RECORD OF A TENEMENT GENTLEMAN © 1947 Shochiku Co., Ltd.
Dual tribute to Ozu: Nagaya Shinshiroku (Record of a Tenement Gentleman)
The cinematic style of Ozu is celebrated in Cannes Classics, sixty years after the passing of this kingpin of cinematic history. Just before discovering a new print of Munekata kyôdai (The Munekata Sisters), the Festival invited us to the screening of Nagaya Shinshiroku (Record of a Tenement Gentleman), a chronicle mixing cynicism and poetry, lightness and triviality..
In post-war Japan, with everything still needing to be rebuilt, a lost little boy suddenly appears in a Tokyo neighbourhood. An adult will have to take care of him, but whom? Chance will decide…but the dice are loaded. As a result, Tane, a cantankerous widow, is forced to take care of the boy. Truth be told, she’s mostly trying to get rid of him. But once they become acquainted, she ends up becoming attached to him.
Nagaya Shinshiroku (Record of a Tenement Gentleman) is a bittersweet tale. Selfishness rubs up against tenderness, without pathos, with well-felt comic touches. Themes dear to Ozu recur in this film, those of fragmented families, all against the backdrop of post-war reconstruction and the emerging cultural influence of the United States.
Special mention: the film boasts an exquisite musical scene in which, at a dinner party, the guests urge one of their number to sing very loudly. Chopsticks are banged against dishes, a melody begins to form, and a rapport is established.
A presentation by Shochiku. Digital restoration by Shochiku, financed by J-LOD. 4K restoration supervised by Shochiku and performed by IMAGICA Entertainment Services, Inc. Colourimetric correction supervised by Masashi Chikamori and sound restoration supervised by Kazunori Shimizu. Distribution in France: Carlotta Films.
In the presence of Meri Koyama (Shochiku)
