Reviewer:
Kenneth Orme from Ligonier, PA United States
Kozaburo Yoshimura's 1947 film THE BALL AT THE ANJO HOUSE features outstanding acting, superlative costumes and sets, exceptionally fine lighting and an intelligent, uncompromising screenplay created by Kaneto Shindo. Its storyline of an aristocratic Japanese family shorn of its money and titles by American occupation and its consequent property tax has a universal resonance to it, suggestive of THE CHERRY ORCHARD by Chekhov. At times overly talky, its ambiguous ending and finely shaded performances more than compensate for rather dull opening scenes.