The Brothers and Sisters of the Toda Family

A dry run for Tokyo Story that deals with the gradual erosion of familial bonds in post-war Japan, although it's the death of the patriarch that leads to disintegration here. Takamine is very good in the role of the dutiful daughter that was later perfected by Hara, but Ozu's camera is often placed at a remote distance from her and the 'action', which decreases our emotional involvement. While it's clearly less refined than his masterworks, there is still much to admire, especially for fans.

Ozu is bland for the first time (at least in my experience). The absence of the later, more vibrant, musical/photographic compositions make these domestic dramas seem glaringly off.

Overall this was a perfectly drama but it was uninvolving and it just felt a little bland.

Star Rating: ★★★

Os Irmãos e Irmãs Toda estreava há 80 anos no Japão. Esse filme soa como uma espécie de elo perdido entre o Rei Lear shakespeariano e o Era uma Vez em Tóquio, embora bom, falta a presença da Setsuko Hara, como já disse, não consigo gostar tanto dos filmes do Ozu em que ela não esteja presente. No Youtube ( https://youtu.be/5f4Chp10Vms )

This lacks the finesse, glow and subtlety of later Ozu films but I still found this tale of family relationships enjoyable.

Even the great Yasujirô Ozu struggles to find true inspiration during war times. Here with a cold family drama which is neither depressing, warm or inspiring. I mean, it's fine and the actors and the director are professionals making sure there is some level of quality, but there is very little sparks this time from the master.