Themelodrama of his lastdays, when hefled his familyestateto take up the life of an ascetic, was revived in allits pulpy detail, likesome kind ofearly-stagerealitytelevision.
This turbulent and grim familymelodrama, from 1957, is steered away from the maudlin and given emotional depth and philosophical heft under the direction of Yasujiro Ozu.