Hidden Gems: One Wonderful Sunday

There are few films that are triumphs of both the imagination and are superb glances at our own humanity, and Akira Kurosawa's One Wonderful Sunday is one of those films.

The film tells the story of a young engaged couple in post-World War II Tokyo. Japan is still rebuilding after the war, and it is experiencing tough economic times. We follow this young engaged couple, Yuzo and Masako, as they try to go on a date on one ordinary Sunday with only 35 yen to spend, which even in those times was next to nothing. It's the story of them trying to find hope and fulfill their dreams within a time filled with such despair and hopelessness.

I'll be honest, this film was one of those by Kurosawa-san that I had never even heard of. While I've heard of Seven Samurai, Rashomon, Ikiru, etc., I had never heard of this particular Kurosawa gem. In many ways, it probably has most in common with his films like No Regrets for Our Youth or Ikiru, in that it is a film about the good of humanity, not to mention they are all set within Modern Japan (at least at the time it was Modern Japan). There are many American film critics that call One Wonderful Sunday Frank Capra-esque in its style and tone, but I must argue that in labeling it as such, it just shows how few Kurosawa films they've really seen. It's an Akira Kurosawa-esque film, and not the other way around.

One Wonderful Sunday is a cinematic masterpiece, I mean, visually it's a marvel to look at. Made in the late '40s, when films were still essentially dressed up stage plays, Kurosawa made a film that was visually on par with the works of modern day masters like Scorsese or Spielberg. Of course, the film harnesses an emotional gut punch as well. It is a film about dreamers and those who wish to believe in love; it is definitely a film for hopeless romantics such as myself. Of course, one should not be fooled into thinking that this film is a happy-go-lucky romp.

The film starts in frivolity, and as the day of the characters progress, their day gets worse and worse and it actually becomes quite emotionally powerful as Masako, who has been busy trying to lift Yuzo's spirits all day long, finally breaks, and it is up to Yuzo to lift her up in the end. In this sense, the film is actually realistic. The film is not so hyper-stylized that it does not have flourishes of realism, and this is where I think the film kind of matches those of the French New Wave. It's just sentimental enough for hopeless romantics such as myself to adore it, but the film is deeply rooted in realism. Never does something happen that it feels as if it transpired merely because the script said so, plus the film is packed with an edge that Hollywood films from this time tend to gloss over. The film does cuss, among other things, but these things all help to allow this film to be classified as one of the first Modern Films.

Most importantly, this film tells one not to give up on their hopes and dreams, as evidenced at the end when Yuzo conducts an imaginary orchestra for Masako, or when they pretend to own their own coffee shop in a derelict, bombed out building, it is simply beautiful and breathtaking. This is my favorite Akira Kurosawa film I've ever seen, and is somewhere on my list of favorite films of all-time in general. This is a masterpiece, and as Masako says as she addresses the camera near the end of the film, it's about lovers.

I'll just say this, this film was so hidden I couldn't even find a trailer for it, just a short clip from the film itself.