is a 1935

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...

directed by

Yasujirō Ozu was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. He began his career during the era of silent films, and his last films were made in colour in the early 1960s. Ozu first made a number of short comedies, before turning to more serious themes in t ...

. The film is Ozu's last extant silent film. The screenplay is credited to Uinzato Mone or Winthat Monnet ("Without Money"). In fact, the screenplay was written by Ozu, Masao Arata and Tadao Ikeda during a period when Ozu was short on cash.

Plot

Kihachi (

Takeshi Sakamoto was a Japanese actor. He appeared in more than 100 films from 1926 to 1965. Selected filmography External links * 1899 births 1974 deaths Japanese male film actors Actors from Hyōgo Prefecture {{Japan-film-actor-stub ...

) wanders around the industrial flatlands of Tokyo's Koto district with his two young sons, Zenko (

Tokkan Kozo ''aka'' was a Japanese film actor. Aoki became famous as a child actor after debuting at the age of six in silent films directed by Yasujirō Ozu. His leading role in Ozu's 1929 short comedy ''Tokkan kozo'' gave Aoki his nickname. '' I Was Bor ...

) and Masako (

Takayuki Suematsu Takayuki (written: 孝之, 孝行, 孝幸, 隆之, 隆行, 隆幸, 高之, 高行, 高猷, 貴之, 貴幸, 貴由, 貴由輝, 崇之, 崇幸, 敬之, 卓行, 鷹幸, 恭之 or タカユキ in katakana) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable pe ...

), looking for work. Unable to find a job, Kihachi relies on his sons to catch stray dogs for the reward money, but Zenko wastes the bounty buying himself a much-desired officer's cap. Later, the brothers quarrel and lose the family's bundle. Kihachi tells them that they no longer have enough money to pay for both a meal and a bed for the night. They choose a meal. At a cafe they meet Kihachi's old friend, Otsune (

Choko Iida Choko may refer to: *An alternative name for Chayote, a green vegetable of the gourd family *Chokó languages, an alternative name for the Choco languages * Chöko, a Tibeto-Burman language *Choko (cup), a type of sake cup * Choko (game) *The name ...

), who finds Kihachi a job and allows the family to rent a room at the cafe. Kihachi meets the impoverished Otaka ( Yoshiko Okada) and her young daughter, Kimiko ( Kazuko Ojima). Otaka is also unable to find work. Kihachi brings Otaka and Kimiko to Otsune's cafe for a meal. Later, Kihachi discovers that Otaka has found work as a sake-house waitress. She explains that her daughter has fallen ill and she cannot afford to pay the hospital bills. Kihachi, unable to borrow money from Otsune to pay the bills, resorts to theft and has his sons take the proceeds to Otaka. Kihachi confides in Otsune, who scolds him for keeping his worries to himself. He leaves the boys in Otsune's care and sets off for the police station to turn himself in.

Cast

as Kihachi *

as Zenko *

as Masako * Yoshiko Okada as Otaka * Kazuko Ojima as Kimiko *

as Otsune *

Chishū Ryū was a Japanese actor who, in a career lasting 65 years, appeared in over 160 films and about 70 television productions. Early life Ryū was born in Tamamizu Village, Tamana County, a rural area of Kumamoto Prefecture in Kyushu, the most southe ...

References

External links

* * * * 1935 films 1935 drama films Japanese black-and-white films Films directed by Yasujirō Ozu Japanese silent films Japanese drama films 1930s Japanese-language films Shochiku films Films with screenplays by Tadao Ikeda Films with screenplays by Yasujirō Ozu Silent drama films {{1930s-Japan-film-stub