The Only Son
(Hitori Musuko)
Screening on Film
Directed by Yasujiro Ozu.
With Chishu Ryu, Choko Iida, Shinichi Himori.
Japan, 1936, 35mm, black & white, 87 min.
Japanese with English subtitles.
With Chishu Ryu, Choko Iida, Shinichi Himori.
Japan, 1936, 35mm, black & white, 87 min.
Japanese with English subtitles.
Ozu’s first “talkie” was also, according to critic Donald Richie, “one of Ozu’s darkest.” A peasant mother sacrifices everything to pay for her only son’s education in Tokyo, but when she comes to visit him discovers that her struggle has not paid off. Many of Ozu’s themes—generational conflicts, the dashed hopes of youth, and disappointment in life—are given stark expression in this ambitious narrative with its complex time span and innovative use of sound. While The Only Son marked Ozu’s entry into sound production, it was the last film he shot at the Kamata studio, which could no longer be used with the advent of sound because of frequent passing trains.
Part of film series
Screenings from this program
Read more
Yasujiro Ozu.
Woman of Tokyo / A Mother Should Be Loved
Live Musical AccompanimentScreening on Film
Read more
Yasujiro Ozu.
Where Now are the Dreams of Youth?
Directed by Yasujiro Ozu, 1932
Live Musical AccompanimentScreening on Film
Read more
Yasujiro Ozu.
The Brothers and Sisters of the Toda Family
Directed by Yasujiro Ozu, 1941
Screening on Film
Read more
Yasujiro Ozu.
The Brothers and Sisters of the Toda Family
Directed by Yasujiro Ozu, 1941
Screening on Film
Read more
Yasujiro Ozu.
Record of a Tenement Gentleman
Directed by Yasujiro Ozu, 1947
Screening on Film
Read more
Yasujiro Ozu.
I Was Born But...
Directed by Yasujiro Ozu, 1932
Live Benshi Performance by Midori SawatoLive Musical AccompanimentScreening on Film
Read more
Yasujiro Ozu.
The Flavor of Green Tea over Rice
Directed by Yasujiro Ozu, 1952
Screening on Film
Read more
Yasujiro Ozu.
An Autumn Afternoon
Directed by Yasujiro Ozu, 1962
Introduced by Filmmaker Masahiro ShinodaScreening on Film