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?
This movie is saying that a lot of the patriarchal structure and control in the 1950s is not as prevalent or powerful as it was before. Japanese women received the right to vote in 1945, shortly after they lost the war. Shortly after that in 1947, Japanese women received equal rights. Despite this, there were still patriarchal norms that a lot of families believed in. For instance, women were supposed to be married before they were 29, to a person decided and arranged by the men in her family. Noriko rejects these societal norms and spur of the moment accepts a marriage proposition from a family friend. This demonstrates the new power that women had obtained. There was some disapproval amongst her family members because Noriko decided to abandon the social norms, but they got over it.
ReplyDeletearly Summer is a Japanese film that challenges the gender roles in their society. Noriko is the main character and the one to challenge them the most. Most of the film surrounds her family attempting to find Noriko someone to marry because she is 28 and is getting married relatively late, her family even making a comment about how she would not be able to find a man her own age due to them already being married. Even her coworkers gossip about the fact she had never found a man and speculate on if she’s ever been in love. Her boss suggests to one of their coworkers that Noriko might not be into men, the coworker also presenting the evidence that she has magazines of a popular American female actress. At first Noriko is suggested to marry a wealthy businessman who was older than her by about ten years. Noriko’s family is a bit hesitant with the age gap but ultimately tries to get her to marry him since he’d be a good husband. Her friend Ayo also makes comments about how handsome he is and tries to get Noriko to come look at him while he is at Ayo’s house. She keeps saying no to anyone who asks about her marrying the businessman. She was never interested in him and states that she does not trust a man who’s never been married at a somewhat old age. The man she does marry ends up being one of her childhood friends though. Accepting his mother’s proposal on her own, without consulting her family, causes a huge uproar. Her brother is very displeased with the arrangement and her parents are worried about the fact her friend already has a child. Despite the resistance she stands by her choice and gets married to the man she chose for herself.
ReplyDeleteYasujiro Ozu's Early Summer effectively captures the essence of a society bound by patriarchal expectations and the complexities of a woman's role in 1950s Japan. The film explores the tension between tradition and individual agency as it relates to the film's main character, Noriko, as she navigates the difficulty of Japanese societal norms and arranged marriages. The film asks the viewer to reflect on their privileges as we realize the intricacies of foreign marriage vicariously through Noriko. At the heart of the film, Early Summer challenges the entrenched patriarchal structure that dictates women's lives, particularly in the realm of marriage. In turn, it acts as a breath of fresh air for a dated and unfair marital system. Through the depiction of Noriko, the audience can engage and witness her stance as she defies societal expectations, rejecting the arranged marriage proposed by her boss and family. Instead, Noriko displays her autonomy in her spontaneous decision to marry a family friend, showcasing a longing for independence and self-determination, defying the conventional path for her. In this narrative, marriage is a battleground where tradition clashes with the desire for autonomy and agency. Noriko's actions symbolize acting as a form of rebellion against relevant cultural and societal norms by actively fighting against the strong feeling of patriarchy that defines 1950s Japan and seeks to dictate her life choices. Moreover, by asserting her agency in marital choice, Noriko effectively ascends, becoming a beacon of empowerment in a society where women's roles are domesticated otherwise. Early Summer helps the audience to realize the changing social ideas present in 1950s Japan and helps to usher in modern concepts like female agency (as depicted through Noriko).
ReplyDeleteEarly Summer was filmed and created in a turbulent time in Japan, due to a mix of influences from American and Japanese culture, a formation of women’s liberation movements were created and have been greatly inferred in the movie. Starting out with a more traditional take on marriage, the movie’s main plot is influenced by the search for a paired husband for the aging daughter. The search is not done by the daughter herself, instead it is completed and decided by the family itself. While the final decision is hers, the male influences must clear the “applicant” before allowing the two to marry. This line of arranged marriage is a very traditional Japanese concept. However, in the second half of the movie, the film dramatically changes political perspective when the daughter decides to marry a family friend at the spur of the moment. She did this completely of her own fruition. This large decision, which was previously and traditionally made by the male influences in a family, was now completely done by female influences and the daughter herself. The ability to have autonomy in such a situation greatly depicts and infers the great change that the start of the women’s liberation movements. In a way, the movie helps depict the change over time of women’s rights and autonomy in Japan. Before the American invasion, the culture was still very traditional in these respects. However, After the American Invasion, the turmoil allowed movements like these to arise and create change. The movie inferred this change over time by including a far more traditional Japanese marriage plot driver in the beginning of the movie, and then unexpectedly changing to the more open, free, and autonomous method of finding a life long partner. This unexpected change is likely alike to the united state's invasion as many Japanese did not expect such a loss would occur in WW2. This rapid change and surprise is showcased in the scene when the daughter is presented and accepts the idea of marrying the family friend. Her personal friend represents the shock of Japan of this changing time when she is physically unable to control the wave of emotions that follow.
ReplyDeleteIn the film Early Summer, Yasujiro Ozu depicts 1950s Japan as a time when women started fighting for their freedom, which was locked away and trapped within its patriarchal structure. In Japan at the time, women were expected to be married before the age of 29, usually in an arranged marriage. Noriko is 28 years old and is expected to marry soon. Her father and siblings are solely concerned with trying to find a good man for her to spend the rest of her life with. However, it is apparent immediately that Noriko does not want to be stuck in a life chosen for her. When talking with three of her friends (two married, one single), there was an almost tangible separation between the married and single women. The married women make fun of Noriko and her friend for still being single; however, Noriko rebuttals by telling them that as single women, they can at least live freely and think for themselves. Ozu uses Noriko to show how Japanese women start to act with autonomy rather than being complacent with what society wants them to do. Accepting an arranged marriage locks away women in a predetermined life, leaving them stuck in Japan’s patriarchal structure. When Noriko’s family arranges a marriage for her, she rebels and accepts a proposal from a family friend instead. Noriko purposefully chooses to split her family up for the first time because she wants to make decisions for herself. Noriko is Ozu’s depiction of women in Japanese society finally going against societal norms, which has taken away their sense of self-autonomy for hundreds of years.
ReplyDeleteEarly Summer, directed by Yasujirō Ozu in 1951, shows how women started to break away from traditionally being controlled by men in the 1950s and the effects that had on friends and family. At the beginning of the movie, marriage quickly becomes a main theme. Noriko and her friend are the ‘single friends’ and constantly tease their married friend about her being tied down and without freedom. But despite Noriko’s jokes, it does not take long before others start to comment on her relationship status. At this time, Noriko is in her late twenties. In Japanese culture in the 50s, she is missing her window to get married and needs to find a partner soon. With that in mind, her boss calls her into his office. He says he’s found someone she should marry, and although she doesn’t seem too excited about the idea when she tells her family, they make the decision that Noriko will marry this man. Her brother and father are especially ecstatic about the idea and take initiative in controlling her future. Out of their love for her, they hatch a plan to investigate this man and convince Noriko to marry her. They attempt many times to pressure Noriko into marriage, but when a family friend comes back into her life it throws things into chaos. His mother mentions that she wants a girl like Noriko to marry him, and without hesitation, she accepts. Her family is furious at the decision. They feel like she has betrayed the love they were giving her by making her own decision and saying she is breaking apart the family because she will move away with this man. The men in the family feel like she is being unreasonable by denying their decision, and the mother is saddened by what she perceives as her daughter’s disrespect. In reality, she was just making her own decisions and finding what made her happy. After a few conversations and time spent together, they start to come to understand her, but it is not easy. They accept the passage of time, and although they are sad that the family is no longer in the same place, they appreciate the time they spent together. All of this says a lot about women’s liberation in the 50s. There was obvious pressure for Noriko to get married, which is something many women in their 20s were pressured into at the time. Then, when she agreed to pursue it, the people around her (predominantly men) tried to hijack the process and seize control of this crucial decision from her. But, in the end, Noriko is able to make her own decision, and although it takes a bit of time, her family accepts and loves her again. Although Noriko's friends and family were initially disturbed by her deciding her own partner and fate, Ozu represents women’s liberation in 50s Japan by showing how these people come to accept her again after she creates her own future.
ReplyDeleteIn Ozu’s Early Summer, the female lead, Noriko, has not been married yet, and so her family decides to give her an excellent candidate as her husband. However, caught up in the moment and her feelings, Noriko sporadically chooses a family friend. This choice is shocking to her family, because it defies the traditions of japanese women marrying into other families for benefits. Ozu is saying that 1950’s Japanese patriarchal structure is flawed, the nature of marriage is borderline pointless, and encourages women’s liberation. First, Ozu’s showing of patriarchal structure being flawed is shown when Noriko rejects her family's candidate and chooses a family friend. This shows that patriarchal structure is flawed, because the men in Noriko’s family disregard her feelings for wealth they could gain through marriage. Noriko, however, defies this and chooses to be with a guy who she could be truly happy with and love. Secondly, Ozu is saying the concept of arranged marriages through patriarchal structure is flawed because there is no love involved. This is shown when Noriko’s friend is constantly complaining and fighting with her husband about the littlest and most insignificant things, ranging from dishes, to food, or whatever minor inconveniences are in their way. This shows the lack of love in the marriage, because any couple truly in love would be able to look past such minor offenses and move on without getting into fights and needing to complain for so long. Lastly, Ozu shows and encourages women’s independence by highlighting that Noriko’s marriage will be one full of love. This isn’t directly stated, but can be heavily implied with the last scene, of Noriko’s family watching a happy bride stroll down a pathway.
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