Thanks to the British Film Institute the availability of Ozu’s films is at a level now that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. Their commitment to his work, releasing a large number on Blu-ray, is currently second to none with Criterion in America even lagging behind somewhat. Joining this sizeable collection of releases, which will eventually include all of the surviving films Ozu made at Shochiku,  is a new double-disc release entitled ‘The Student Comedies’.

Covering the years 1929 to 1932 the set includes four of Ozu’s silent films, a fragment of an early film (11 minutes of the 1929 film I Graduated But…), a 20 minute talk from Tony Rayns on Ozu’s early films and a weighty new booklet on the films in question.

The first film in the set is Ozu’s eighth but first surviving film, Days of Youth. The film is an amusing little tale of two students, one a slacker, Watanabe (Ichiro Yuki), more interested in girls than studying and the other, Yamamoto (Tatsuo Saito), a more bookish student but one who is easily distracted and led astray.

Both are interested in the same girl, Cheiko (Junko Matsui), but whilst both employ their own techniques to woo her, Watanabe has an elaborate ruse involving renting his flat and Yamamoto relies on his honest but bumbling good nature, Cheiko is clearly not interested in either romantically.

A brief ski trip and some amusing vignettes involving social awkwardness make up the bulk of the film’s running time and whilst the film has some genuinely funny moments, particularly a sequence involving Yamamoto’s hand ending up black, it is reasonably lightweight and feels very much like a standard studio comedy of the time. What’s perhaps most intriguing about the film is actually the extent to which the two main male characters feel so much like student characters we would encounter in modern cinema, students slacking off is something that is entirely timeless it would seem.

I Flunked But… features a group of students this time but they are very similar in character to those of Days of Youth, so far as they’re not too interested in work and far more concerned with slacking off. The best gag in the film comes early on and reflects this slacking off attitude, as the group attempt to cheat by writing the answers to the test on the back of one their shirts.

There are some very funny moments of physical comedy in I Flunked But.., such as the scenes with the answers on the shirt, but also some rather more cutting moments such as the line “Life doesn’t always go according to plan” followed by an abrupt cut to a noose. There is also a bitter-sweet comic moment later when a kid comments, ” I want to be a ‘dropout’ like you”. It’s in these moments that I Flunked But… steps outside of familiar studio comedy territory and becomes more interesting, but for the most part it’s more one tentative foot outside than a great leap.

The Lady and the Beard is certainly a comedy but it doesn’t perhaps sit quite so well as others in this set under the banner of Student Comedies. The protagonist, the owner of the beard of the title, is a recent graduate but beyond some discussion of the plight of graduates it is not strictly about students. Beginning with a Kendo match that sets up our protagonist’s main skill set, the film progresses into the realms of tragicomedy with a pathos laden plot that centres on the clash of the old and new and the struggles of the youthful lead to find a way in life.

Ozu is shooting here for more than he reaches but whilst the film is a little unsatisfying, there is plenty to chew over. This is also the first film that clearly contains some of the formal trademarks so commonly associated with Ozu; pillow shots of inanimate objects, a low positioned camera and Ozu’s unconventional editing approach are all present here to greater and lesser degrees.

Where Now are the Dreams of Youth begins as a pretty broad slapstick comedy, following a striking and exquisitely well constructed opening, but it soon moves into more awkward comedic realms, notably in a sequence involving the protagonist behaving extremely badly after having a few too many drinks. Slapstick humour returns later, with more student cheating shenanigans, including answers hidden inside a sling, but this time the scene ends with the news of the near death sickness of one of the student’s father. Not exactly a hilarious punchline.

This mix of comedy with more darker emotional character beats pervades throughout Dreams of Youth and it is the abrupt changes in tone and the more gradual shifts, it also slowly moves at times into heartfelt melodrama, that make it such a fascinating a watch. Not all of it works though and the film is as a whole uneven and unsatisfying but it still remains a interesting curio that certainly demands attention within Ozu’s filmmography.

The films in this set vary in quality but they all share the misfortune of rather damaged original negatives/prints. The transfers are sensitive and appropriate to the sources though, with work clearly having been done but no nasty digital footprints left behind. Where Now are the Dreams of Youth is by far the best looking of the bunch, although it does still suffer from some stability issues, and despite the damage common throughout these are still easy discs to recommend and the issues do little to detract from these fascinating films. The (optional) newly commisioned scores are good but there are times, Days of Youth for instance, when they become a little repetitive or, Dreams of Youth for instance, when they are a little over-bearing. Mostly they suit the films well though and in the absence of original scores they provide an excellent accompaniment.

The set includes an engaging talk from Tony Rayns on Ozu’s early work, particularly his ‘student comedies’, and a substantial booklet which also provides a wealth of information and opinion.

Ozu: The Student Comedies set is available to buy or rent on DVD now.

The full list of films and special features included are as follows,

  • DAYS OF YOUTH (Wakaki Hi)
  • I FLUNKED, BUT… (Rakudai Wa Shita Keredo)
  • THE LADY AND THE BEARD (Shukujo To Hige)
  • WHERE NOW ARE THE DREAMS OF YOUTH? (Seishun No Yume Ima Izuko)
  • I Graduated, But… (Yasujiro Ozu, 1929,11 minutes): surviving fragment of Ozu’s early student comedy.
  • Newly-commissioned scores for all films by Ed Hughes featuring The Camilleri Trio and Richard Casey.
  • Ozu: Emotion and Poetry (2011, 20 minutes): Tony Rayns discusses Ozu’s early work and influences.
  • Illustrated booklet with newly commissioned essays from Asian cinema expert Tony Rayns and Alexander Jacoby.