My first Ozu film with dialogue, in fact the first film by the director with sound coincidentally. It is an interesting drama which touches upon Tokyo and Japanese economy at the time, although to be honest I will probably find Ozu strongest and most interesting work in his films later from this.

Good film with strong themes I'm interested in, but didn't really work. Where in later films Ozu's sparse style is effective thanks to longer takes, here it hinders immersion because he cuts so frequently that the fixed low angle shots come off awkward. There's also a lack of flow in the film that made it feel more like a series of small situations with an unearned climax. There's still a lot of good stuff in there, but the presentation leaves something to be desired.

Ozu's first talkie sets the stage for his postwar career: the somber parent/child drama, his particular style of using music, those unmistakably Ozu transitions, the buried emotions, the big moments we never see. If you like later Ozu, you'll probably like this. It's more overtly political, with its clear commentary on the economic state of the nation and its impact on the family. There are a couple of very moving moments, and overall I enjoyed about as much as I've enjoyed the rest of his work.