Directed by Mikio Naruse • 1951 • Japan

Mikio Naruse's Repast (aka Meshi) (1951) is a domestic drama with an intact family at its center, at least at the beginning. Setsuko Hara portrays Michiyo, a loving wife whose five-year marriage to Hatsu (Ken Uehara) seems to be threatened by the visit of his young cousin Satako (Yukiko Shimazahi). The tension between them as her spouse seems to stray, and her decision about what to do, make up the substance of this intimate and beautifully acted drama.