Viewed on DVD. Restoration = ten (10) stars. Pictorially, this film is a work of art: static scene by static scene (the camera never moves). Color cinematography is simply gorgeous . Set decoration is stunning. Costumes are eye-popping beautiful. It is by far the most end-to-end sumptuously mounted film from the "classical" period of the Japanese cinema! The director also leaves out most of his customary trademarks of ugliness (overhead power lines, clothes lines, ungainly mass transient, etc.). The script has been punched up sufficiently to hold the viewer's attention through patches of dramatic tediousness and outright boredom. Events are usually well telegraphed in advance so there are few, if any, surprises. The film is too long. There is the lingering impression that the director may have had a hard time letting go of his creation and bringing matters to an end. Acting is first rate (some actors are from the director's excellent in effect repertory company). Sound is fine and crisply captures Western-accented (Kansai-ben) dialog. Subtitles seem just right. The score copies music from the Italian cinema of the era. Best watched on a large screen to fully appreciate the artistry. WILLIAM FLANIGAN, PhD.

A number of people seem to have difficulty with Ozu films, thinking them slowly-paced, static, or plain boring. But with a little use of patience and reflection, Floating Weeds is brilliantly appealing. Let me expand upon one particular angle that might make this film more accessible.Other reviewers have already commented on the films beauty in color, the pace of normal, real life in a seaside village, and the intimacy of the film. Others have also mentioned in negative commentary that they really didn't like any of the characters. This point, actually, is the reason why the film for me passes beyond "good" to "brilliant."Although the characters have charm and appeal, they also have many unappealing flaws: Sumiko's jealous vengeance, Kayo's blind following of malicious orders, Komajuro's blatant concealing of the truth of his being Kiyoshi's father and subsequent pathetic attempt to reenter his life and become his acting father, and more. But this made me a more active audience member--much like real theater does--made me want to reach out and grab the actors, saying "You fools! What are you doing!?" You can see them make the poor choices that lead to recklessness of Sumiko and the breakups of Kayo and Kiyoshi as well as Komajuro and Kiyoshi, for example. The characters seem to think that they are trapped, that it is their fate. And Komajuro and Sumiko feel that resignation as they come to accept each other and their flaws at the end. But for me, it was a wake-up call that moved me out of my seat. The major human relationship problems could have been helped with better choices. The characters give up too easily on trying to understand each other. Instead of trying to save face by hiding their problems or violently repressing them, Komajiro could have been forthcoming about his past with Sumiko, Komajuro and Kiyoshi's mother could have gone straight to the truth with their son about Kiyoshi's father and about Sumiko's jealous rage in getting Kayo to seduce him. These choices seem to be more difficult to carry out, but they would have nonetheless eased the tension of the plot and averted catastrophe. Communication and striving to understand each other, even the ones most important to us, is not an easy thing.By setting up these struggles on the screen, Ozu empowers his audience to take their own lives beyond that of the characters limited to the fated script. I think it's the colorful beauty of the scenes, the serenity of the seaside village, the fact that the characters have likable aspects as well as all-too-human flaws, and the masterful construction of the film as a whole that helps drive this process. Movies do well to inspire us, but they don't always do so by showing us flawless heroes to live up to or tell us what the moral of the story is. Sometimes, we learn by understanding how others have failed while coming to our own conclusions on how they could have fared better.

Ozu is a wonderful experience just to watch the musical formations. Each shot is composed in the most careful way so that the assembly has a geometric rhythm. It is soft and melodic, this visual overlay, painting in motion. No one does it better that I know.There's a talk between two troubled lovers in the rain, then in opposing shelters, that is especially noteworthy, but it is all so cinematically lovely...The way he's put this together is very Japanese. Each shot length is nearly precisely the length of the one before. Each employs a stationary camera only, but the positioning of the camera only sometimes is where a human eye would be. As I've mentioned, The composition in terms of elements, space and color is perfect in each shot and follows in a deliberate, engineered pattern from the previous shots.The narrative isn't integrated in the way Kurosawa would do — and be considered un-Japanese for. But the story does much of that for us.It is a story about pretense and staging, with most of the actors playing characters who are actors and have trouble in being an actor.You'll have to work to be engaged in the story. But its rather easy to just sit back and admire the loveliness. Ozu is always worth it for this. I don't know many of his films, but this is the most formal of those I know.Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.

In a week I saw this movie three times. Why? Because its charm really got me, it should get you too! Set on an small island in the warm southern Japan summer, a struggling kabuki troupe comes by boat to stay there for a few shows. They actually stay much longer than that because the leader of the troupe has some personal matters here.The characters in this movie felt so real its as if I know them. And I think back on them fondly. I and the cynic, but unexperienced son (was it Kiyoshi?), the jealous femme fatale Sumiko, the lovely mother of Kiyoshi, the sweet flower Oyoshi and the others are almost like friends. Ozu succeeds in getting the very best out of the actors so they cease to be actors. Best is Kyô Machiko as Sumiko and Nakamura Ganjiro as the troupe leader. I am not all convinced on Kiyoshi though, esp. during the Sumiko confrontation.Stylistically this is a perfect film. Camera is fixed in well composed shots and we get to mediate on the surroundings and the people and let it all sink in. Look out for the quarrel scene, its simply one of the most powerful scenes I've seen.Music carries the feelings in the movie even if its just too simple songs (that I remember). The heat is felt and I'm there sweating with them.Some noted that this is good soap opera, I disagree, this is drama of the highest order, the kind of drama you don't see much in movies at all. This was my first Ozu, and its not everybody's favourite it seems, still its hard to surpass this..