is a 1948 Japanese

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by

Yasujirō Ozu was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. He began his career during the era of silent films, and his last films were made in colour in the early 1960s. Ozu first made a number of short comedies, before turning to more serious themes in t ...

, starring

Kinuyo Tanaka was a Japanese actress and film director. She had a career lasting over 50 years with more than 250 acting credits, but was best known for her 15 films with director Kenji Mizoguchi, such as ''The Life of Oharu'' (1952) and ''Ugetsu'' (1953). W ...

and Shūji Sano.

Plot

The film is set in immediate postwar Japan,

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...

. Tokiko (

), a twenty-nine-year-old mother of a young boy of four, is waiting for her husband's repatriation from

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. In postwar Tokyo prices are escalating and the mother rents a room in a working-class industrial district, making ends meet through dressmaking. She is supported by a long-time friend and former workmate Akiko ( Chieko Murata). One day, Tokiko's son little Hiroshi falls ill and needs to be hospitalized. Although Hiroshi subsequently recovers, the high hospital bills force Tokiko to commit one desperate act: she decides to prostitute herself for a night at an out-of-the-way establishment. When Akiko finds out about this she chides Tokiko for being stupid, and Tokiko begins to feel shame and folly even though she explains she has no other choice. The husband, Shuichi Amamiya ( Shūji Sano), finally returns from the war belatedly and the couple is blissfully reunited. However, the conversation turns to Hiroshi's recent illness and Tokiko, finding it impossible to lie, comes clean with her husband over what she has done. Shuichi flies into a rage and is totally unable to concentrate on his job for the next few days. Thoughts about his wife's "misdeed" obsesses him and he finds out from her exactly where the establishment is. Then he makes a secret visit to the place one afternoon, only to find another young, 21-year-old prostitute about to service him there. From her he realizes that her resort to prostitution is out of desperation: her father is unable to work and her younger brother is in school. Shuichi resolves to find for the girl a proper job at his workplace. Shuichi confides his troubles to his colleague, Satake (

Chishū Ryū was a Japanese actor who, in a career lasting 65 years, appeared in over 160 films and about 70 television productions. Early life Ryū was born in Tamamizu Village, Tamana County, a rural area of Kumamoto Prefecture in Kyushu, the most south ...

). Satake promises to do his best to help the girl, and advises Shuichi to forgive his wife. But Shuichi states that he simply cannot help getting upset over Tokiko's act. When he returns home, Tokiko tries desperately to placate him and apologizes repeatedly over her mistake, but Shuichi treats her brutally and violently, throwing her down a flight of stairs accidentally by force. When he realizes she is hurt, he begins to get a grip over himself. An injured Tokiko limps back up the room and tries further to reconcile with Shuichi, who confesses that he too is in the wrong. They finally embrace each other desperately and promise to forget everything and start anew, relying on each other for their ultimate support.

Cast

as Tokiko Amamiya * Shūji Sano as Shuichi Amamiya * Chieko Murata as Akiko Ida *

as Kazuichiro Satake * Hohi Aoki as Shoichi * Chiyoko Ayatani as Fusako Onada * Reiko Mizukami as Orie Noma *

Takeshi Sakamoto was a Japanese actor. He appeared in more than 100 films from 1926 to 1965. Selected filmography External links * 1899 births 1974 deaths Japanese male film actors Actors from Hyōgo Prefecture {{Japan-film-actor-stub ...

as Hikozo Sakai * Eiko Takamatsu as Tsune

Release

In 2011 the

BFI The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery (United Kingdom), National Lot ...

released a Region 2 DVD of the film as a bonus feature on its dual-format edition of '' An Autumn Afternoon''.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hen In The Wind, A 1948 films 1948 drama films Japanese drama films Japanese black-and-white films 1940s Japanese-language films Films about prostitution in Japan Films set in Tokyo Films directed by Yasujirō Ozu Films with screenplays by Yasujirō Ozu