Yasujiro Ozu-Ukigusa ('Floating Weeds') (1959)

A small theatrical troupe revisits a remote island town after some years' absence. The aging leading actor is particularly anxious to stop because he had a son by one of the local women and wants to see him again. It was photographed by Kazuo Miyagawa, one of Japan's greatest cinematographers (Rashomon, Yojimbo, Ugetsu, Enjo, Kagi). Ozu said, "About this time, CinemaScope was getting popular. I wanted to have nothing to do with it, and consequently I shot more close-ups and used shorter shots." (Reacting against the long shots and long scenes typical to Scope movies of the time). Donald Richie called this film, "the most physically beautiful of all of Ozu's pictures". OzuFilms




A troupe of travelling players arrive at a small seaport in the south of Japan. Komajuro Arashi, the aging master of the troupe, goes to visit his old flame Oyoshi and their son Kiyoshi, even though Kiyoshi believes Komajuro is his uncle. The leading actress Sumiko is jealous and so, in order to humiliate the master, persuades the younger actress Kayo to seduce Kiyoshi. (http://imdb.com/title/tt0053390/plotsummary)




In 1959, Yasujiro Ozu remade his 1934 silent classic A Story of Floating Weeds in color with the celebrated cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa. Setting his later version in a seaside location, Ozu otherwise preserves the details of his elegantly simple plot wherein an aging actor returns to a small town with his troupe and reunities with his former lover and illegitimate son, a scenario that enrages his current mistress and results in heartbreak for all. Together, the films offer a unique glimpse into the evolution of one of cinema's greatest directors. A Story of Floating Weeds reveals Ozu in the midst of developing his mode of expression; Floating Weeds reveals his distinct style at its pinnacle. In each, the director captures the joy and sadness in everyday life. Criterion




One of Ozu’s mature masterpieces, FLOATING WEEDS is a compassionate remake of his silent 1934 film, A STORY OF FLOATING WEEDS. The film tells the story of an aging actor (Ganjiro Nakamura) who returns with his troupe to a provincial town. There he is reunited with his former lover and his illegitimate son, who believes that the actor is his uncle. The actor’s desire to be with his long-lost family enrages his present mistress, who spins an elaborate web of deceit that leads to heartbreak for them all. ArtificialEye




A stirring visual poem depicting the joy and pain of everyday life, FLOATING WEEDS is beautifully photographed in seaside summer colours by Kazuo Miyagawa (UGETSU MONOGATARI, RASHOMON), one of Japan’s greatest cinematographers. Exquisitely restrained and bittersweet, FLOATING WEEDS is a fine example of Ozu’s lyrical melodramas. ArtificialEye