Director

Original Music
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Critic Reviews for Late Spring
All Critics (25) | Top Critics (5) | Fresh (25)
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Each shot in Late Spring is striking on its own; the mature Ozu belongs to that rare category of filmmakers whose work can be recognized from a single frame.
March 3, 2016 | Rating: A | Full Review… -
"Movies resurrect the beautiful dead," Susan Sontag once wrote, and there's no better way to commemorate Hara than to watch her in Late Spring, a film in which she is heartbreakingly vibrant.
March 1, 2016 | Full Review… -
One of the best two or three films Ozu ever made.
January 20, 2006 | Full Review… -
Ozu's characters don't seek ecstasy, not because they are afraid of it but because they are brave enough to accept compromise.
May 9, 2005 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review… -
Yasujiro Ozu's 1949 film inaugurated his majestic late period: it's here that he decisively renounces melodrama (and, indeed, most surface action of any kind) and lets his camera settle into the still, long-take contemplation.
January 1, 2000 | Full Review… -
A story that is so heartbreaking and yet so perfect in every decision made and every word spoken.
July 31, 2020 | Full Review…
Audience Reviews for Late Spring
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Jun 10, 2011Let me start this review off by saying that I have known about the master of traditional Japanese cinema for a long time but this is my first film by Ozu that I have been able to watch and it's a great and very personal drama that is beautiful to behold! Ozu has a very distinctive and wonderfully Japanese sense to his work and his style and it really is a thing of beauty. The way he focuses on nature in between the character's actions and dialogue is very poetic and beautiful. Another of his trademarks is his low camera height that he films from and it's a wonderfully unique style that really captures the feel and space that the character's embody in his films. The story is personal and poignant and is mainly between a father and his daughter as he pushes for her to finally marry at the age of 27. She, having taken care of her father for so long and spending her time living and being with him, doesn't want things to change in her mind. The father eventually concocts an idea and tells his daughter that she should marry as he himself is going to remarry soon. This basically ensures that she will finally accept the change coming and find her own happiness apart from her father and form it anew with her husband. The father knows this and once she does submit and agree to marry it's revealed to us that the father has no intention to remarry and only tells his daughter so in order for her to have her own life apart from him. The story is beautifully simplistic in both it's portrayal and message but also very realistic and very touching as it's a universally applicable film! I, for one, can't wait to watch more of his works including the legendary "Tokyo Story"!Chris B Super Reviewer
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Sep 23, 2010This is why I love Ozu. His movies are just simple family drama but behind the simplicity it tells so much about life value.Cita W Super Reviewer
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Jan 22, 2009What I liked about this movie, is the gradual attachment that grows between you and the characters. I've got this with all the Ozu's I've seen so far: in the beginning it's very neutral, but when he gets to the core of the relationships, I find it deeply moving. This movie explores the bond between a father and his daughter. It's about making sacrifices, or being prepared to make sacrifices for each other. Not something you see very often anymore in today's society, <div style="width:270px;"><a href="http://www.flixster.com/photos/setsuko-hara-late-spring-wedding-day-11363480"><img src="http://content6.flixster.com/photo/11/36/34/11363480_gal.jpg" border="0"/></a><div style="text-align:center;font-size:10px;"><a href="http://www.flixster.com">Saskia D Super Reviewer
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Mar 23, 2008every bit as good as tokyo story, due in large part to setsuko hara's subtle performance and the film's investment in her character. the plot concerns a twenty-something woman who is manipulated into following society's conventions; once again a simple domestic story told in such a peaceful and powerful way... it feels very modern and timeless all at once.Stella D Super Reviewer
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