Floating Weeds
An aging traveling actor confronts the family he abandoned when jealousy within his troupe turns hidden paternity into a painful emotional reckoning.
Overview
A poignant exploration of love and family secrets unfolds in a small Japanese seaport.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- melancholic
- tender
- wistful
- quiet evening
- classic cinema night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a meticulously directed, visually beautiful, deeply tender Ozu drama distinguished by its rare and expressive use of color.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Komajuro's itinerant acting troupe provides the social world in which jealousy, abandonment, and concealed paternity unfold.
Kiyoshi believes Komajuro is his uncle while the audience understands their actual father-son relationship.
Ozu's rare use of color emphasizes seaport streets, interiors, and the troupe's movements with visual precision and tenderness.
Komajuro's role as troupe master and aging actor conflicts with his responsibilities to Oyoshi, Kiyoshi, and the jealous Sumiko.
Films like Floating Weeds, and why
Tokyo Story
shared japanese family drama, emotional restraint, generational conflict, and precise domestic observation
Late Spring
shared yasujirō ozu authorship, family tension, intimate melodrama, and formal visual discipline
La Strada
shared traveling theater troupe, romantic betrayal, backstage performance culture, and melancholic ensemble drama
Opening Night
shared aging performers, theatrical self-invention, sexual jealousy, and bittersweet emotional exposure
Movie Details
- Director
- Yasujirō Ozu
- Release Date
- 1959-11-17
- Runtime
- 115 min
- Rating
- 7.5 / 10 (208)
Cast
- Ganjirō Nakamura II
- Machiko Kyō
- Ayako Wakao
- Hiroshi Kawaguchi
- Haruko Sugimura
- Hitomi Nozoe
- Chishū Ryū
- Kōji Mitsui
- Haruo Tanaka
- Yosuke Irie
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Floating Weeds about?
- An aging traveling actor confronts the family he abandoned when jealousy within his troupe turns hidden paternity into a painful emotional reckoning.
- What is Floating Weeds like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Floating Weeds as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Floating Weeds violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Floating Weeds.
- What did critics think of Floating Weeds?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a meticulously directed, visually beautiful, deeply tender Ozu drama distinguished by its rare and expressive use of color.
- Which films are like Floating Weeds?
- Films with a similar feel include Tokyo Story, Late Spring, La Strada, and Opening Night.
- How long is Floating Weeds?
- Floating Weeds runs 115 minutes.
- Where can I watch Floating Weeds?
- In United States, Floating Weeds streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max.
