Yasujiro Ozu’s final film was also his final masterpiece, the gently heartbreaking story of a man’s dignified resignation to both life’s ever-shifting currents and society’s gradual modernization. Though widower Shuhei Hirayama (Ozu’s frequent leading man Chishu Ryu) has been living comfortably for years with his grown daughter, a series of events leads him to accept and encourage her marriage and departure. As elegantly composed and achingly tender as any of the Japanese master’s films, An Autumn Afternoon (Sanma no aji) is one of cinema’s fondest farewells.
New, restored high-definition digital transfer, New audio commentary featuring David Bordwell, author of Ozu and the Poetics of Cinema, Excerpts from Yasujiro Ozu and the Taste of Sake, a 1978 French television program looking back on Ozus career, featuring film critic Michel Ciment, Theatrical trailer, New and improved English subtitle translationA booklet featuring new essays by film scholars Geoff Andrew and Donald Richie Awards: Blue Ribbon Awards (1963): Winner Best Supporting Actress; Mainichi Film Concours (1963): Winner Best Cinematography, Winner Best Supporting Actor, Winner Best Supporting Actress