Early Summer

In Ozu’s Early Summer, The Mamiya family is seeking a husband for their daughter, Noriko, but she has ideas of her own. In post-war Japan, society is changing: Noriko is happily independent, working and enjoying time with her friends. Prompted by a relative, her family seek to find her a husband and welcome the proposal of Noriko’s 40 year-old colleague. Noriko has other plans, and makes a decision that both fulfils her family’s desires while tearing them apart. A deceptively complex film, Early Summer follows a similar narrative thread to several of Ozu’s other works, most notably the divide between generations and the examination of the family unit.