A desperate father traversed a dusty road outside of Tokyo searching for work during the Depression in An Inn in Tokyo. Ozu Yasujiro held back nothing in this his final extant silent film. Regardless of the lack of sound, this tender and tragic story of parents struggling to provide the basic necessities of life for their vulnerable children was emotionally compelling.

Kihachi and his sons, Zenko and Shoko, carry their meager belongings in one small pack. Most days they must choose between eating or shelter. If they are lucky, they can turn stray dogs in for 40 yen. In a sprawling industrial complex, Kihachi is unable to get past the front guard to even apply for a job at one of the factories. He and his boys meet a widow and her young daughter who are in the same dire straits his family is, maybe worse. Otaka is looking for work, but as a woman, there are few available options. Late one night when Kihachi and the boys have nowhere to go but under an awning in the pouring rain, an old friend appears and takes the bedraggled family in. She helps Kihachi find a job and provides a room for them. Only a thin line stands between them and disaster or happiness.

This film was fairly realistic about the time of economic calamity. It was heartbreaking watching Kihachi and his sons mime eating their favorite meal and drinking sake on painfully empty stomachs. A father having to make the choice of whether to feed his children or provide shelter for them for the night was cruel. Zenko made a foolish choice of purchasing a hat with money he made that could have fed them. His father berated him but then turned around after being hired and spent money on sake. In the desolate fields, Kihachi and Otaka marveled at their children’s resiliency in an endearing moment as the kids developed an instant bond while playing. As Kihachi’s affection for Otaka grew, he assumed she would find respectable work as he did, though his good fortune was aided by an old friend and the benefit of being male. When tragedy inevitably struck both Otaka and Kihachi made devastating sacrifices. “Thus has a soul been saved.” Saved, maybe. But the future of the children was put into further emotional and financial jeopardy. Which further illustrated that people pushed to the edge of survival will do things that might seem immoral, especially when a parent is protecting a child.

Even though Ozu refused to have sound and spoken dialogue, the studio insisted on a musical score. The instrumental music was mournful and a touching addition. Dusty fields outside the factories provided a hopeless wasteland threatening to swallow the destitute wanderers made all the more surreal as children played among the industrial equipment. Sakamoto Takeshi as Kihachi, Aoki Tomio as Zenko, and Iida Choko as Otsune performed in numerous Ozu films and gave strong performances here. Ozu constant, Ryu Chishu, also made a brief appearance in a bit part.

Ozu painted a bleakly realistic picture of poverty and despair with moments of hope and sunshine often provided by the children. He also had his characters illustrate that despite the bleakness of their existence there were still opportunities for heartfelt kindness, laughter, and generosity. If you enjoy the films of Ozu Yasujiro or quality silent films, this is one to try.

5 April 2024