Ozu meets Austen?

In an earlier post about the book that this film is based on, ducdebrabant said the novel reads like a cross between Thomas Mann, Austen, and Zola. I don't know about the novel, but the film struck me as dissecting family relationships as subtly as Ozu's films do, but with some of the comedy and outdoor feel we get in Jane Austen novels. The scene with the boneheaded suitor who starts hauling out death certificates is as funny as anything in Austen. Also reminiscent of Austen is the first word spoken in the film: "Money."

The clash between old, traditional ways and modern ones, one of Ozu's great themes, is present here too, especially in the character of the youngest daughter, but also in the two husband characters. And the heartache of a happy ending, which Ozu was so good with, gives this film a powerful conclusion--right up to and including the final coda scene from memory.

Comparisons like that don't really matter though. I found this a very moving film, gorgeously photographed and beautifully acted. Some reviewers have called the film dull--to each his own, but I just don't see anything dull about it. I'm rating this a 10, based on the sheer pleasure that viewing it gave me.