There Was a Father (1942)
Yasujirō Ozu's restrained and deeply moving portrait of a father's lifelong devotion to his son, told with quiet grace and moral clarity.
There Was a Father - Movie Information
- Original Title: 父ありき
- Release Year: 1942
- Directed by: Yasujirō Ozu
- Type: Movie
- Genres: Drama
- Runtime: 1h 33m
- Original Language: Japanese
- Spoken Languages: Japanese
- Release Date (Theatrical): April 1, 1942 (Japan)
- Alternative Titles: There Was a Father (US), Был отец (SU), Chichi ariki (JP), 아버지가 있었다 (KR)
- Production Companies: Shochiku
- Production Countries: Japan
There Was a Father - Plot
Shuhei Horikawa, a poor schoolteacher, struggles to raise his son Ryohei by himself, despite neither money nor prospects.
There Was a Father - Trailer
See the official trailer for Ozu's timeless drama about a father and son:
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There Was a Father - Cast & Crew
Director(s)
- Yasujirō Ozu
Main Cast
- Chishū Ryū
- Shūji Sano
- Haruhiko Tsuda
- Shin Saburi
- Takeshi Sakamoto
- Mitsuko Mito
- Shinichi Himori
- Seiji Nishimura
- Reikō Tani
- Kanji Kawara
Writers
- Takao Yanai
- Tadao Ikeda
- Yasujirō Ozu
There Was a Father - FAQs
Where can you watch There Was a Father?
There Was a Father is available to stream on the Criterion Channel as part of its subscription library. It can also be watched for free on Plex and the Plex Channel. These platforms make Ozu's 1942 classic accessible to a wide audience without requiring a premium purchase.
What is There Was a Father about?
There Was a Father follows Shuhei Horikawa, a widowed schoolteacher who dedicates his life to raising his son Ryohei despite poverty and hardship. The film explores their deepening emotional bond across years of separation, examining duty, sacrifice, and the quiet weight of paternal love in prewar Japan.
Who directed There Was a Father?
There Was a Father was directed by Yasujirō Ozu, one of the most celebrated filmmakers in Japanese cinema history. Ozu is renowned for his contemplative style, low camera angles, and deeply humanist portrayals of family life. This 1942 film is considered one of his finest wartime works.
Does There Was a Father have a sad ending?
There Was a Father concludes on a quietly devastating note. Shuhei, having spent his life apart from his son out of a sense of duty and self-sacrifice, dies just as father and son are finally reunited. The ending encapsulates Ozu's recurring theme of love expressed through absence rather than presence.
Who are the main actors in There Was a Father?
The film stars Chishū Ryū as the devoted father Shuhei Horikawa and Shūji Sano as his adult son Ryohei. Haruhiko Tsuda portrays the young Ryohei. Supporting roles are filled by Shin Saburi, Takeshi Sakamoto, and Mitsuko Mito, among others.
When was There Was a Father released?
There Was a Father was released on April 1, 1942, in Japan. The film was produced by Shochiku during a period of wartime restrictions, yet Ozu managed to craft an intimate, deeply personal story centered on family bonds rather than nationalist themes.
Is There Was a Father based on a true story?
There Was a Father is not based on a specific true story. The screenplay was written by Takao Yanai, Tadao Ikeda, and Yasujirō Ozu as an original work. However, the film draws on universal experiences of parenthood, sacrifice, and separation that resonate deeply with real human lives.
How long is There Was a Father?
There Was a Father has a runtime of 93 minutes, or approximately one hour and thirty-three minutes. Despite its relatively brief running time, the film spans many years of its characters' lives, conveying the passage of time with Ozu's characteristic economy and emotional precision.
More About There Was a Father
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