Viewed on Streaming. Cinematography = four (4) stars; subtitles = four (4) stars. Director Keisuke Kinoshita's attempt to quickly (too quickly?) cash in on his 1951 hit KARUMEN KOKYOU NI KAERU (CARMAN COMES HOME) is pretty much an embarrassing disaster. The script delivers really funny lines here and there, and the narrative is packed with zany possibilities. Perhaps in the hands of different (and more disciplined?) film makers it could have become a minor comedy classic. Kinoshita squanders the considerable talents of A-List actress Hideko Takamine. The movie suddenly comes to a dead stop leaving most/all plot elements unresolved and in limbo. Some tacked-on text seems to indicate that the original idea might have been to make a trilogy (or a series?). Perhaps the budget may have been seriously over run, and the studio (Shouchiku) pulled the plug? Or Takamine refused (wisely) to make yet another one? And/or the movie may have sunk without a trace at the box office? Questions for further research! Song lyrics seem to usually advance the story line (or subplot). Cinematography (narrow screen, black & white) can be distracting if not a flat out eye sore. The Director seems fixated on tilting the camera at odd angles between scenes and often while a scene is being photographed. Sometimes zooming is thrown into the mix! (Mercifully, this eye strain is limited to roughly the initial third of the film.) Subtitles (in white) are hard enough to read against white backgrounds, but just about impossible to decipher when the camera is dynamically tilting and zooming. Scene lighting is OK. Restoration has not removed age/wear artifacts from the opening credits and early scenes. Recommended only for the most die-hard of Takamine fans (who also have an ophthalmologist on standby)! WILLIAM FLANIGAN, PhD.
Review of Carmen Falls in Love
