A 1955 classic by Mikio Naruse, "Floating Clouds" stars Masayuki Mori as Yukiko Koda, a young woman who drifts, seemingly aimlessly, across post-war Japan. As the US occupation begins, Yukiko reminisces about her past, and her relationship with a man called Kengo, now happily married and unavailable to her.
A journey into disappointment and disillusionment, "Floating Clouds" watches as Yukiko's life slowly disintegrates. So too does Kengo's; his wife and career are dying, as is the Japan he once knew.
Recalling early-Resnais, Naruse's narrative bleeds from past to present. A mood of uncertainty hangs heavy in the air, fragmented time, lives and Japanese infrastructure commingling.
8/10 – See Kobayashi's "The Human Condition" and Antonioni's "Beyond The Clouds".
A journey into disappointment and disillusionment, "Floating Clouds" watches as Yukiko's life slowly disintegrates. So too does Kengo's; his wife and career are dying, as is the Japan he once knew.
Recalling early-Resnais, Naruse's narrative bleeds from past to present. A mood of uncertainty hangs heavy in the air, fragmented time, lives and Japanese infrastructure commingling.
8/10 – See Kobayashi's "The Human Condition" and Antonioni's "Beyond The Clouds".