Nagaya shinshiroku (Record of a Tenement Gentleman) poster & wallpaper
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Chishu Ryu, Choko Iida, Takeshi Sakamoto

In this classic shomin-geki ("story of middle-class life"), Ozu relates the slightly comic tale of a boy abandoned by his parents in postwar Japan. After his desertion, the little boy is discovered by... read more read more... a "tenement gentleman," who, in a gesture of kindness, decides to bring the boy back home with him. His kindness stops short of adopting the boy, however, and his roommate refuses to let the boy live in their apartment. Not wanting to forsake the child again, the tenement gentleman gathers the neighbors together and they draw straws to determine who will take care of him. The shortest straw belongs to a very unwilling middle-aged woman who lives alone and has little desire to take in an orphan. Nevertheless, her neighbors prevail upon her and the boy becomes her responsibility. After a series of misadventures, mostly involving the boy's bedwetting, a close relationship develops between the two and the woman comes to love him. Just as their bond solidifies, the boy's father returns and the unlikely adoptive pair are forced to part. At the film's end, the woman, moved by her experience with the young boy, opens a center for war orphans. ~ Brian Whitener, Rovi

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7 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 55 min.

Directed by: Yasujiro Ozu

Release Date: January 1, 1947

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DVD Release Date: August 22, 1995

Stats: 33 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (33)

  • SirPant
    October 23, 2009
    SirPant
    Regarded by most as Ozu's most sentimental work, it?s often dismissed and overlooked. It is as heart warming as it is heartbreaking, but it?s certainly not as gratuitous as say a Frank Capra film, is far more subtle. Filmed at a time when Japan was still feeling the effect of the... read more war and was getting back on its feet. People had become anxious and frightened but also, as Ozu suggests, selfish and unthoughtful. It could have been mistaken for Japanese propaganda, as the west was being introduced to Asian cinema around this time but for those of you who know Ozu?s work, you?ll know that this was never the case, this was for the people of Japan, a much needed lesson in unity and also a timeless story of hope, kindness and doing what?s right. I know I?ve made it sound like an excruciatingly soppy film, it isn?t, it still has plenty of humour and intelligence for it not to be too potent. It?s actually a rather special film and hugely underrated. I can?t recommend it enough, it?s an absolute classic!

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Critic Reviews

Joan Mellen
May 21, 2005
Joan Mellen, New York Times

Curtain after curtain is lifted as this formidable film exposes a Japan unknown to most. Full Review

Dave Kehr
January 1, 2000
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

A warm comedy of life in postwar Japan, warm in the way only Yasujiro Ozu's cold and formal style can be. Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
March 24, 2006
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

A simple warmhearted comedy tale about the human condition. Full Review

Geoff Andrew
February 9, 2006
Geoff Andrew, Time Out

This is Ozu in optimistic mood, which is not to say that loss and resignation don't figure in large part (no film-maker ever had a surer grasp of the melancholy of everyday things), just that here the... Full Review

Tom Dawson
May 24, 2003
Tom Dawson, Film4

Illustrates the artistry and humanity of the late director, with its restrained performances, unhurried pacing, and deceptive simplicity. Full Review

Emanuel Levy
July 13, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

Matt McAllister
July 5, 2005
Matt McAllister, Future Movies UK

Click to read the article Full Review

Michael Price
August 16, 2004
Michael Price, Senses of Cinema

Click to read the article Full Review

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