Good Morning (1959)

This film is not a classic, but it is one of my favorites. It is so wonderfully shot and played out, the commentary on life in modern suburbia is quiet and yet still very clear. The acting is fantastic, jumping cultural boundaries and stirring up countless memories of my own childhood growing up in suburbia. Everyone can relate to this film, and it is because of that and the wonderful sense of humor that Ozu carries throughout the film that make this a must see, and a story I can see countless times without it becoming monotonous.

Fmovies: Ozu's films always balance humour, heartbreak and social comment - in this film the balance is decidedly in favour of humour. Its hard to imagine a slighter story to build a full movie - two little boys who decide not to speak for a few days in a huff over being denied a TV. But Ozu builds a whole world out of this dull little suburb in a Japan just getting on its feet after the war and embracing consumerism as an alternative to..... well, whatever went before.

I think only Ozu could make boring mass produced housing look so utterly gorgeous in full colour, and the minor bickering of the household ladies seem so important. He's helped by a fantastic cast, especially the child actors playing the little boys (oddly enough, there doesn't seem to be any little girls in this suburb). The story has layer up layer of irony (aided by numerous fart jokes) built up upon its slight foundations making an utterly fascinating film. As usual with Ozu, he doesn't lecture, although as always his sympathy is slightly tilted to the somewhat bemused father figures. Even the simple ending, a shot of laundry fluttering on a line, seems somehow laden with meaning. The whole film is a pure delight.

After directing his most characteristic and famous later films (Early Morning, Late Afternoon, Tokyo Story) - which addressed the same theme with remarkable differences in tone - GOOD MORNING is a pleasing palate freshener. This family drama is also a witty comedy dealing with the miscommunications that complicate modern life.

This was Ozu's second color film (after Equinox Flower), but the cheerful music and bright colors make for different effects. GOOD MORNING'S "gas" jokes are gentle and clever (the young boys fart on command, a minor character works for the gas company, while a husband farts in one room, and a wife answers, etc.) The film's famous static shots center around a gleaming refinery. One of the film's delights comes from watching the visual and thematic elements weave together, and so effortlessly that it's thrilling to see it develop.

This is my personal favorite Ozu film, if only because it perfectly balances drama and comedy, metaphor and visuals. GOOD MORNING is the kind of movie you can see repeatedly, as there are always new things to discover. It certainly doesn't hurt that it's also a technically refined work, up to Ozu's highest standards.

Good Morning fmovies. Last year NHK (national broadcaster in Japan) were playing 2 Ozu movies a night and I tuned into this by accident.

Maybe because I have lived in Japan for 10 years and was watching it in it's native language and could understand the subtle nuances in the day-to-day conversation, or maybe simply because I related to the children, having grown up in a household where getting things that you actually want was very rare - quite simply, this movie moved me tremendously, the final scene brought tears to my eyes just *remembering* it a week later.

This movie is probably most effective for anybody who grew up in a poor household with parents who tried their best against all odds to keep their children happy.

Although I appreciate Ozu's film style & quality, I've never been a big fan due to the generally melodramatic themes of his movies.

OHAYO is quite different. The multiple comic themes range from fart jokes & clueless gossiping neighbors to fears of obsolescence in a rapidly changing society.

Particularly prescient is the early awareness of the Baka (idiot) power of television. In Japan it has been common for decades to have TV sets mounted in temples & shrines so that the Kami (spirits) can watch.

We in the U.S. have long been "a nation of 100 million idiots" (and then some) from our obsession with constant entertainment especially in the form of TV. Our children whine & act petulant unless they have their own TV & DVDs in their rooms & even when riding in the car. In many homes the TV is constantly on, regardless of what might be happening either on the boob-tube or outside (such as visitors calling).

Ozu saw it coming almost half a century ago.

"Good Morning" (Japanese, 1959): Directed by Ozu. As in all of his films, Tokyo is the stage, and he populates them with his usual team of actors. Think of the professional stability of Ingmar Bergman, Woody Allen, or John Waters, but Japanese. Ozu concentrates on small moments made meaningful. Unlike the quiet, black and white drama "Tokyo Story", this later film (in color) is a gentle comedy about how people build the character of each and every day with the smallest of gestures – which is this case is brought to our attention by two small brothers who decide to go "on strike" insisting that their Father get a television for the household. It's a loving, funny, and forgiving look at how silly we all can be.