Late Autumn
Encyclopedia
is a 1960 drama film
directed by Yasujiro Ozu
. It stars many of his favourite actors including Setsuko Hara
and Chishu Ryu
. It is based on a story by Ton Satomi.
Late Autumn follows the attempts of three older men to help the widow of a late friend to marry off her daughter. The daughter is less than happy at the proposals, mainly because of her reluctance to leave her mother alone. The film was selected as the Japanese entry for the Best Foreign Language Film
at the 33rd Academy Awards
, but was not accepted as a nominee.
), Taguchi (Nobuo Nakamura
) and Hirayama (Ryuji Kita) – meet up for the 7th memorial service of a late college friend, Miwa. Miwa's widow Akiko (Setsuko Hara
) and 24-year-old daughter Ayako (Yôko Tsukasa) are also present. The three friends remark amongst themselves how good Akiko looks despite being in her forties.
The party chats and thinks that it is time for Ayako to get married. Taguchi tells them he has a prospective suitor for Ayako, but it later turns out the man already has a fiancée. Mamiya instead offers his employee, Goto (Keiji Sada
), as another match, but Ayako confides privately in Akiko that she has no wish of getting married. Ayako, who lives alone with Akiko, is close to her mother, who teaches dressmaking.
Ayako meets Goto one day at Mamiya's office. Later, after a hiking trip, a fellow colleague offers to introduce him to Ayako again. Ayako and Goto rapidly progress to be a couple, but Ayako is unwilling to get married because that will mean Akiko will live all alone. Ayako puts forward to Mamiya her theory that "romance and marriage could be separate". The three friends think that all this is an excuse and begin to speculate that Ayako will marry if Akiko remarry. The other two offer Hirayama, a widower, as Akiko's prospective remarriage partner. Hirayama warns them not to go ahead with their plan, but after privately obtaining permission from his son to remarry, changes his mind.
Hirayama now approaches Taguchi and Mamiya for help. Before they can break the subject to Akiko, however, Mamiya tactlessly lets Ayako know about their plan. Thinking that her mother has known about this, an unhappy Ayako goes home to question her and then leaves for her colleague and friend Yuriko's (Mariko Okada
) place in a huff. Yuriko however approves of Akiko's remarriage. She persuades Ayako not to be so selfish, which gains Ayako's displeasure.
Displeased, Yuriko confronts the three friends, and finds out the truth from them. Mamiya apologizes for their mishap; however, seeing their cause, Yuriko decides to help Hirayama. Unfortunately, when Akiko and Ayako go for their last trip together, Akiko tells her daughter she has decided not to marry. She urges Ayako not to worry about her. With her assurance, Ayako successfully marries Goto, leaving her mother to live all alone in her apartment.
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by Yasujiro Ozu
Yasujiro Ozu
was a prominent Japanese film director and script writer. He is known for his distinctive technical style, developed during the silent era. Marriage and family, especially the relationships between the generations, are among the most persistent themes in his body of work...
. It stars many of his favourite actors including Setsuko Hara
Setsuko Hara
is a Japanese actress who appeared in six of Yasujirō Ozu's films, most notably as Noriko in the 'Noriko Trilogy': Late Spring , Early Summer and Tokyo Story . Her other films for Ozu were Tokyo Twilight , Late Autumn and finally The End of Summer in 1961.She was born 会田 昌江 Masae Aida in...
and Chishu Ryu
Chishu Ryu
was a famous Japanese film actor, a favourite of the director Yasujiro Ozu. From 1928 to 1992 he appeared in at least 155 films, including Ozu's Tokyo Story and Yoshitaro Nomura's Castle of Sand...
. It is based on a story by Ton Satomi.
Late Autumn follows the attempts of three older men to help the widow of a late friend to marry off her daughter. The daughter is less than happy at the proposals, mainly because of her reluctance to leave her mother alone. The film was selected as the Japanese entry for the Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
at the 33rd Academy Awards
33rd Academy Awards
The 33rd Academy Awards, honoring the best in film for 1960, were held on April 17, 1961 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, California...
, but was not accepted as a nominee.
Plot
Three middle-aged friends and former college mates – Mamiya (Shin SaburiShin Saburi
Shin Saburi was a Japanese film actor noted for his leading roles in a number of films by the director Yasujiro Ozu including Brothers and Sisters of the Toda Family , Tea Over Rice , Equinox Flower and Late Autumn .-Selected filmography:* 1941 Brothers and...
), Taguchi (Nobuo Nakamura
Nobuo Nakamura
was a Japanese actor, who made notable appearances in the films of Akira Kurosawa and Yasujiro Ozu in the 1950s and 1960s. Perhaps his most famous roles were those of the callous deputy mayor in Kurosawa's Ikiru , and the hairdresser's henpecked husband in Ozu's Tokyo Story .Nakamura is famous for...
) and Hirayama (Ryuji Kita) – meet up for the 7th memorial service of a late college friend, Miwa. Miwa's widow Akiko (Setsuko Hara
Setsuko Hara
is a Japanese actress who appeared in six of Yasujirō Ozu's films, most notably as Noriko in the 'Noriko Trilogy': Late Spring , Early Summer and Tokyo Story . Her other films for Ozu were Tokyo Twilight , Late Autumn and finally The End of Summer in 1961.She was born 会田 昌江 Masae Aida in...
) and 24-year-old daughter Ayako (Yôko Tsukasa) are also present. The three friends remark amongst themselves how good Akiko looks despite being in her forties.
The party chats and thinks that it is time for Ayako to get married. Taguchi tells them he has a prospective suitor for Ayako, but it later turns out the man already has a fiancée. Mamiya instead offers his employee, Goto (Keiji Sada
Keiji Sada
was a Japanese actor. He won the award for best actor at the 7th Blue Ribbon Awards for Anata kaimasu and Taifū sōdōki. He was the father of the actor Kiichi Nakai.-Filmography:* Kane no naru oka: Dai san hen, kuro no maki...
), as another match, but Ayako confides privately in Akiko that she has no wish of getting married. Ayako, who lives alone with Akiko, is close to her mother, who teaches dressmaking.
Ayako meets Goto one day at Mamiya's office. Later, after a hiking trip, a fellow colleague offers to introduce him to Ayako again. Ayako and Goto rapidly progress to be a couple, but Ayako is unwilling to get married because that will mean Akiko will live all alone. Ayako puts forward to Mamiya her theory that "romance and marriage could be separate". The three friends think that all this is an excuse and begin to speculate that Ayako will marry if Akiko remarry. The other two offer Hirayama, a widower, as Akiko's prospective remarriage partner. Hirayama warns them not to go ahead with their plan, but after privately obtaining permission from his son to remarry, changes his mind.
Hirayama now approaches Taguchi and Mamiya for help. Before they can break the subject to Akiko, however, Mamiya tactlessly lets Ayako know about their plan. Thinking that her mother has known about this, an unhappy Ayako goes home to question her and then leaves for her colleague and friend Yuriko's (Mariko Okada
Mariko Okada
Mariko Okada is a Japanese actress. She is married to film director Yoshishige Yoshida.Her father was the noted silent film actor Tokihiko Okada, who before his early death starred in Yasujiro Ozu's Tokyo Chorus...
) place in a huff. Yuriko however approves of Akiko's remarriage. She persuades Ayako not to be so selfish, which gains Ayako's displeasure.
Displeased, Yuriko confronts the three friends, and finds out the truth from them. Mamiya apologizes for their mishap; however, seeing their cause, Yuriko decides to help Hirayama. Unfortunately, when Akiko and Ayako go for their last trip together, Akiko tells her daughter she has decided not to marry. She urges Ayako not to worry about her. With her assurance, Ayako successfully marries Goto, leaving her mother to live all alone in her apartment.
Cast
- Setsuko HaraSetsuko Harais a Japanese actress who appeared in six of Yasujirō Ozu's films, most notably as Noriko in the 'Noriko Trilogy': Late Spring , Early Summer and Tokyo Story . Her other films for Ozu were Tokyo Twilight , Late Autumn and finally The End of Summer in 1961.She was born 会田 昌江 Masae Aida in...
as Akiko Miwa - Yôko Tsukasa as Ayako Miwa
- Mariko OkadaMariko OkadaMariko Okada is a Japanese actress. She is married to film director Yoshishige Yoshida.Her father was the noted silent film actor Tokihiko Okada, who before his early death starred in Yasujiro Ozu's Tokyo Chorus...
as Yuriko Sasaki - Keiji SadaKeiji Sadawas a Japanese actor. He won the award for best actor at the 7th Blue Ribbon Awards for Anata kaimasu and Taifū sōdōki. He was the father of the actor Kiichi Nakai.-Filmography:* Kane no naru oka: Dai san hen, kuro no maki...
as Shotaru Goto - Miyuki Kuwano as Michiko
- Shinichirô Mikami as Koichi
- Shin SaburiShin SaburiShin Saburi was a Japanese film actor noted for his leading roles in a number of films by the director Yasujiro Ozu including Brothers and Sisters of the Toda Family , Tea Over Rice , Equinox Flower and Late Autumn .-Selected filmography:* 1941 Brothers and...
as Soichi Mamiya - Chishu RyuChishu Ryuwas a famous Japanese film actor, a favourite of the director Yasujiro Ozu. From 1928 to 1992 he appeared in at least 155 films, including Ozu's Tokyo Story and Yoshitaro Nomura's Castle of Sand...
as Shukichi Miwa - Nobuo NakamuraNobuo Nakamurawas a Japanese actor, who made notable appearances in the films of Akira Kurosawa and Yasujiro Ozu in the 1950s and 1960s. Perhaps his most famous roles were those of the callous deputy mayor in Kurosawa's Ikiru , and the hairdresser's henpecked husband in Ozu's Tokyo Story .Nakamura is famous for...
as Shuzo Taguchi - Kuniko Miyake as Nobuko
- Sadako Sawamura as Fumiko
- Ryuji Kita as Seiichiro Hirayama
- Fumio Watanabe as Tsuneo Sugiyama
- Ayako Senno as Shigko Takamatsu
- Yuriko Tashiro as Yoko
See also
- List of submissions to the 33rd Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
- List of Japanese submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film