A Story of Floating Weeds (Ukikusa monogatari) (1934)

83% of users liked it
(330 ratings)

One of Yasujiro Ozu's early masterworks, it concerns an actor, Kihachi (Takeshi Sakomoto) leading a struggling theater troupe who returns to the provincial town where he fathered a child years before. He seeks out his son, now a young man, and the woman who bore him, spending a great deal of time… More One of Yasujiro Ozu's early masterworks, it concerns an actor, Kihachi (Takeshi Sakomoto) leading a struggling theater troupe who returns to the provincial town where he fathered a child years before. He seeks out his son, now a young man, and the woman who bore him, spending a great deal of time with them. To avoid angering his mistress Otaka (Rieko Yagumo), and to protect himself, he pretends to the young man that he is his uncle. Nonetheless, Otaka eventually learns the truth and persuades one of the company's ingénues to seduce the boy, hoping to hurt him and his father indirectly. Her plan backfires when the two fall in love, and the troupe, which is already on the brink of failure, is forced to disband. At length, Kihachi realizes he must move on and returns to Otaka. ~ Michael Costello, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 29 min.
Directed By: Yasujiro Ozu
Genres: Drama, Art House & International, Classics

In Theaters: Nov 23, 1934 Wide
On DVD: Apr 20, 2004

Critic Reviews

Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
It's basically a soap-opera story that Ozu enriches with great camera work and characterizations, making it more special than it should have been.
Dan Jardine, Cinemania
A rare remake: One that surpasses the already fine original.
James Kendrick, Q Network Film Desk
while outside of Ozu's typical middle-class setting, these films are perfect encapsulations of this lyrical filmmaker's brilliant career
Mark Robison, Reno Gazette-Journal
The silent version is a tad more fun than the gorgeous color version.

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Featured Audience Ratings

danny d

ive always believed that striking images and effective facial expressions from actors was far more important in silent films than the story, but ozu brings us this silent classic where he uses effective performers, creates some of the most beutiful images ive ever seen in any film… More
ive always believed that striking images and effective facial expressions from actors was far more important in silent films than the story, but ozu brings us this silent classic where he uses effective performers, creates some of the most beutiful images ive ever seen in any film silent or not, and tells a near perfect story to bring the best of all worlds together so that we get one of the best silent pictures ever made. nearly as good as ozu's remake 25 years later, this story is authentic but passionate and convicting. easily one of the darkest films of ozu's career, the film is also beautiful to consider despite the folly and depravity of some of its characters. a must see.
Walter M

The above rating is for "A Story of Floating Weeds"(1934), Not for the remake, "Floating Weeds."(1959) [font=Century Gothic][color=darkgreen]"A Story of Floating Weeds" is a silent movie from Japan directed by Yasujiro Ozu. It is a superb film that… More
The above rating is for "A Story of Floating Weeds"(1934), Not for the remake, "Floating Weeds."(1959) [font=Century Gothic][color=darkgreen]"A Story of Floating Weeds" is a silent movie from Japan directed by Yasujiro Ozu. It is a superb film that centers on a traveling theatrical troupe that returns to a small village after an absence of a few years. The lead actor has a secret from his fellow actors - he fathered a son some years before...what follows is a powerful, yet subtly emotional film about the paths we choose in life.[/color][/font]

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A Story of Floating Weeds (Ukikusa monogatari) (1934)

Critic Reviews

Featured Audience Ratings

danny d

Walter M

Cast

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