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Setsuko Hara Setsuko Hara obituary
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Anyone familiar with the films of Yasujiro Ozu will have been entranced by Setsuko Hara, who has died aged 95. Although Ozu’s mature films seem to resemble each other stylistically and thematically – even the titles are confusingly similar – they are, within their chosen parameters, rich in humour, emotion and psychological and social insights, all of which are reflected in Hara’s deceptively similar portrayals.Anyone familiar with the films of Yasujiro Ozu will have been entranced by Setsuko Hara, who has died aged 95. Although Ozu’s mature films seem to resemble each other stylistically and thematically – even the titles are confusingly similar – they are, within their chosen parameters, rich in humour, emotion and psychological and social insights, all of which are reflected in Hara’s deceptively similar portrayals.
In each of the six films she made for Ozu, Hara is single, and her relationship with her family is predicated on their desire for her to get married. She is self-effacing but wilful, traditional but with the qualities of an intelligent, modern woman, close to her family but independent in spirit.In each of the six films she made for Ozu, Hara is single, and her relationship with her family is predicated on their desire for her to get married. She is self-effacing but wilful, traditional but with the qualities of an intelligent, modern woman, close to her family but independent in spirit.
In the Noriko trilogy – named after her character in Late Spring (1949), Early Summer (1951) and Tokyo Story (1953) – she is the embodiment of the ideal, devoted daughter, her performance gaining Hara the nickname of the Eternal Virgin. In Late Spring, Noriko, somewhat past the usual marrying age, lives happily with her widowed father (Chishu Ryu). But, feeling he is keeping her from matrimony, he leads her to believe that he is about to remarry in order to free her.In the Noriko trilogy – named after her character in Late Spring (1949), Early Summer (1951) and Tokyo Story (1953) – she is the embodiment of the ideal, devoted daughter, her performance gaining Hara the nickname of the Eternal Virgin. In Late Spring, Noriko, somewhat past the usual marrying age, lives happily with her widowed father (Chishu Ryu). But, feeling he is keeping her from matrimony, he leads her to believe that he is about to remarry in order to free her.
In Early Summer, 28-year-old Noriko, who lives with her aged parents, her older brother and his wife and their two small sons, is under pressure to marry. But she rejects the suitors acceptable to the family and marries a man of her choice. In Tokyo Story, she is a widowed daughter-in-law (again with no desire to remarry) whose affection for her husband’s parents is greater than that of their own children. When someone asks her, “Isn’t life disappointing?”, she replies, “Yes, it is,” and smiles at the camera, deepening the moment.In Early Summer, 28-year-old Noriko, who lives with her aged parents, her older brother and his wife and their two small sons, is under pressure to marry. But she rejects the suitors acceptable to the family and marries a man of her choice. In Tokyo Story, she is a widowed daughter-in-law (again with no desire to remarry) whose affection for her husband’s parents is greater than that of their own children. When someone asks her, “Isn’t life disappointing?”, she replies, “Yes, it is,” and smiles at the camera, deepening the moment.
In many of her films, Hara’s luminous smile communicates a variety of sentiments – sometimes she smiles out of genuine love, sometimes as an attempt to hide pain. In the rare moments when Hara’s characters cry, after otherwise accepting all of life’s misfortunes, the emotional release can be heartbreaking.In many of her films, Hara’s luminous smile communicates a variety of sentiments – sometimes she smiles out of genuine love, sometimes as an attempt to hide pain. In the rare moments when Hara’s characters cry, after otherwise accepting all of life’s misfortunes, the emotional release can be heartbreaking.
She was born Masae Aida in Yokohama, now Japan’s second largest city. Still a teenager, she was introduced to Nikkatsu studio by her brother-in-law, the director Hisatora Kumagai. After appearing in a few films for the studio, she was chosen as the female lead in The New Earth (Die Tochter des Samurai, 1937), a German-Japanese co-production directed by Arnold Fanck and Mansaku Itami. Hara played a delightful schoolgirl learning the ancient Japanese rituals and set to marry a man who happens to prefer his European girlfriend.She was born Masae Aida in Yokohama, now Japan’s second largest city. Still a teenager, she was introduced to Nikkatsu studio by her brother-in-law, the director Hisatora Kumagai. After appearing in a few films for the studio, she was chosen as the female lead in The New Earth (Die Tochter des Samurai, 1937), a German-Japanese co-production directed by Arnold Fanck and Mansaku Itami. Hara played a delightful schoolgirl learning the ancient Japanese rituals and set to marry a man who happens to prefer his European girlfriend.
The film led to a tour of Europe and a visit to Hollywood, where Hara was shown around by Marlene Dietrich. She returned to Japan before the outbreak of the second world war, during which she made a number of period and propaganda films, including The War at Sea from Hawaii to Malaya (1942), which contained an impressive recreation of the bombing of Pearl Harbor.The film led to a tour of Europe and a visit to Hollywood, where Hara was shown around by Marlene Dietrich. She returned to Japan before the outbreak of the second world war, during which she made a number of period and propaganda films, including The War at Sea from Hawaii to Malaya (1942), which contained an impressive recreation of the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
After the war, Hara emerged as one of Japan’s biggest and most popular stars, mainly due to her role in Akira Kurosawa’s No Regrets for Our Youth (1946). Kurosawa’s most feminist film, it revealed that Hara was capable of a far wider range than the films made with Ozu would imply. Focusing on a decade in the life of a woman caught up in the political repression of the militaristic regime of the late 1930s, the film shows Hara moving convincingly from carefree schoolgirl to working woman to worried housewife to prisoner to, eventually, determined farmer.After the war, Hara emerged as one of Japan’s biggest and most popular stars, mainly due to her role in Akira Kurosawa’s No Regrets for Our Youth (1946). Kurosawa’s most feminist film, it revealed that Hara was capable of a far wider range than the films made with Ozu would imply. Focusing on a decade in the life of a woman caught up in the political repression of the militaristic regime of the late 1930s, the film shows Hara moving convincingly from carefree schoolgirl to working woman to worried housewife to prisoner to, eventually, determined farmer.
In Kurosawa’s transposition and updating of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Idiot (1951), Hara, as Nastasya Filipovna (here called Taeko Nasu), plays a role unlike any other in her career. Clad throughout in a sleek black cloak, she is a tempestuous, sexy woman, a far cry from the serenely smiling daughters in Ozu’s films.In Kurosawa’s transposition and updating of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Idiot (1951), Hara, as Nastasya Filipovna (here called Taeko Nasu), plays a role unlike any other in her career. Clad throughout in a sleek black cloak, she is a tempestuous, sexy woman, a far cry from the serenely smiling daughters in Ozu’s films.
Closer to the Ozu heroines, though with little to smile about, were her roles as discontented wives in three superb films by Mikio Naruse: Repast (1951), Sound of the Mountain (1954) and Sudden Rain (1956). Hara, now entering her 40s, also played widows in Naruse’s Daughters, Wives and a Mother and Ozu’s Late Autumn (both 1960), and in Ozu’s penultimate film, The End of Summer (1961).Closer to the Ozu heroines, though with little to smile about, were her roles as discontented wives in three superb films by Mikio Naruse: Repast (1951), Sound of the Mountain (1954) and Sudden Rain (1956). Hara, now entering her 40s, also played widows in Naruse’s Daughters, Wives and a Mother and Ozu’s Late Autumn (both 1960), and in Ozu’s penultimate film, The End of Summer (1961).
Hara made two brief appearances in films after Ozu’s death in 1963, then, despite public demand and many offers of roles, she retired without explanation from the screen, and from public life. She lived alone in a small house in the picturesque city of Kamakura, about 50 kilometres from Tokyo, close to where her beloved Ozu had died and was buried.Hara made two brief appearances in films after Ozu’s death in 1963, then, despite public demand and many offers of roles, she retired without explanation from the screen, and from public life. She lived alone in a small house in the picturesque city of Kamakura, about 50 kilometres from Tokyo, close to where her beloved Ozu had died and was buried.
• Setsuko Hara (Masae Aida), actor, born 17 June 1920; died 5 September 2015• Setsuko Hara (Masae Aida), actor, born 17 June 1920; died 5 September 2015