I’ve been waking up in the middle of the night recently. If you have cats or are over 50, you’ll likely relate. Sometimes I can’t go back to sleep but don’t want to get up, so I’ve taken this time to watch some silent films in bed while our house is still silent.
Earlier this week I watched Director Yasujiro Ozu‘s heartbreakingly wonderful, silent feature film An Inn in Tokyo. This one tells the story of an unemployed father and his two young sons living on the street during the depression. Actually, they sleep in a field in an industrial area when it isn’t raining. Dad can’t find work. He’s turned away by a security guard when trying to find employment at a local factory.
The film does such a great job of depicting poverty and how it affects your mental health. The father is barely hanging in there. And then, he meets a woman living on the streets with her daughter. Can a romance help save the day?
Even though he can hardly help his own family, he tries to help the woman and child. Another reason for him to get out there and get back on his feet.
The story is minimal, so I won’t give away any more plot points. You should give it a watch.
I found a copy of the film on YouTube and will drop the link below. (It won’t let me embed the film) It’s also available on Criterion Channel.
Watch An Inn in Tokyo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B37S5jSByaw
Another aspect of this film I really enjoyed was seeing Ozu’s visual style so fully formed right out of the gate! You watch his movies from the 50s and 60s, and you can see that same camera setup and framing happening right here in 1935.
Would love to hear your thoughts on the movie.
Cinematic Point Of View 
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