Tokyo Chorus
| Tokyo Chorus | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Yasujirō Ozu |
| Produced by | Shochiku Kinema |
| Written by |
Komatsu Kitamura (adaptation) Kōgo Noda (scenario) |
| Starring |
Tokihiko Okada Emiko Yagumo |
| Cinematography | Hideo Shigehara |
| Distributed by | Shochiku Company (1931, 1982, 2003) |
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Release date
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Running time
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90 min. |
| Country | Japan |
| Language |
silent film Japanese intertitles |
Tokyo Chorus (東京の合唱 Tokyo no kôrasu?) is a 1931 silent film produced by Shochiku Company, directed by Yasujirō Ozu and starring Tokihiko Okada and Emiko Yagumo. It was based on various stories in the Shoshimin-gai (Middle Class Avenue) series and also shares influences with King Vidor's The Crowd. Most of the film takes place in Tokyo during a depression-like time in the beginning of the Shōwa period.
The story starts out with a group of young men attending school drills under the direction of Mr. Omura (Tatsuo Saito). Shinji Okajima (Tokihiko Okada) is seen goofing off, misbehaving, and upsetting his teacher. After being disciplined the drills resume and the boys eventually graduate and go out into the working world. Okajima has grown up, now has a family, and works as an insurance salesman. On the day of their annual bonuses the men are all anxious. Okajima's son (Hideo Sugawara) has his heart set on a bicycle. After receiving his bonus, Okajima writes out the list of presents he will buy for his family. A co-worker named Rou-Shain Yamada (Takeshi Sakamoto) is laid off because his last two clients died shortly after signing their policies. Upset for him Okajima gathers the other workers to go "protest at least once" to the boss but the others back down and one such worker (Isamu Yamaguchi) challenges Okajima to make the protest himself. Okajima takes the challenge. While in the office the boss is offended at the subject and the two begin a comedic fight. By the end of the fight Okajima is fired and bows as he leaves. He returns home with a scooter for his son, who is immediately disappointed and throws a tantrum. His wife Tsuma Sugako (Emiko Yaguma) returns from the market and tries to calm the boy while Choujo tells her what happened.
Sugako scolds her husband saying he should not lie to children. He eventually shows her his discharge notice and she tries to get her son to accept the scooter. Chounan refuses and Okajima says quietly that they should buy him a bike, which by the next scene they apparently have. Still looking for employment Okajima does his best to be pleasant. He sees his son playing with a group of boys and their bikes only to be told that Miyoko is sick with "childhood diarrhea". Upset he takes his son and rushes home to find it is true. Sugako informs him the doctor wanted Miyoko to stay at the hospital but due to money concerns she waited. Okajima says he will make the money somehow and tells his son to summon a rickshaw to take them all to the hospital. At the hospital Miyoko recovers apparently quickly, but they are forced to sell Sugako's kimono to pay the bill.
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