A sentimental favorite in its native country, this story of a dedicated schoolteacher and the pupils who come in and out of her life is also a portrait of the tragic fate of Japan in the run-up to World War II. While the first two-thirds of the film are quite good in dealing gently, but meaningfully with the importance of human decency in the face of promising young lives being hijacked by poverty, war, abuse, and rampant nationalism, the final third spirals into one three-hanky tragedy after another en route to a bittersweet conclusion that was almost too much, even for this avowed softie. (DVD)