The Flavor of Green Tea over Rice (1952)

 Yasujiro Ozu's "The Flavor of Green Tea over Rice"


Yasujiro Ozu seems to be continuing in the thematic thread of arranged marriages in Japan with 1952's "The Flavor of Green Tea over Rice." He had dealt with this topic, which was a point of discussion in real domestic Japanese families, in his late 1940s, early 1950s films as a way of documenting the changing generational landscapes that were emerging in modern Japan. With "The Flavor of Green Tea over Rice," he really issues a point of focus on the subject and dissects what it means to 'love' someone else and what it means to be in a marriage. 

The film centers on a wealthy couple whose relationship has gone stale. Bitterness and resentment bubble to the surface of the wife especially. Their niece attempts to use this bitterness as a point to combat her own impending arranged marriage. A breaking point comes into play when the couple begin to squabble about the nature of their relationship.

For me, the main takeaway from the thematic point of the film is that, although the point is made about the negative affects of arranged marriages, the spirit of marriage is about compromise. Compromise, when dealt through lessons around a marriage, can be used in every aspect of your life. On top of this, one of the singular issues surrounding the marriage in the film is differencing cultural and economic backgrounds, which emerge as sources of conflict between the couple. Through learning how to compromise these differences, Ozu seems to be issuing a point about cultural and economic bridges being mended through selfless compromise. So, in a way, the film is more than just about the relationships between couples in an arranged marriage. It's about the relationships between us all and the need to bridge the gaps between us through conversation and compromise. 



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