Repast (1951) User Reviews (12)

C'est la Vie

[GyatsoLa · 9/10 · 27 October 2007]

This is the third Naruse film I've seen and while I don't think its quite as good as Sound of the Mountain, it confirms that he ranks up with the very top league of directors.

The wonderful thing about this film is the tone - Naruse keeps it perfectly balanced between sadness and comedy - lightness and drama. The movie is never melodramatic or hilariously funny - just like real life, there is a fine balance between the joy at the wonders of the world and despair at its banalities.

This must rank as one of the truest, most moving portrayals in film of a marriage. It centers on a crucial time in the young marriage of Michiyo and Hatsu, married five years in post war Japan, struggling to make a life in a dull, poverty stricken suburb of Osaka. Michiyo is desperately bored and misses her hometown of Tokyo, and quietly furious at her husband at how he takes her for granted. He is struggling at work, his integrity holding him back from making the money his sharper colleagues are apparently raking in from the stock market. Things come to a head when his vivacious but impulsive niece Satoko arrives on the doorstep unexpectedly, having run away from home. He lavishes her with attention to the quiet anger of his wife who resents every second he spends with Satoko.

Michiyo runs away to Tokyo to stay with her mother. In a post war Japan, with so many male war dead, Hatsu (to his bemusement) is quickly the center of attention for every female in the area, single or not. Its quickly apparent that he isn't the deadbeat his wife thinks he is - her perfectionism has prevented her from seeing his qualities, just as his problems at work has prevented him from understanding her unhappiness.

Some of those commenting here imply that the ending is something of a feminist nightmare - she returns to him, saying that her happiness as a woman is to be by his side. I think this is a misunderstanding of the ending and the theme of the movie. The point, i believe, is that she focused on her husband as the reason for her unhappiness while the real reason for it was their situation - their poverty and lack of opportunities in life. They are both victims of a struggling society - there are numerous little vignettes showing us the unemployment and exploitation of ordinary people at the time. Her willingness to go back to him is a reflection of her realization that they are both in it together, for better or worse. Its not a perfect route to happiness, but given their circumstances its the best they can get. For her to say that to stand by his side is the 'happiness of a woman' is not the statement of a submissive woman - just an acceptance of life as it is for those who are not born with money and good luck.

This really is a great movie, subtle and intelligent. Its also a fascinating contemporary insight into post war Japan and the struggle of ordinary people there to rebuild their lives. And it features a great performance from Setsuko Hara as the wife, with a very able supporting cast (most of the actors will be very familiar to anyone who has seen other Naruse or Ozu movies). Strongly recommended.

As a final point, I saw this on the Masters of Cinema DVD. The 'extras' feature is concise and very informative (although there are a few minor errors in the commentary). Its certainly superior to the BFI edition of Japanese movies from this period.

I left the theater feeling elated

[howard.schumann · 9/10 · 27 February 2006]

Repast is the first of many films by Mikio Naruse to be based on the stories of Fumiko Hayashi, in this case on Hayashi's last unfinished novel. Repast is a family drama set in Osaka and Tokyo shortly after the end of World War II. Economic circumstances make life difficult for Michiyo, an Osaka housewife played by Ozu regular Setsuko Hara in an exceptionally nuanced performance. She has been married for five years and the dream of a better life has faded. Her husband Hatsunosuke (Ken Uehara) has a low paying job and her life consists only of the repetitive chores of cleaning, washing, and cooking with no promise of a better future, a fact that she draws constant attention to.

Michiyo is at first welcoming when Hatsunosuke's niece Satoko (Yukiko Shimazaki) comes to visit but soon becomes annoyed and jealous when her husband takes her on a tour of Osaka and pays an inordinate amount of attention to her charms. When her dissatisfaction becomes crystallized, she decides to return to Tokyo to visit her mother (Haruko Sugimura). She is torn between wanting to find a job and remaining separated or returning to her husband to continue with the struggle. She writes a letter to Hatsunosuke ostensibly to say she will not return but it is never mailed. The way her ambivalence is resolved will cause some consternation for modern day women's rights advocates, but seems appropriate under the circumstances and I left the theater feeling elated.

A Glimpse Into An Unhappy Marriage

[crossbow0106 · 9/10 · 14 July 2008]

I've said this before in reviews here and I'll say it again: Stesuko Hara is a fantastic actress. She plays a housewife who after five years with her husband Hatsu (Ken Uehara) finds married life to be wanting. A visit from Hatsu's cousin, the very pretty, youthful Satako (Yukiko Shimazahi) brings further tension when she looks to spend time with Hatsu. Michiyo (Ms. Hara) doesn't know what to think, and, coupled with other instances like her husband coming home very drunk, suspects things. At times you see Michiyo clean in a way that suggests obsession, which could very well be just a way to mask the pain. Ms. Hara plays those scenes looking fairly dowdy, but when she dresses up to meet her old girlfriends, she is the radiant beauty that so often graces other great films she has acted in. One of the best things about this film is that during it you know what she should do, but, in a strange way, you don't want her to leave her husband. There are other smaller characters here, and they enhance the film. A fun scene for me was the tour of Osaka which Hatsu and Satako go on. I recently took a tour to Mount Fuji and the guide was exactly the same (except she spoke perfect English). It was just fun to see. Director Naruse, a master, wields a compelling story here and the casting of Setsuko Hara is an excellent choice. She is just wonderful. You can purchase this film with English subtitles in a box set released in the UK of Naruse which also includes "Sound From The Mountain" and "Flowing", as well as a book about the three films. I've not yet watched the other two films, but I will very soon. As for "Repast", I very highly recommend it. The combination of Mr. Naruse and Ms. Hara is inspired, dramatic and eminently watchable.

Moving and true to life

[zetes · 8/10 · 5 June 2016]

Gentle and touching portrait of a marriage. Setsuko Hara and Ken Uehara play a young married couple who have been living in Osaka for a while now, after having met and married in Tokyo. Life in Osaka is pretty dull, especially for Hara, who does little but housewife day in and day out. Uehara doesn't make much money, and his job prospects are weak. They're in a rut. When Uehara's beautiful young niece comes for an unannounced visit, Hara's dissatisfaction with life becomes too much to bear. As is usual for Naruse, the characters are extremely well developed and their emotional dilemmas are very easy to sympathize with. The acting is excellent throughout, with Hara giving one of her very best performances.

Two People Not Talking

[boblipton · 8/10 · 8 September 2018]

Being a housewife in a working-class mews in Osaka has grown wearying for Setsuko Hara. Life with Ken Uehara is a dull routine of breakfast with him reading the newspaper, her scrubbing the house, and him coming home late to announce he's hungry. It all boils over when his flibbertigibbet niece, Yukiko Shimazaki, shows up. She has run away from home, rather than marry the rich man her parents have chosen. Uehara buys tickets to take them all on a Sunday outing. Setsuko stays home to scrub the tatami mats. She wants to run away to Tokyo and her mother. She decides not to. She's going to leave that night. Maybe she'll leave in the morning.

Mikio Naruse was one of the two principle directors of Shomin-Gekim dramas of the the working poor in Japan; the other was the revered Ozu, for whom Miss Hara often worked -- when Ozu died, she retired. Naruse's film looks far more like a conventional film than Ozu's -- moving shots, camera placement above the floor, and so forth -- but with this movie he tackles a story; Ozu may show the audience the working parts of his families -- because of their interchangeable casts, sometimes they all seem like the same family -- and how they work. His movies are group portraits. Naruse tackles the question of why they should work, why they should put up with the drudgery, and makes that voyage of self-discovery his film's story.

Bob

Subtle and touching

[suasifaa · 7/10 · 8 December 2020]

This movie focuses on a rough patch in the marriage of frustrated housewife Michiyo and her hardworking husband Hatso. It's a bittersweet story about the coming to terms with your life when it seems hopelessly uninspiring. The conservative conclusion sees quiet despair giving way to a stronger relationship. Yara is the star, and the supporting cast really bring the movie to life.

Great Naruse

[Andy-296 · 10/10 · 15 January 2006]

Mikio Naruse is not as well known as some of the more acclaimed Japanese masters (Ozu, Kurosawa, Mizoguchi), yet judging from the few movies I have seen of him, he is at least their equal. This film stars Setsuko Hara (a Naruse, as well as Ozu, regular) as Michiyo, an unhappy housewife living in Osaka whose marriage to Hatsuno (played by Ken Uehara, another regular of Naruse as well as Ozu) is on the rocks. She eventually moves to Tokyo back with her mother and siblings to weigh the options. Hatsuno, after newly coping with single life (and having to clean the house now that the wife is gone) eventually follows her to try to win her back. There's not much more plot wise, and the ending may be disappointing to some (feminists, specially) but the movie is altogether a triumph as a fascinating portrayal of human emotion and truth.

A must for devoted fans of Setsuko Hara

[mollytinkers · 7/10 · 23 August 2021]

Hara gives a stellar performance. However, if you're new to her or if you're new to Japanese films, period, then this is not the place to start. Unfortunately, I find this film boring. I would've given it a 4, but Hara's performance bumps it up at least three stars to a 7.

There is no plot, just the point that Hara's character feels trapped in a boring marriage as she leads a mundane existence. There's no real action, no intense conflict--at least none that isn't internal. This is purely a character study and psychological look into a failing marriage.

I will say that the movie, in my opinion, does an excellent job at reminding us that marriage is meant to be forever but that doesn't mean it will always be a source of joy. It's just like life, in general--it's a mix of pleasant and unpleasant and, yes, even mundane experiences. And I tip my hat to the director for expressing that so keenly.

But the truth is, I wanted to stop watching halfway through because I was bored. I kept watching, though, because of Hara. What an amazing actress she was.

Feminism in 1951

[gbill-74877 · 8/10 · 2 October 2021]

"Have you ever thought of what I'm feeling, living this life day after day? Is this what marriage means? I feel like a maid. I slave away all day long doing laundry and preparing meals."

There is a lovely bit of feminism in how this film shows how unfair traditional society is, with a woman expected to be subservient to a man's needs and put up with him staying out late getting drunk. Ironically, all of the friends of the wife (Setsuko Hara) tell her how lucky she must be being "happily married," while she suffers behind a smile or casting down her eyes. When they ask her what she talks about with him, she replies simply that she has a cat. While she carefully manages the household finances, he goes out and buys a fancy pair of shoes, seemingly oblivious. It's infuriating to watch, and when his spoiled niece (Yukiko Shimazaki) turns up looking for a place to stay, things get worse, as she now has two loafers around the house.

The scenes in Osaka that Naruse gives us are as beautiful as the two leading ladies, making the film a visual treat. There is also a depth of feeling to what Hara's character is going through, and that's what made the film for me. At the outset of the film she asks "I had hopes and dreams before. Where have they gone?" and "With a life restricted to the kitchen and the family room, must every woman grow old and die feeling empty?" It was liberating to see her take action and leave for Tokyo, not writing her husband (or sadly, being written to).

The husband (Ken Uehara) is a better person around his niece, and weirdly we see flirtation between the two, as well as a cousin of the wife's lightly hitting on her. They both know to draw the line at adultery though, and while the film is certainly showing the husband in a negative light, it seems to be saying more that these are two average, decent people in a marriage, and cautioning husbands to treat their wives better. Bravo for that, but at the same time, the "stand by your man" aspect definitely didn't work for me 70 years later. He's aware she's had a hard time, but not aware of his own role in that, and how he's taken her completely for granted. It makes for an unsatisfying finish, but for the things it was able to accomplish in 1951, I liked it.

Interesting but unsubbed...

[romdal · 27 February 2007]

Unsubbed, so I cannot really review it properly. Setsuko Hara is radiant though quite bland as the housewife who gets fed up with her husbands deroutes, especially regarding his (rather innocent) adventures with a young niece. She moves back with her relatives, but once hubby shows up in a more humble state, all is forgiven. I don't think much else actually happened, but the film is given to describing the everyday tasks and problems rather than great melodrama. Although Ozu is hailed as the great Japanese director for the Japanese, it seems to me that Naruse's film are more effortlessly showing the natural life of Mr. and Mrs. Japan, while Ozu's often come across as more staged tableaux. This is likely because of the invariably fixed and central camera Ozu employs, which makes the room in which a scene takes place appear as a stage and the action strictly choreographed. Compared with Ozu Naruse's camera is quite more engaged, however subtle the movements and variations may be, and he makes more frequent use of semi-close ups and reaction shots.

Housewife Remorse.

[net_orders · 6/10 · 4 December 2017]

REPAST / A MARRIED LIFE / CALLINGS (Lit.) (MESHI). Viewed on Streaming. Cinematography/lighting = seven (7) stars; score = seven (7) stars; restoration/preservation = six (6) stars. Director Mikio Naruse's initial examination (he would repeat this in later films) of the exploitation of women through marriage. The plot line concerns a young women who relocates from Tokyo to a less-than-desirable Osaka suburb seeking post-war economic security by marrying a salary man who seems incapable of differentiating his wife from a servant. Finally, the wife flees back to her well-off family (in Tokyo), but eventually returns to her domestic drudgery. In the midst of this mundane circular soap opera, Naruse throws in scenes showing women working in various professions. The Director seems to be making the point that housewife exploitation can be mitigated/avoided, since these women are finding at least some economic security outside of marriage even in the (then) current economic climate. Naruse also uses voice-over narrative at the start and end of film to underline the situation for audience members who may be slow on the uptake! A number of veteran actresses and actors appear in the film including Setsuko Hara (playing the wife) and Haruko Sugimura (in the role of her mother). The mostly seasoned cast is well directed. Cinematography (narrow-screen, black and white) includes a fair number of tracking shots. Lighting is a bit inconsistent with many scenes starting off poorly lit. Score is good with music smoothly and effectively deployed through the movie. Restoration missed many/most artifacts stemming from poor splicing between the original reels. Subtitles are close enough. Mildly entertaining, innocuous Toho programmer. WILLIAM FLANIGAN PhD.

repast

[mossgrymk · 7/10 · 6 September 2021]

A sensitive look at an unhappy housewife, with fine performances by Setsuko Hara as the wife and Ken Uehara as the everyman schlub she's married to, and incisive dialogue and characterization by, among others, Nobel Prize winning novelist Yasunari Kawabata, this film ultimately succumbs to overly deliberate pacing, too many sub plots that go nowhere and add nada, a sexist ending that is an ode to wifely submission and a general sense, for me at least, that I'd rather be watching Ozu. Give it a B minus. PS...Coulda used more of the cat and less of Satoko.