Hitori Musuko (aka The Only Son) (1936)

At the urging of her son's teacher (Chishu Ryu), a country widow (Choko Iida) makes many sacrifices so that her young son (Masao Hayama) can be educated properly to ensure his success as an adult. Thirteen years later, when she goes to Tokyo to visit him as an adult (Shinichi Himori), she finds her dreams for her son have not been fulfilled. This lovely and touching film by the great Yasujiro Ozu is a poignant reflection on the dreams all parents have for their children and how success isn't always measured in financial status. I can't think of any director who so skillfully and consistently delves into family dynamics as much as Ozu and THE ONLY SON (which could just as easily have been called THE GOOD MOTHER) does it with an insightful simplicity that is near remarkable. Both Iida and Himori give excellent, subtle performances. With Yoshiko Tsubouchi as Himori's wife and Tomio Aoki as a neighbor's child whose accident becomes a catalyst for Iida's evaluation of her son though the film's final shot seems somewhat ambiguous. Is she still regretful? And is that a portrait of Joan Crawford hanging in Himori's bedroom?