Rating: 
Summary: TIMELESS MASTERPIECE
Review: Sublime heroism in small gestures and difficult moral decisions infuses Yasujiro Ozu's 1959 masterpiece, FLOATING WEEDS (Criterion). An aging Kabuki actor returns to a small town with his troupe and reunites with his old lover and illegitimate son, an act that enrages the actor's current mistress. In some ways, the story is the flip side of the Prodigal Son parable. Here, a bad dad returns to save his son from the temptations of the corrupt world. This great humanistic film transcends the time and place of its story. I especially enjoyed Roger Ebert's highly informed commentary. Highest recommendation. Note: The loaded double disc also includes the original 1934 silent version of Ozu's film with an extraordinary new score by noted silent film composer Donald Sosin.
Rating:
Summary: Quietly Powerful, Beautiful Filmmaking!!!
Review: The films of Yasujiro Ozu always has a silent poignancy that has been unmatched in cinema. He is the creator of his own cinematic 'style'. It consists of low camera angles, no close-ups, no camera movement, the camera stays still. Probably the most quietly precise director of foreign cinema, he is know as the most 'Japanese' director of Japan's filmmakers. In this film he tells the story of an acting troupe who come to a small fishing town. To reveal more of the plot would be to deny you the dramatic impact of the film. While certainly not a technical marvel, it's raw power to move us remains untouched, and even more because of Ozu's direction. As we see the film evolve we feel him slowly coming toward us, but he doesn't creep at us, he puts his friendly hand on our shoulder and makes us feel comfortable. This film is a perfect introduction into Ozu's work, but also stands well by itself. From a scale of 1-10 I give this film a 9!
Rating:
Summary: MASTERPIECE
Review: This is one of Ozu's most poignant and beautiful films. He is a master of the light touch, with slow, lyrical camera work and a story that takes its time to unfold. Terrence Malick might well have learned to tell his film stories from Ozu, who always allows the film to reveal itself at its own pace, which is neither frantic nor tedious--just natural. We can also learn a great deal about human relations, Japanese society and the world of traveling players. A brilliant film in every sense.
Rating:
Summary: One of Ozu's best
Review: This movie is actually a re-make of a silent film (Story of Floating Weeds) Ozu directed in the 1930's. The 1959 version has both sound and color. It was a collaboration between two studios, Shochiku (Ozu's film company) and Daiei. This was a rare chance for Ozu to work with Daiei's great cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa, the man who filmed such classics as Ugetsu and Rashomon. The Daiei studio also provided some of the leading ladies of their time, Machiko Kyo and Ayako Wakao. The acting in this movie is first-rate and the cinematography is lyrical and beautiful. Pay attention to the rich colors in this film, especially the reds. The movie tells the story of a failing troupe of Kabuki players who drift (like floating weeds) into a fishing village for their next (and ultimately last) set of performances. As the movie progresses, we learn more about the characters and their many personality flaws. But these flaws only serve to make the characters more endearing, perhaps because we can see a little of ourselves and the people we know. Many Westerners will prefer other Ozu films like Tokyo Story or Late Spring. But make no mistake; Floating Weeds is one of Ozu's best. The acting, story-telling and cinematography in this movie all combine to create a movie classic.
Rating: 
Summary: A small disappointment, nevertheless a must for Ozu fans
Review: Yasujiro Ozu is unarguably one of the greatest directors of this world. This is a late Ozu piece, and it is somewhat disappointing. A story of a travelling company theater actor who returns to a village where he has left behind an illegitimate son, is the central theme in this piece. Although superbly acted, and beautifully shot, the direction (surprisingly), with the editing takes a few stumbles, and the end product is somewhat half-baked, and does not stir you as much as the classic Ozu pieces. I am glad that Ozu left us with the beautiful "Autumn Afternoon", made 3 years after this film, a dazzling return to form, and a sublime swan song. Nevertheless, for all you die-hard Ozu fans, "Floating Weeds" will be a welcome addition to your collection.
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