Progressive Ideas in Japanese Post-World War II Films

As a developing film nerd, I was very interested in the lesson that was taught today and the method it was presented. Although we watched only parts of Ozu's Late Spring, I was able to quickly relate to the various characters in the story. It was fascinating to see how developed and layered the female characters were portrayed while the males felt (for the most part) stilted and cardboard. Besides the last scene where the father character sits in the room alone saddened by the departure of his daughter, the guys felt limited in their emotional and range. The female characters, all three that we see, all portray varying emotions and had identifiable personalties. It was interesting to see one of the character's willingness to date for love, divorce, and move to others. It's fascinating to see that these ideas were accepted within film while even in most western cultures, remarrying is frowned upon to an extent. This would be an interesting film to watch in class and compare the way women are portrayed in film throughout different cultures.