The Only Son / There Was a Father (1936) (Criterion Collection, DVD + 4K Ultra HD)

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These rare early films from Yasujiro Ozu (Tokyo Story, An Autumn Afternoon) are considered by many to be two of the Japanese director's finest works, paving the way for a career among the most sensitive and significant in film history. The Only Son and There Was A Father make a graceful pair, bookending a crucial period in Japanese history. In the former, Ozu's first sound film, made during a time of intense economic crisis, a mother sacrifices her own happiness for her son's education; the latter, released in the midst of World War II, stars Ozu stalwart Chishu Ryu (Late Spring, Tokyo Story) as a widowed schoolteacher trying to raise a son despite financial hardship. Criterion proudly presents these nearly lost treasures for the first time on home video.