A Hen in the Wind

Japan   Y. Ozu

Sad, deeply moving film from 1948. A young wife whose husband has been away for four years in the war needs money to save her son, turns to prostitution, tells him when he returns and causes a serious rift in the family.

Post war Japan had many stories like this. It was a hard time, many people were forced to do things they later regretted but survival was controlling. I found the husband's reaction hard to understand; his sense of honor and morality was too extreme given the conditions extant.

Both leads were good, the tone darker than most of Ozu but the film had undeniable impact for me.

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