Farewell to Spring (Sekishunchô)
Directed by Keisuke Kinoshita
Written by Keisuke Kinoshita
1959/Japan
Shochiku Eiga
First viewing/FilmStruck
[box] “The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for.” ― Bob Marley[/box]
Kinoshita has a flare for melodrama. This is less melodramatic than just plain sad.
Five school friends reunite in their home town. All have changed. One was crippled in an accident. Two are involved in a love triangle. Another has become a very shady character. One of the boys has an uncle that is dying of lung disease and a broken heart. Their memories of being “White Tigers” together cannot overcome reality.
I associate Kinoshita with buckets of tears from both sexes. In this case, the protagonists are almost entirely dry-eyed. Their dilemmas seem all too real. There is a glimmer of hope at the end for at least some of the boys. As a film, it’s just OK – a little slow for me.
You have a serious Japanese thing going on, Bea. As far as I can see I have only a single Japanese movie coming up in 59, but it looks like 59 was a good year in Japan, maybe I should add some more. Which would you recommend?
I haven’t seen half of the Japanese films from the year yet! The country really was going through a Golden Age! I think you would really love Ozu’s Good Morning (not reviewed here yet). It’s totally charming. The Human Condition and Fires on the Plain are both probably masterpieces and both graphic war movies. They’re also on a lot of lists. You might try those.
Hi Thomas & Bea
I’ll preface this by saying that all of these are on the ever growing never ending “must watch one day” list (which includes “Fires on the Plain”) so I can’ t comment from seeing them bar one. These are ones where I liked the synopsis & imdb (for most, some unscored perhaps) was also favourable –
Conventionally could be considered as “classic” ie a “Flickers in Time” type
Floating Weeds Ozu again…a reprise of a highly successful movie Ozu made in 1934, very highly regarded in the west as well as Japan
Chikamatsu’s Love in Osaka – very well reviewed by 2 sources I admire (Midnight Eye & Don Ritchie
Mythic Japan
Nippon tanjô – with Toshiro Mifune
If you like samurai (or thereabouts) movies (note NOT “classic” movies but looked to be interesting and well made for mine
Samurai Saga
Fuunji Oda Nobunaga
Jirôchô Fuji
The River of Fury AKA Ketto Suikoden Doto no Taiketsu, Showdown at the Great Tone River
Action/Comedy (period)
Prickly Mouthed Geisha
Post war life in Japan-
Note the first one seen and excellent (IMHO a “classic”, Bea you should like this one)
Kiku and Isamu AKA Kiku to Isamu
A Town of Love and Hope
Ghost but not horror so to speak (period)
The Ghost of Yotsuya
Thanks for the recommendations! I reviewed the Ghost of Yotsuya recently and found it to be a truly scary ghost story. I have Floating Weeds (which I didn’t recommend to Thomas because it is already on his list); Samurai Saga; and A Town of Love and Hope still coming up this year, i.e. for 1959. Clearly I’ve got lots to look forward to!
Those are great recommendations, Bea and Laurie. I will add a few of them to my queue.
Happy if they help Thomas & Bea
oops forgot to insert “Now, the rest” above “Mythic Japan”