One of cinema’s fondest farewells, AN AUTUMN AFTERNOON was Yasujirô Ozu’s final masterpiece, with a last shot that will break your heart in the gentle way only Ozu could. In this achingly poignant conclusion to Ozu’s remarkable filmography, aging widower Shūhei Hirayama (Ozu regular Chishū Ryū) lives with his son Kazue and daughter Michiko, who looks after both men. Shūhei spends his days with his childhood friends, reminiscing about old times. After a former teacher visits them, Shūhei realizes he is selfishly shielding Michiko from love in order to keep her at home and sets about to arrange her marriage. An elegant and tender observation of family and the passage of time, AN AUTUMN AFTERNOON concludes with Shūhei alone. His solitude, though he designed and encouraged it, stuns him. The permanence of goodbyes—the death of a loved one, the departure of a child who has become an adult—seeps into every corner of the house and the frame, with a cinematic conclusion that is the very definition of loneliness.

Awards & Nominations

Winner - Best Supporting Actress (Kyôko Kishida), Blue Ribbon Awards

Last Shot: Stick the landing. Bring it home. Finish strong. In cinema, the last shot is arguably the most important. “This is it, this is the final moment, it is perfect!” only to have it go on, stumbling and fumbling its way to the credits? For all those missed opportunities, there are also the pitch-perfect conclusions, the memorable last looks, the frames that catch your breath in your throat and with pure artistry not only conclude a film but underscore, emphasize, or affirm the entire running time that came before it. Our 11-film Last Shot series explores impeccable resolutions in film. View full Last Shot series. *Spoiler alert: the endings of all films in this series are mentioned (as subtly as possible) in their description, and the accompanying still images do not reflect their final frames.

The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu