Sound of the Mountain (1954)

 Mikio Naruse's "Sound of the Mountain"


It's become increasingly clear to me that Mikio Naruse drives through the same thematic avenues as his contemporary, Yasujiro Ozu. However, Ozu films have a very specific visual tidiness to them, accompanied by subtleties in the subtext. I feel as though Naruse isn't as subtle and his visual style does not adhere to any prescribed aesthetic that he's organically created. That being said, I don't feel like Naruse is a bad filmmaker. On the contrary, he is quite good. I just feel as though I often compare his work too much to that of Ozu.

With one of his 1954 efforts, "Sound of the Mountain," he dissects the relationship of a family in turmoil. It centers on a father who becomes concerned for his adult children. His son is apathetic to his wife and actively cheating on her. The daughter has to continue to move from one place to the next after leaving her husband. 

"Sound of the Mountain" demonstrates the contemporary issues of fracturing families in post-war Japan. It is a film centered around the abuse by the women of society by men emotionally distant after the suffering of war. It maintains Naruse's signature emotional connection to the fractured post-war family unit. 



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