An Inn in Tokyo
Encyclopedia
is a 1935 silent film
directed by Yasujiro Ozu
. The film is Ozu's last extant silent film.
The script of the film is credited to a person by the name of Uinzato Mone, which means in Japanese, "Without Money". In fact the screenplay was written by Ozu, Masao Arata and Tadao Ikeda
during a period when Ozu is rather short on cash; hence the composite penname.
's Koto district with his two young sons, Zenko (Tomio Aoki
) and Masako (Takayuki Suematsu). He is unable to find a job and has to rely on his sons catching stray dogs to earn reward money for their meals. As days go by, Kihachi and the boys no longer have enough money to stay at an inn for the night. Luckily for him, he encounters an old friend, Otsune (Chouko Iida), who finds him a job and allows them to stay at her eatery house.
Kihachi meets again a fellow impoverished soulmate, a single mother by the name of Otaka (Yoshiko Okada) and her young daughter Kimiko (Kazuko Ojima). Otaka is looking for a job but cannot find one. Out of compassion he brings them to Otsune's eatery for something to eat. As time goes by a bond develops between Kihachi and Otaka, and he falls for her. His sons too grow fond of the mother and daughter. But Kimiko falls ill because of dysentery
and Otaka has no money to foot her hospitalization bills. Out of love and desperation, Kihachi resorts to stealing. He escapes back home, confides in Otsune (who scolds him for his folly in keeping things to himself) and leaves the boys in Otsune's care, while he goes on the run.
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
directed by Yasujiro Ozu
Yasujiro Ozu
was a prominent Japanese film director and script writer. He is known for his distinctive technical style, developed during the silent era. Marriage and family, especially the relationships between the generations, are among the most persistent themes in his body of work...
. The film is Ozu's last extant silent film.
The script of the film is credited to a person by the name of Uinzato Mone, which means in Japanese, "Without Money". In fact the screenplay was written by Ozu, Masao Arata and Tadao Ikeda
Tadao Ikeda
was a Japanese screenwriter and film director. After graduating from Waseda University, he joined the Shochiku studio and came to prominence writing screenplays for such directors as Yasujiro Ozu, Mikio Naruse, Kozaburo Yoshimura, and Yasujiro Shimazu. He also directed a few films.-Selected...
during a period when Ozu is rather short on cash; hence the composite penname.
Plot
Kihachi (Takeshi Sakamoto), an unemployed worker, wanders around the industrial flatlands of TokyoTokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
's Koto district with his two young sons, Zenko (Tomio Aoki
Tomio Aoki
aka was a Japanese film actor.Aoki became famous as a child actor after debuting at the age of six in silent films directed by Yasujirō Ozu. His leading role in Ozu's 1929 short comedy Tokkan kozo gave Aoki his nickname. I Was Born, But... , Passing Fancy and An Inn in Tokyo were three other Ozu...
) and Masako (Takayuki Suematsu). He is unable to find a job and has to rely on his sons catching stray dogs to earn reward money for their meals. As days go by, Kihachi and the boys no longer have enough money to stay at an inn for the night. Luckily for him, he encounters an old friend, Otsune (Chouko Iida), who finds him a job and allows them to stay at her eatery house.
Kihachi meets again a fellow impoverished soulmate, a single mother by the name of Otaka (Yoshiko Okada) and her young daughter Kimiko (Kazuko Ojima). Otaka is looking for a job but cannot find one. Out of compassion he brings them to Otsune's eatery for something to eat. As time goes by a bond develops between Kihachi and Otaka, and he falls for her. His sons too grow fond of the mother and daughter. But Kimiko falls ill because of dysentery
Dysentery
Dysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the faeces with fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal.There are differences between dysentery and normal bloody diarrhoea...
and Otaka has no money to foot her hospitalization bills. Out of love and desperation, Kihachi resorts to stealing. He escapes back home, confides in Otsune (who scolds him for his folly in keeping things to himself) and leaves the boys in Otsune's care, while he goes on the run.