Equinox Flower (1958)

 Yasujiro Ozu's "Equinox Flower"

There are a few things that make a Yasujiro Ozu film: 1) a family fracturing due to generational disagreements 2) those generation disagreements stemming from social changes taking place in 1940s/1950s Japan 3) a poetic telling of the cyclical pains of getting older and the distance you feel from your family and children. All of those things are ever-present in his 1958 film "Equinox Flower." The film follows a father who is stubbornly against his daughter's attempt at marriage on her own terms. 

Ozu, now an aged master, demonstrates how completely meticulous he is with his camerawork, framing, pace, and structure. Returning to Ozu, for me, always feels like I'm in safe hands. There was a point in my life where I very much was irritated by Ozu's films, particularly their slow pacing. However, Ozu does not come to your level, you must meet him at his. This is where you will find the subtle spirituality of his work.

For me, "Equinox Flower" is about a father learning to let go of his traditions and ways of thinking, just as many Japanese people had to adapt to during the changing landscape of post-war Japan. However, due to Ozu's deft hand, his stories are simultaneously about both hyper-specific Japanese perspectives and challenges, as well as universal sentiments that every person must go through. His films are deeply personal and transcend their time and place. 

Although "Equinox Flower" is not an Ozu film that I would laud above his others, it is still a gentle reminder of his excellence and mastery of his visual language. Despite being his first film in color, all the language and visual format remains. After a while, I forgot about the stark difference in the coloring from his pervious films and sank into the meditative story of his typical family drama. "Equinox Flower" is just as harrowingly touching as any other Ozu piece.