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Yasujiro Ozu died of cancer in December 1963, leaving behind one of the most extraordinary bodies of work any filmmaker has ever produced. Beginning with his silent films of the late '20s, Ozu produced a film virtually every single year until his death with the understandable exception of the mid-'40s.

An Autumn Afternoon is primarily about the Hirayama family, but Ozu also takes the time to look at some of the lives in their extended circle.

The father Shuhei (Chishu Ryu) is a widower living with his son Kazuo (Shinichiro Mikami) and his daughter Michiko (Shima Iwashita). Michiko is 24 years old, an age where, according to Hirayama’s old school friends, she ought to be looking for a husband. Michiko however has not considered leaving her father so soon, concerned about how he and her brother will manage for themselves. Hirayama’s other son, Koichi (Keiji Sada), is married to Akiko (Mariko Okada). Like the other males in his family, he seems to be untroubled by the realities of the world, looking to buy a set of expensive second-hand golf clubs that he cannot afford, while his wife is crying out for a new fridge.

When the old school friends gather for a reunion, they are reacquainted with an old schoolteacher of theirs known as the Gourd (Eijiro Tono). A man they once respected, the elderly gentleman now works in a noodle shop, drinks heavily and is largely dependent on his unmarried daughter who lives with him. The situation strikes Hirayama with fear for his own daughter being placed in a similar position – he is seen throughout the film increasingly turning to drink himself - and he is determined to see that Michiko should be married as soon as possible...

Director: Yasujiro Ozu
Cast: Chishu Ryu, Shima Iwashita, Keiji Sada
Country: Japan
Genre: Drama

Extras:

• Audio commentary featuring film scholar David Bordwell, author of Ozu and the Poetics of Cinema. This commentary was recorded exclusively for Criterion in 2005.

• "Yasujiro Ozu and The Taste of Sake" - presented here are excerpts from an episode of the French TV series Cine regards, directed by Jean Baronnet, in which critic Michel Ciment and writer Georges Perec (Serie Noire) discuss Yasujiro Ozu's directing style and some of the unique qualities of An Autumn Afternoon (a.k.a. The Taste of Sake). A very young Fabrice Luchini (In The House) and Sophie Chemineau (A Girl on Her Own) are also seen reading a poem and short text by Lao Tzu. The episode was broadcast on November 26, 1978. In French, with optional English subtitles. (15 min).

• Original Japanese trailers for An Autumn Afternoon. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles. (3 min + 4 min).

An Autumn Afternoon (1962) Criterion Collection 2008 Edition
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DVD9 | NTSC 4:3 | 01:52:45 | 7.77 Gb + 3% rec
Language: Japanese
Subtitles: English

An Autumn Afternoon (1962) Criterion Collection 2015 Edition
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BD50 | 1080p AVC | 01:53:35 | 36.7 Gb + 3% rec
Language: Japanese
Subtitles: English