This early short (and silent) film by Japanese master Ozu seems to be the perfect illustration for XVIIth century French poet Jean de La Fontaine's fable "The Two Cocks" : "Two cocks in peace were living, when / A war was kindled by a hen." It is the simple story of two friends who live together in a poor tenement and who share about everything in life (food, hopes, work...). Everything goes well until they gallantly rescue a young (and pretty) woman injured in a road accident. Since the lady has nowhere to go, the two good-hearted friends invite her to their home. She soon becomes their housemaid and they soon begin to seek her favors. Alas, she falls for a young student she has met in the neighborhood, much to the two friends' dismay. Set in the austerity of depression-era Japan, this little comedy has some effects a la Chaplin, yet it ends in a bitter way which is typical of Ozu. The last scene will remind Ozu's fans of some of his later works when the young woman and her fiancé wave goodbye to the two "fighting" friends from a train. This last scene and its very nice shots are the little treats of this minor work by Ozu. Only for Ozu addicts.
2 Reviews
Is Ozu Doing Laurel & Hardy?
boblipton4 September 2019
Atsushi Watanabe and Hisao Yoshitani Hisao Yoshitani are best friends. They share everything in their cramped apartment, from individual eggs to goldfish. Yet when they rescue Eiko Takamatsu from almost running her over, they discover that they can't share her.
I'd like to think that Yasujiro Ozu was directing this short under the influence of the Laurel & Hardy comedies, but Fat-and-Thin buddy pairs were not new to cinema, and the sort of gags he offers seem to be simultaneously more absurd and grounded than the practiced slapstick and offered by Hal Roach's two rising superstars. Some of the gags seem to reference Buster Keaton's early shorts. Perhaps that is simply Ozu's Japanese nature coming through, and his feeling that friends would not quarrel over the sort of thing they had been doing since day one, but only if something changed the equation. In any case, it's pleasant enough.
Although he is not listed in the IMDb credits, I thought I spotted Chishu Ryu as the buddies' supervisor.
I'd like to think that Yasujiro Ozu was directing this short under the influence of the Laurel & Hardy comedies, but Fat-and-Thin buddy pairs were not new to cinema, and the sort of gags he offers seem to be simultaneously more absurd and grounded than the practiced slapstick and offered by Hal Roach's two rising superstars. Some of the gags seem to reference Buster Keaton's early shorts. Perhaps that is simply Ozu's Japanese nature coming through, and his feeling that friends would not quarrel over the sort of thing they had been doing since day one, but only if something changed the equation. In any case, it's pleasant enough.
Although he is not listed in the IMDb credits, I thought I spotted Chishu Ryu as the buddies' supervisor.
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