I Was Born, But...

Yasujiro Ozu's early masterpiece — the finest film of his silent period and one of the great films about childhood ever made. Two young brothers, transplanted to a new Tokyo suburb, quickly establish themselves as leaders of the local kids' gang through a combination of staring contests and general bravado. But when they discover that their father — whom they worship — is a servile, joke-telling subordinate to his boss, their world cracks open. Ozu transforms this simple setup into a devastating meditation on class, dignity, and the moment when children first understand that their parents are not the heroes they imagined. The film's humor is irresistible — the kids are funny, mean, and achingly real — and its emotional gut-punch lands with a force that belies its gentle surface. A perfect film.