Brothers and Sisters of the Toda Family (1941)

 Yasujiro Ozu's "Brothers and Sisters of the Toda Family"


After taking a 3 year hiatus from making films, Yasujiro Ozu returned in 1941 with his film "Brothers and Sisters of the Toda Family." The film centers on the Toda family, who, after their patriarch dies, grows selfish over having to take care of their widowed mother. Like most of Ozu's films, "Brothers and Sisters of the Toda Family" provides a domestic intimacy with its characters, as Ozu's quiet observance of daily life in a family allows for the viewer to feel a connection to the story through their own personal domestic life, as well. I enjoyed this particular film and felt the pain of distance and isolation often associated with family and the guilt one feels over being that distant. Although it was a film I enjoyed, I've got to say that it has, so far, been my least favorite of Ozu's filmography. That is saying a lot, since Ozu is a master and all of his films are an emotional gut-punch.



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