Good Morning · reception & legacy
1959 · Yasujirō Ozu
How Good Morning has been received, argued over, and remembered.
The arc
Long filed under 'minor Ozu' — a lightweight comedy next to Tokyo Story — it's since been reclaimed as one of his most purely enjoyable films, and for many people the friendliest door into his work.
What's debated
The eternal cinephile question: is this 'lesser Ozu' or proof that his so-called minor films are secretly just as good — and is the fart-joke movie allowed to be a masterpiece?
Its footprint
It's affectionately known as 'the Ozu fart comedy' — the boys' forehead-push fart game is the image everyone remembers — and the title's riff on empty small talk ('good morning', 'nice weather') gets quoted whenever people discuss how pleasantries hold society together.
Where it stands
A Letterboxd sweetheart: the Ozu film people recommend first, precisely because it's the least intimidating thing ever made by a director with an intimidating reputation.