Good Morning (1959) Ohayo

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Director: Yasujiro Ozu Movie Genre: Comedy, Satire Country: Japan Good Morning Score Card The following scores are based on a 0.0 to 10.0 rating scale Hover your mouse pointer over the name of each scoring category below for a description Direction: 8.0 Writing: 7.0 Acting: 7.6 Cinematography: 8.0 Sound and Score: 6.0 Functionality: 7.5 Presentation: 7.4 Genre Comparison: 9.0 General Comparison: 6.8 Overall: 7.5 Reviewed 2006-01-04 13:37:22

Director Yasujiro Ozu's Good Morning is a modernized remake of his silent film I Was Born… But. Good Morning is a story about two brothers who take a vow of silence in protest of their parents' refusal to buy a TV. The boys' silence wreaks havoc throughout their small town. What started out as an act of protest quickly turns into a commentary on why adults talk when they have nothing important to say.

Both Koji Shitara and Masahiko Shimazu do wonderful jobs playing the lead roles. Their nonchalant portrayals of Minoru and Isamu are realistic and charming. Their father Heichiro, played by Keiji Sada, decides against buying a TV because he fears that the TV will rot his children's brains. He makes this decision out of practicality and he feels his children will benefit from not having a television.

One of the most innovative and immersive elements of this movie is the camerawork. The camera in Ozu's movies never moves. There are no pans, tracks, or zooms. This technique adds a great deal of intimacy to the overall mood of the film. The camera's lack of movement creates the feeling that the audience is in a theater watching the actors perform on a stage, while also maintaining an innocently voyeuristic subtext.

Good Morning is an excellent family movie. It will appeal to the entire family, not just the children. Even the running flatulence gag is more charming than immature. Adults will appreciate the study of communication underneath the narrative, and children will love the story about kids trying to get what they want. Ozu's Good Morning is a great movie for anyone that wants to examine the lighter side of Asian cinema.