The Lady and the Beard

Lighthearted romantic comedy

So many silent films from this era were tragic and melodramatic. Ozu's The Lady and the Beard was a breath of fresh air with its lighthearted comedy and sweet romance. No deaths, no one forced into prostitution, no devastating understandings. This easy, delightful comedy may leave you a little like me, weak in the knees from relief.

Okajima is a college student and kendo master, but what makes him stand out is his large bushy beard. His friend, wealthy Teruo, invites him to his sister's birthday party after a match. On the way there, Okajima rescues a kimono clad Hiroko from Satoko, a girl gangster. Later at the party, Teruo's sister and her friends disdain the bearded and coarsely mannered Okajima and try every way they can to embarrass him which proves fruitless.

After graduation, Okajima struggles to find a job. Hiroko, who had been a secretary at one of the places where he interviewed finds him and tells him he lost out on the job because of his beard. Like wise men everywhere, he listened to her and shaved his beard and was instantly hired at a hotel. Not only did it help with his employment but now Ikuko and Satoko were also interested in his clean-shaven face and ability to defend himself and by extension-them.

This film which fell into the post college time of life for Ozu's characters was made in eight days. Unlike Ozu's later films with rigid shots of people and settings, the people and scenes flowed more easily. This was before he had people staring into the camera to recite their lines, which always felt forced to me. I liked the fluidity of this one though I did miss his traditional geometric shots and ubiquitous teapot.

Ozu touched on his oft used theme of traditionalism vs modernism. Okajima with his old-fashioned beard used to scare away women (which he learned from Abraham Lincoln) personified traditionalism. Hiroko, though soft voiced and wearing a traditional kimono also understood the more modern and western ideas. Ikuko was more modern but also from a noble family and was entrenched in her wealthy elitist lifestyle. Finally, modern girl Satoko had gone so far astray that she had fallen into a life of crime. Satoko drove a really nice Lincoln car with a huge greyhound hood ornament though. Okajima and Hiroko did a gentle push-pull dance each moving toward and from strictly traditional ways and strictly modern ways. Ozu found a nice middle of the road for them to travel.

The Lady and the Beard was a pleasant romantic comedy where everyone learned a few life lessons and more about themselves. The comedy could veer into silly slapstick but it never lost its heart when it did. It was a simple story and a simple film that was simply entertaining.

6/20/23

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