With the exception of Godzilla, I don't think japanese movies are talked about in the west as much as they should be. The End of Summer is a unique (if slow-moving) story that illustrates how asian movies differ from american ones. When I say that, I mean there is not very much (if any) action going on in this film, and the story is very simple. Despite how straightforward the writers designed it to be, the movie does have a good moral lesson that only comes into focus when it's almost over. This movie is about a man named Manbei who owns a rice wine company in the city of Kyoto. Manbei's daughter, Akiko, is not yet married, and he wants to change that. One of Manbei's friends is tasked with finding her a date, and thanks to his efforts, she is able to meet Isomura. Now that his daughter is in a relationship, Manbei feels content, so he takes it upon himself to be rewarded. He starts sneaking out of his house in order to talk with his old girlfriend named Sasaki. Sasaki has a daughter named Yuriko, whose parentage is clouded in mystery. Some suspect she's Manbei's child, but he can't prove it. Meanwhile, Manbei's other daughter Fumiko gets angry at her father after learning he's been sneaking around. Eventually, Manbei is home one day and appears to have suffered a heart attack, but lives. While playing hide and seek with one of his relatives one day, Manbei sneaks out again, and this time, a second heart attack puts him down for good. Everything is sad, and some people fishing at a river near where a crematorium is located comment "nobody died today" since there's no smoke coming from its chimney. At the end of the film, there is smoke, indicating that Manbei's body is being burned. It might not be a very energetic or memorable film, but The End of Summer gives viewers a chance to see the things in life that matter most for what they really are. Nobody will live forever, so the characters in the movie (and real people) have to try and enjoy themselves as much as they can. The movie is also sad because Manbei's brewing company is absorbed by a bigger company after he dies. There isn't much else to say other than that it felt right to watch this right when summer was ending. Sometimes you need to see a depressing and downbeat film like this to make you appreciate things more. This movie was also put out by Toho, the same company responsible for Godzilla. Nice touch.
Review of The End of Summer
