The Late Spring Archetype
Mitski Miyawaki’s magnum opus is surely “First Love/Late Spring” from Bury Me at Makeout Creek. Although definitely arguable, it is one of Mitski’s standout songs from her entire discography to me. The track depicts the highs and honeymoon phase of a first relationship and how it fizzles out eventually. I may have oversimplified this one though, as one lyric that muddles through my brain is “Lately I’ve been crying like a tall child,” and that line is definitely applicable to all components of my life: relationships/friendships, the pinnacle of adulthood and being in your 20s, etc. Unfortunately, I don’t believe I’ll ever shake off the uneasiness that comes with listening to “First Love/Late Spring” just as our inevitable subjection to the whole pamphlet of what dictates an adult.
Like “First Love/Late Spring,” Late Spring by Yasujirō Ozu extends the themes of what Mitski was inherently conveying. I’m not sure if this was a coincidence on the singer’s part or if she actually watched through Ozu’s filmography—specifically Early Summer and Tokyo Midnight (coincidentally not sequels). I wouldn’t be surprised if the answer was the latter because Mitski was allegedly a film major at my alma mater before shortly transferring to another school to pursue music. But, like Mitski’s realities aligned with the passage of time through “First Love/Late Spring,” one can make similar parallels to Late Spring’s protagonist, Noriko.
Noriko, a 27-year-old daughter to a widowed professor, Shukichi, finds gratification in taking care of her father. However, her Aunt Masa asserts to Shukichi that Noriko should think of marriage since she’s past the standard age for when Japanese women are wedded. From here, we learn of Masa’s arrangement for Noriko and a “Gary Cooper” lookalike, Satake. What I found the most interesting was Ozu’s intent to omit Satake visually. Audiences never get to see him interact with Noriko, albeit necessary since this would have immediately pivoted from a family drama into a romance. Mitski’s “First Love/Late Spring” identifies Noriko in a way: “And I was so young when I behaved 25.” Short of only a few years, Noriko, at the apex of her 20s, has only really known to be with Shukichi. She would complete household duties, accompany him to a Noh performance, etc; almost reminiscent of a toddler and their parents since he/she is far too young to be independent.
Ozu’s filmmaking style is known for his jump cuts, transitioning from character/character dialogue to stationary objects or things of nature. At the aforementioned Noh play, the ensemble performs a tale analogous to the lack of dialogue from Noriko. This is the exact scene where we get to witness Noriko displaying her jealousy as her father greets a potential wife for himself. The musician in the play sings the following: “Whose color is deeper, crying in the trees” while going to a jump cut of Noriko looking down with tears arising. This same singer circles back with a more hopeful lyric: “All the earth will be enlightened, even the flowers and trees,” to which Ozu inserts a jump cut to a tree oscillating from the wind. During my first viewing, I believed this to be a foreshadowing of one’s life entering sudden metamorphosis, but with time, the cocoon will eventually hatch into something beautiful.
Regarding the titles “First Love/Late Spring” and Late Spring at face value, the concept of a late spring is where all the uncompromising weather from the winter season makes way for some light to seep through right before the heavy summer. Just before Noriko’s wedding, Shukichi and his assistant, Hattori, discuss how it was raining before the big day but the skies have eventually cleared up. This could be the nature counterpart to Noriko and Shukichi’s lives in the unfamiliar. The spring season is a combination of what marriage or big decisions are about; there are days where you can dread it, but end up thankful for the experience it’s given you. On a similar note to “First Love/Late Spring'' where Mitski describes “The night breeze carries something sweet, a peach tree;” at the beginning of the track reminds me of Shukichi’s decision to let his daughter go while embracing the loneliness that coexists with it. Maybe he’s been so used to being pampered, or it could be another reminder that his living daughter is choosing to leave whereas his deceased wife didn’t have that decision. Shukichi can bear witness to his only child living a fulfilled life; the night breeze (the losses in Shukichi’s life) to the peach tree (a new chapter or a glimmer of hope) that Mitski sings.
A bittersweet ending has never been favorable in my film catalog, but Yasujirō Ozu’s tranquil exploration of the seasons through his shot compositions, is one I’ll look back on fondly. “First Love/Late Spring'' and Late Spring aren’t stories about love, but rather yet the silent complexities of loss.
Edited by Madison Case. Cover Photo by Magana.