Using vivid color, careful composition, and no camera movement, Ozu explores a rich network of relationships in late-'50s Japanese suburbia. Gossipy neighbors, pesky salesmen, and what may be the most subtle series of fart jokes ever filmed contribute to a low-key, delightful story that focuses on two young brothers who refuse to speak until their parents buy them a television. With warmth and humor, Ozu exposes the intricate systems of communication that we all use -- that often get in the way of what we are trying to say -- as well as the growing generational divide in post-war Japan.

Tony Peltier