A Hen in the Wind(Kaze no naka no mendori)

Left alone with a sick child, a young wife resorts to a night of prostitution to pay for his medical expenses, and must face the devastating consequence when her husband returns home from the war and discovers what has happened. Against the placid domestic background, the scenes of domestic violence are striking exceptions in Ozu’s work. Symbolising a loss of national purity as seen by renowned critic Sato Tadao, this dark, despairing yet poetic drama delves into the ingrained brutality of war, gazing deeply at the unresolved vortex of sex, guilt and honour.

Mainichi Film Awards: Best Actress and Best Art Direction

Kinema Junpo's Top 10 Japanese Films