There Was a Father (1942)

Shuhei Horikawa, a poor schoolteacher, struggles to raise his son Ryohei by himself, despite neither money nor prospects.

Critic Reviews

Sean Axmaker, Parallax View
... an indisputable masterpiece, a work of grace and simplicity that feels as timeless now as it was timely then.
James Kendrick, Q Network Film Desk
a poignant, even tragic portrait of the nature of sacrifice
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
An almost unwittingly political, (unusual for Ozu) as well as artistic, triumph.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Ozu's most Buddhist, didactic, Japanese and patriarchal film.
Sean Axmaker, Turner Classic Movies Online
If There Was a Father celebrates obedience as a virtue and duty the highest calling on the surface, there is an ambiguity in Ozu's tone.

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danny d

a vastly underrated ozu classic. there was a surprising political element, rare for ozu even during the wartime censorship, but that didnt overwhelm the film or detract form the powerful premise at all. as a parent, this film is gut wrenching. a father maintains a surprising level… More
a vastly underrated ozu classic. there was a surprising political element, rare for ozu even during the wartime censorship, but that didnt overwhelm the film or detract form the powerful premise at all. as a parent, this film is gut wrenching. a father maintains a surprising level of affection from his son despite hampering their relationship as he punishes himself for a mistake made while his son was a young boy. the culture of japan at the time is portrayed with clarity that is educational for us today, and the ozu trademarks that become more evident later in his career appear in this film in spurts. ryu is his usual steady self, and the film hits home well in a short and effective running time.