Some filmmakers and critics, including Roger Ebert, count this film among their top ten. So why do I never hear about it? Oh, right: because it's directed by Yasujirō Ozu. And is neither Tokyo Story nor one of his temporal titles (e.g., Late Spring). You have to get deep into old, foreign, artistic cinema to discover this. Well, despite not getting much out of TS or LS, I decided to look for what a few other Americans saw in FW.
In the summer of '58, a kabuki troupe led by one Komajuro comes to the town where his ex-mistress, Oyoshi, and their adult son, Kiyoshi, reside. Kiyoshi knows his father only as an "uncle." Komajuro's current mistress and co-star, Sumiko, doesn't want him seeing Oyoshi again. When he won't comply with her wishes, Sumiko hires fellow actress Kayo to seduce Kiyoshi and thereby embarrass Komajuro.
Yeah, that doesn't sound like much of a revenge to me. Young men fall for young women and vice versa all the time. It's not like Kiyoshi is underage or Kayo is a prostitute. She may come close, but Komajuro isn't much nobler. Nor does he take much provocation to hit people of either gender. Perhaps you need a traditional Japanese sense of honor to take it that badly.
None of my sources explain the title. I suppose we do see some floating weeds in a pond, but what's the exact metaphor? The answer might have been clearer in Ozu's 1934 original, A Story of Floating Weeds.
You may have noticed that I use fewer labels for this review than usual. I attribute that to Ozu keeping his stories simple. Deep, maybe, but simple. He's more about capturing the emotional essence without clutter. At least, that seems to be the gist of what his fans say. I can't say I cared enough about the characters to notice.
When I write these reviews, I tend to look up a few details for reminders. This time, I had to look up pretty much everything. Honestly, I'd even forgotten that I'd seen FW, mere days ago, until Netflix sent an email asking what I thought of it.
That's not so surprising when I consider how little I remember of TS and especially LS. I guess I just don't have a head for simple art movies. The only way they challenge me is in getting me to wonder why others love them.
FW is far from my least favorite of the films I've reviewed on this blog, but it may be one of the biggest wastes of my time. There is little point to watching what will almost completely slip my mind. Expect no further Ozu viewings from me.
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