Akira Kurosawa-Subarashiki nichiyobi ('One Wonderful Sunday') (1947)

This affectionate paean to young love is also a frank examination by Akira Kurosawa of the harsh realities of postwar Japan. During a Sunday trip into war-ravaged Tokyo, Yuzo and Masako look for work and lodging, as well as affordable entertainments to pass the time. Reminiscent of Frank Capra’s social-realist comedies and echoing contemporaneous Italian neorealism, One Wonderful Sunday touchingly offers a sliver of hope in dark times. Criterion




Yuzo and his fiancée Masako spend their Sunday afternoon together, trying to have a good time on just thirty-five yen. They manage to have many small adventures, especially because Masako's optimism and belief in dreams is able to lift Yuzo from his realistic despair. (http://imdb.com/title/tt0039871/plotsummary)




Yuzo (Isao Numasaki) and Masako (Chieko Nakakita) are engaged to be wed, but how are they supposed to enjoy a happy life together when they can't even muster more than 35 yen to spend on a single day off? The dilemma puts Yuzo in a funk, despairing for their lives and future together in postwar Japan. Masako, on the other hand, is inspired to dream of possibilities, of the strength of their union under hardship and the goals they can reach together. Her optimism drives their day to a number of incidental adventures, moments that don't have anything to do with money but that reveal a kind of life beneath Yuzo's middle-class perceptions of good living. In this splendid, 1947 black-and-white film, Akira Kurosawa takes one of his favorite themes–the challenge of different perspectives–and builds around it a gentle, intimate story of urban love and the wisdom of patience and experience. Generally considered a minor entry in Kurosawa's filmography, One Wonderful Sunday is actually among his most moving stories of despair and hope. (–Tom Keogh - Editorial Reviews - Amazon.com)




Kurosawa collaborated with former school chum Keinosuke Uekusa on this script, the story of a young engaged couple whose attempts at dating often are frustrated by a dehumanizing modern city. Masako and Yuko meet on Sunday to steal small pleasures in the midst of the harshness and corruption of Tokyo life, but find that kindness is often overlooked. Their ultimate dream is to hear a performance of Shubert's Unfinished Symphony, the musical metaphor for their relationship. Will they succeed? Kurosawa breaks the fourth wall to let the audience decide – making One Wonderful Sunday one of the first interactive feature films, and one of his most charming and light-hearted works. (amazon.com)