One of two films Ozu released in 1959, this is a gentle comedy which satirises the impact that the take-up of TV had on Japanese culture, especially the family. (You could see the whole narrative as a pun on TV as conversation-killer.) Still, that description is brutally unfair, since it makes the film sound, at bottom, a little stern, a bit pompous, but that just isn’t so. As film scholar Adrian Martin notes on the excellent commentary included on this disc, Ohayo is a movie, at least in part, about, well, farting. This is, then, one earthy movie.
The plot revolves around two brothers Minoru (Koji Shidara) and Isamu (Masahiko Shimazu) who, when they’re not playing a 'farting game,’ spend all their time at the next door neighbours watching TV since they don’t have one at home. (It was then something of a luxury item.) When their parents refuse to buy a TV the boys decide to go on 'strike’ – refusing to speak even the most everyday pleasantries. Indeed one of the lads declares that adult 'small talk’ is pointless – nothing but a waste of time.
With Ozu, it’s the small, incidental details of everyday life that are taken for granted that in the end make life, not only bearable, but make it work; indeed, the boys’ stony silence has a devastating knock-on effect for all those who share their tiny community. Still, Ozu obviously concedes that the boys have a point. Adults who are in the habit of filling uncomfortable silences with 'small talk’ are indulging in a habit that corrupts the communication of authentic emotion; there’s a subplot here about a courting couple whose romantic dialogue consists entirely of empty chatter about the weather.
Ozu has great fun with the standard comedy tropes; mixed messages, and misunderstandings do indeed dominate the action. Still, his play on sound, music and image create exquisite little explosions of comedy that are delightful and never quite distasteful; there’s a beat here where the boys are exercising with an adult pal, an older bachelor and the calisthenics happens to produce flatulence. These farting noises are mixed in with the low-notes of a wind instrument forming a melody of striking and tuneful notes!
The discs only major extra feature is the commentary track, which is essentially a conversation between Martin and John Flaus, actor, one-time critic and Ozu specialist. It’s a wonderful piece; both men are dedicated and erudite cineastes, with a sense of humour and their insights cover every aspect of the film, especially in terms of what makes Ozu’s contribution to the language of cinema so unique and enriching.
