Synopsis
A young factory worker struggles to figure out what she wants to do with her life.
1963 ‘下町の太陽’ Directed by Yoji Yamada
A young factory worker struggles to figure out what she wants to do with her life.
Shitamachi no taiyo, Солнце Ситамати, The Sun of Shitamachi, Солнце рабочих окраин, 下町的太阳
Love in the industrial district. The sky is grey and still we keep on living and singing. The salaryman promises a secure future and cleaner air, but office politics are dirty and his grin not always trustworthy. The blue-collar guys hitting on you on the train to work, on the other hand, might not be all that scary after all. In fact, you also work the assembly line while waiting for marriage, and the film you're in knows very well about the photogenic qualities of blast furnaces.
Having watched 50 Tora-san movies last year I figure I should probably keep the Yoji Yamada train rolling and keep watching his films. Chieko Baisho plays a girl working to do better for herself and realizing that increasing her social standing may not, in fact, bring happiness. Interesting to me mostly because it’s cool to see the working class areas of mid-century Tokyo - something I don’t think I’ve never seen.
One of Yoji Yamada’s first films, but definitely not one of his best, unfortunately.
Don’t get me wrong, it starts really well. It’s got that classic focus on family and empathetic insight into the working class that Yamada has always been great at, but I felt like it was a movie that really didn’t know where to go in its second half.
That’s kind of where it faltered, sadly. However, there’s enough good here (mostly in the first half) that makes it worth recommending to fans of Yamada’s other films, and Chieko Baisho was very good in the lead role, as she always is.
For Yamada this is an artistic leap and a significant improvement from the previous movie, minus the humour. What does it for me here is the setting, factories and downtown Tokyo seen through the lives of the young working class fighting for a promotion, and of course Baisho Chieko’s presence. She’s got an almost progressive stance in the story, still relevant today, and is such a ray of light in each scene.
The movie marks the first collaboration between Yamada and Baisho.
A solid feature with some editing and good cinematography. Chieko Baishô's acting is impressive throughout. There are a number of small details that make the film fascinating. I felt the film was stuck between the need to emphasise a woman's place (liberty) in a developing society and the values (or the lack of) of socio-economic culture.
The Pacific Film Archive at UC Berkeley had this little-known movie in its collection and chose to run it as part of one of their current series (a series of Japanese films set in Shitamachi, a part of Tokyo), so I got to watch an old 35mm print of this on the big screen, which was awesome. The grain and crackle of the old film hit different. I really did find this film fun. It’s quirky and humorous, which I enjoyed, especially the parts with the old people of the neighborhood in which it’s set. The acting was all pretty solid, especially Chieko Baisho herself. I loved the cinematography that focused on Japan’s working-class and their homes, the movie felt…
Literal Title "Downtown Sun"
Pretty average stuff except for Chieko Baisho, who I'm guessing is the reason the audience burst into applause at the end. First film I've seen of hers but I'll look for more. No rating or recommendation.