78.750

the best ending to a movie ever

A film that can't decide whether it wants to be " Bicycle Thieves" or a sentimental Hollywood love story about "little people." The low-life Japanese atmosphere is fine--as if always is in Kurosawa--and the two star are likable, but the pace is slow, and some of the scenes are almost too corny to be endured. Particularly bad is the scene where Masako breaks the 4th wall and appeals directly to the audience--much as Peter Pan does when Tinkerbell is dying and he asks us to believe in fairies.

Pure escapism for the disillusioned post-war persons. None too effective or well-executed.

Once again Kurosawa manages some optimism out of Japan's postwar condition. Moments full of sulking and self-pity are offset by scenes of sheer joy, like the trip to the zoo or when Yuzo plays baseball with kids in the street. It's an excellent depiction of a decrepit, bombed-out Tokyo, and the couple come across a wide variety of bizarre and entertaining characters. The ending is too campy and ridiculous, though.

Strong, if somewhat non-descript early film from Kurosawa. I really appreciated seeing his early command of the camera, and the lighter tone of the film overall places it in a mostly unique position among Kurosawa's work.

Kurosawa is best known for heavy drama and intense action, but One Wonderful Sunday shows that he can pull off charming, too. It does have a dark side, but for the most part it's very light-hearted. It gets a little too hokey at the end, and the breaking of the fourth wall, though unusual and bold, doesn't really work. The Kurosawa touch is there on a technical level, even this early in his career, with some excellent compositions and camera moves.

I was a little disappointed with the climax, but overall it's very good with some unforgettable moments.