Farewell at dusk

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Movie
German title Farewell at dusk
Original title 浮 草 , Ukigusa
Country of production Japan
original language Japanese
Publishing year 1959
length 119 minutes
Rod
Director Yasujirō Ozu
script Kōgo Noda ,
Yasujirō Ozu
production Masaichi Nagata
music Takanobu Saitô
camera Kazuo Miyagawa
cut Toyo Suzuki
occupation

Farewell in the Twilight ( Japanese 浮 草 , Ukigusa ) is a Japanese film by director Yasujirō Ozu from 1959 with Ganjirō Nakamura and Machiko Kyō in the leading roles. The film is a revival of the silent film A Tale of Aquatic Plants from 1934.

action

The film begins with a harbor scene: during a hot summer in 1958, people wait for the ferry on the Seto Inland Sea . A traveling theater company, led by its lead actor and head of the company Komajūrō, arrives. The members of the troupe walk around the town to announce their kabuki performance. Women look out of the window after the actors. The theater owner appears and donates two bottles of sake.

Komajūrō is now visiting his former mistress Oyoshi, whom he has not seen for 12 years. She runs a small snack bar in the village. They have an adult son, Kiyoshi, who works as a clerk in a post office and wants to go to university. But he doesn't know who Komajūrō is and thinks he is his uncle. Komajūrō takes him to fish in the sea. After scenes from a kabuki performance, the men of the troupe can be seen looking for a woman.

Sumiko, the troupe's leading actress and current mistress of Komajūrō, learns that Komajūrō has visited Oyoshi, gets jealous and goes to Oyoshi's snack bar. There just Komajūrō and Kiyoshi play a game of Shogi . Komajūrō comes down and sends her away before she can say anything. He then follows her in the pouring rain, an argument ensues. Sumiko calls him ungrateful and gives examples of where she has bailed him out in the past. He defends himself and emphasizes that his son is something higher than her.

On a day off, Sumiko offers Kayo, a pretty young actress, money and urges her to seduce Kiyoshi. Although Kayo refuses at first, she finally gives in. She visits Kiyoshi in the post office and seduces him. When she gets to know Kiyoshi a little better, she falls in love with him and decides to tell Kiyoshi the truth. He doesn't care, he says, and the relationship grows closer.

When Komajūrō discovers the relationship, he confronts Kayo. She tells him that the story started at Sumiko's instigation, but that she doesn't see Kiyoshi for the money, but that she really loves him. Komajūrō then has a violent argument with Sumiko and refuses to hear her apology.

The squad manager has disappeared and business is bad. Komajūrō has no choice but to disband the troop. He goes to Oyoshi and tells her about the breakup of the troop. Oyoshi persuades him to tell Kiyoshi the truth about his fatherhood and stay with her, now as a family. Komajūrō agrees. - Kiyoshi has disappeared (he spends the evening with Kayo in a small dump), both are worried.

But when Kiyoshi returns with Kayo, Komajūrō is so upset that there is an argument between him and Kiyoshi. Oyoshi now tells her son the truth about fatherhood, but Kiyoshi refuses to accept it and disappears into his room. Komajūrō now decides not to stay. Kayo wants to go, but Komajūrō asks her to stay and support Kiyoshi. Kiyoshi has finally calmed down and comes to see Komajūrō. But that has meanwhile left.

Komajūrō wants to light a cigarette at the train station, but has no fire. Sumiko, who is sitting next to him, helps him out with a match. She asks him where he is going now, she doesn't know herself. The two reconcile, and Sumiko decides to help Komajūrō set up a new theater company in Kuwana . - In the last scene you see Sumiko taking care of Komajūrō on the train to Kuwana and pouring sake.

The film closes with a look at the train going into the dark while the taillights glow red.

To the movie

This color film is a revival of the silent film “A Story about Aquatic Plants ” from 1934, whereby aquatic plants would be more correctly - and here also more sensible - to be translated as drift grass . In particular, ukigusa is the Japanese name of the multi- rooted pond lens . The theater troop leader Komajūrō cannot decide to live a sedentary life and in the end prefers to remain rootless. - The film takes place in a coastal town and is lavishly staged with streets and buildings in the traditional way. - Hideo Mitsui, who appears here as Kichinosuke, played in the 1934 version.

For the music Ozu was able to win the composer of serious music Toshirō Mayuzumi.

DVD recording

The film is available as a set (DVD and Blu-Ray) under the English title Floating Weeds .

literature

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