Mikio Naruse's Floating Clouds (1955) is mostly ruined by a disastrous first half. The film establishes the story of obsessive love between the two main characters in such a rush that the viewer is left confused. The narrative doesn't calm down once for the first 25 minutes - and even after that it's still a bit lost until the film reaches its midpoint. The characters aren't really fleshed out until it's a bit too late and the music is as subtle as a sledgehammer when it should only be like a gentle push. Even Masayuki Mori's and Hideko Takamine's brilliant performances seem offbeat due to the sloppiness.
Yet the film still manages to be unified by a clear exploration of obsessive love and the photography is mostly spot-on (along with satisfying editing). Fortunately the film gets better the further it goes: the characters become interesting, the narrative remains dense - even though the pacing is a lot calmer - and the music is used well (even if it is still rather melodramatic). The tragedy is final when even the toughest character breaks into tears.
I admit I had high expectations for this film after When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (1960) blew my mind and I have to mention that these two films are vastly different. I wonder what the final film of my Naruse Collection DVD set, Late Chrysanthemums (1954), has in store for me.
Score: 6 out of 10
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