Review of No Regrets for Our Youth (1946) by Richard D — 08 Feb 2015
A film that could never have been done during the war for obvious reasons became the first film Kurosawa did after the war. Yukie is a pampered rich girl who spends her time playing the piano and relishes being pursued by two suitors, both of whom are college men.
Itokawa is gentle and affectionate but too much so. There is a scene in which Yukie asks him to get on his knees and beg her forgiveness even though he hasn't done anything, and to her horror, he does exactly that.
He is the safe suitor, ultimately becoming a successful prosecutor. Noge is the brave and romantic hero who is adamantly against the rise of Fascism and will thus pay the predictable price for his passions.
Yukie does her utmost to forget and avoid Noge but is drawn to his magnetism so strongly she eventually ends up marrying him. The scenes of them being married are heartbreaking because of the terror she feels every time he walks out the door.
Eventually Noge is imprisoned and assassinated by the fascists right before his trial. What Yukie does in response to that is heroic and amazing making her the greatest heroine in the entire Kurosawa oeuvre.
A seriously underrated Kurosawa film.
This review of No Regrets for Our Youth (1946) was written by Richard D on 08 Feb 2015.
No Regrets for Our Youth has generally received positive reviews.
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