Early Summer is the story of a society in which women are expected to marry before the age of 29, often in arranged marriages negotiated by their family, especially fathers and brothers. Yet at the same time, Noriko rejects the candidate chosen for her by her boss and family and -- on the spur of the moment -- agrees to marry a family friend. What is this movie saying about patriarchal structure, marriage, and women's liberation in the modern Japan of the 1950's?
1950’s Japan demonstrates the change in female standards through the depiction of marriage in Yasujirō Ozu’s 1951 film, Early Summer. The main character Noriko is pressured by her family, friends, and boss to marry a man since she is already 28. Noriko is content with her life, even though she is single. Her stubbornness shows that women in Japan in the 1950s are beginning to abandon outdated traditions in order to live a life of their own. While at a restaurant with her friends, Noriko debates whether it is better to be married or single. The director splits the two sides by placing the married women on one side of the table and the single women on the other. The mise-en-scene emphasizes the differing opinions on marriage. According to the married women, they follow more outdated principles saying, “single people don’t know what real happiness is.” Their opinions represent old Japanese culture that highlights marriage as the most pivotal moment in a woman's life and without it, a woman will never live up to society’s standards. However, Noriko’s side of the table represents new ideals that emphasize independence for Japanese women. Later in the film, Noriko demonstrates her beliefs of independence when she chooses to marry her lifelong friend, Kenkichi Yabe. When Yabe’s mother wished Noriko would marry her son, she reluctantly agreed. Although her parents heavily discouraged Noriko to marry someone who lives outside of Tokyo and is from a rural area, Noriko persists that he is the man for her. While talking to her friend, Noriko expresses her long-lasting love for Yabe since they were children. She feels “totally at ease with him” and has trusted him for years. The conversation represents Noriko drifting from Japanese traditions as she has known for a while that she has feelings for Yabe and ultimately wants to marry him. Noriko taking her marriage decision into her own hands instead of choosing a man her parents recommended depicts women’s liberation in 1950s Japan.
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ReplyDeleteEarly Summer depicts marriage in Japan as being dependent on the requirements of the family. Noriko lives in Tokyo with her extended family. She is 28 years old, and is reminded by her uncle that she should marry. It is typical for a woman in 1950s Japan to marry between the age of 23 and 25, as Noriko is 3 years older than the average age. Her boss Mr. Manabe proposes a match for her with a 40 year old friend of his. Marriages in Japan have always been seen as a way for families to bond rather than as a way for individuals to bond. Potential spouses are picked based on their educational level, family status, and astrological and numerological compatibility. Noriko's friends are separated into two groups: married and unmarried, who torment one other constantly. Noriko's family persuades her to accept the marriage proposal, agreeing that it is time for her to marry and believing that the match is suitable for her. Childhood friend Kenkichi Yabe arranges for Noriko to have tea with him. Noriko agrees when Yabe's mother urges her to marry Yabe and join them in their relocation. Noriko's family is heartbroken when she reveals her decision to marry Yabe. They give her hints that the match isn't a good one. The family is forced to live with their disappointment as Noriko persists. One of the key themes in the film that influences the characters' actions and decisions is family, and this film depicts the destruction of family. It begins with a happy, close family and ends with the members of the family separated throughout Japan. Noriko's impulsive decision is initially unknown to her family, and it appears to be the foolish and selfish desire of an immature female. Her family believes she is simply demanding the type of freedom that so many women have wanted since the war ended. But, as Noriko says later, it is the thought of Kenkichi's departure, of him being separated from her, that causes her to realize her emotions for him and to leave her family. In effect, her decision is a choice between two close family members.
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ReplyDeleteIn the movie Early Summer, it shows the theme of marriage and the opinions surrounding it. In the film’s society it is frowned upon to be single as you get older. Everyone seems to have the mindset that you need a husband in order to be secure and happy. However, the main character is one of the few single people shown and she is an example of breaking that barrier. She is different from most women at that time and place and it depicts her differences and positive for herself. She is able to be happily independent and is in no rush to get married even though all of her family and friends seem to worry. The advantages of being single are shown by the main character getting a partner she wants and being able to know what works for herself and her dreams. We can also relate this to today’s society because there’s a lot of pressure on young people getting relationships but in reality, it’s okay to be single and sometimes is more positive. The times and society have changed a lot and a lot of people are supporting single life. The roles of what the stereotypical wife are in the film and today are also different. Today the lines of traditional roles are more open and can be interchanged whereas in the 1950s women were supposed to do certain stereotypical roles. The main character shows a little bit of revolutionary behavior however she still acts as the traditional wife role compared to today’s changed family roles of what family dynamics are.
The Japanese film Early Summer created in 1951 and directed by Yasujiro Ozu’s displays a pretty big message regarding the shift through which women view the ideas of marriage in Japan and how the common idea of partners picked by the family is disrupted. The film Early Summer depicts a woman named Noriko as the main character. Noriko is 28 years old in this film and is content with her life, however her family brings up the idea of marriage and makes it sound like a problem that she is not married further showing the common ideas of the culture at the time. Noriko’s character symbolizes the idea of independence and also the change in cultural ideals regarding women. These points are demonstrated in the film when Noriko very easily rejects men that her boss and her family have presented to her. Towards the end of the film the mother of Kenkichi Yabe askes Noriko if she will marry her son who has been a life long friend of Noriko. She replies spontaneously with a yes. Noriko brings the news home to her family and is quickly met with displeasure. Her family does not approve of the marriage and they are upset because they had no say in what happened. This scene is a clear demonstration of the two different ideas with the family keeping at heart old habits and Noriko clearly going off on her own path and showing her independence with the new ideas brought forth in this film.
ReplyDeleteIn the film Early Summer, Noriko shows how she has to push against what her family wants of her to gain a greater independence and control over her life. Noriko was expected by her family and friends to have a husband by the time she was at least 29. Although Norkio wasn’t opposed to marriage, her family wanted her to marry certain men they liked. Noriko wanted control over who she married but her family also wanted to have this power. Noriko’s family repeatedly tried to get her to marry the suitors of their choosing. Noriko didn’t appear to take a huge interest in any of these men but still felt the pressure from her family to marry. She seemed to want to choose for herself and be in control of her own life. She wanted to be independent and single on her own terms. Later in the story when she was given a marriage opportunity and accepted it, although this was not from her family. Her family was shocked once they heard Noriko had accepted this proposal. Her acceptance was not a decision she had discussed with them beforehand. Even though they previously pressured her to get married, once they heard this news, they weren't very overjoyed. They couldn't understand why she left them out this important decision and was so quick to accept. A decision that they likely thought they could make the final call for themselves. Through this film Noriko shows what the expectations of women in this time was to marry well. Marriage seemed to be more about joining a good, successful, ideal family rather than marriage based on love. Through Noriko we can see that in this time there slowly is the beginning of a shift for more women to gain some power and independence over their own life's and from their families.
ReplyDeleteThe film “Early Summer” negotiates the typical patriarchal tradition commonly used in traditional families. The film breaks this against this tradition by having the daughter of the family, Noriko, reject her first suitor to whom was presented to her by her father. Having Noriko reject the man picked by her father rejects the dominant patriarchy in her family history, as typically the man picked by the father is supposed to be the man who the daughter marries without any questions asked. The actions of Noriko in the film would initially be seen as blatantly rejecting Japanese culture, but then become more evolutionary with her marrying a family friend of her choice. This choice to negotiate the dominant culture of their society evokes the audience to reconsider their views in society. Through creating this negotiation of culture between the film and traditional Japan, it creates an ongoing opportunity for discussion between the audience. By evoking this discussion on potential change amongst the audience it encourages them to consider whether this would be beneficial to Japanese society. Early Summer overall proves to be highly popular and important, as the film challenging the Japanese culture could have encouraged many women to stand up for themselves and who they love. This movement of women potentially created by the film would revolutionize the patriarchal society as it would now allow women to pick the suitor in which they will marry themselves, rather than allowing their father and male family members to dominate their love life
ReplyDeleteIn Early Summer, Noriko displays an example of advancements in womens’ liberation throughout the 1950s. Living in a society where she must marry by 26, Noriko is already behind at age 28. Noriko is someone that wants to live her life as an independent woman who does not need a man to survive and thrive in society. Noriko is moving along just fine by herself, but because of pressure, she has to marry. She is under the pressure of society, family, and friends to meet this need by age 29. However, after rejecting an offer from a family friend to marry someone from work, Noriko is pressured by her family to make a decision soon. A standard at the time was for Japanese women to fulfil this duty of marriage; being that Noriko rejected an offer to do this and has not found someone on her own is looked down upon by society. Noriko's decision to not marry the offered man reflects her determination to have a future controlled by herself - something uncommon at the time. Being that she does not see a need to follow the rules of society, she understands the consequences and continues to follow through with the decision. The more she rejects the standard set by society, the more advancements she makes in women’s liberation. During this time, more Japanese women began to stray away from the standards set by their societies, and Noriko’s actions in this movie display an example of the beginnings of women’s liberation.
ReplyDeleteIn Early Summer, Noriko’s quest for marriage ends in some failed attempts by her brother and family, but she ends marrying the family friend. Early Summer shows the change of women’s role in society primarily, but also challenges how much power should have other themselves. During the 1950s, it post WW2 in Japan, and the Japanese culture during this time was rebuilding and modernizing. At this time, the “modern woman” had more freedom and was able to work and, in America, vote. This movie shows Noriko working and eventually making her own decisions on who she spends her life with. Women did not have this option historically in Japanese culture because elders and men arranged it. Noriko’s rejection of the men that her family brought her is a rejection of older/ traditional Japanese culture. Marriage was rapidly changing in Japan, and it will still frowned upon if you did not marry early. Still, Noriko is an example of women breaking the mold of arranged marriages. This movie also challenges women’s liberation because the first time Noriko makes a life-altering decision, she does not dwell on it and makes it irrational. She was unsure of what she wanted to pick and did in the heat of the moment. Was liberation too much for Japanese women during this time? That is a particular lens that people could’ve taken. She had to leave the city she loved for the cold and rural town of Akita. She had never even desired to go to Toyko and move up there, but her decision with the man she wanted to marry forced her to abandon her values for marriage she wanted. She was even distraught and crying before she left, showing that maybe it was not in her best interest. While these two ideas are not the whole picture, it is two different lenses that viewers could have viewed the film during that time.
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