The title itself refers to a symbolic transition—the Higanbana (spider lily in the Amaryllis family) blooms brilliant red blossoms around the autumn equinox, which is the traditional time that Japanese visit their ancestor's graves. The red imagery used throughout the film (buildings, clothing, carpeting, furnishing) makes this a highly appropriate choice as Ozu's first color feature.

No Ozu film is complete without trains, so it evokes a knowing wink when he bookends the film with visuals of a train station. From the station we move down a crimson-carpeted corridor into a wedding reception where protagonist Wataru Hirayama (Shin Saburi) is asked to speak a few words on the bride's behalf. He nostalgically reminisces about his own traditionally arranged marriage, congratulates the bride, and expresses a measure of envy that she has had the privilege of marrying for the sake of love.

In public it appears that Hirayama is adjusting to the rapidly changing values of the post war period, yet we soon discover that he expects his oldest daughter Setsuko (Ineko Arima) to marry a certain young man from an influential family. He sincerely believes that this would be the best arrangement for her to ensure her future. He's actually quite relieved that his youngest daughter Hisako (Miyuki Kuwano) emphatically states that she will find her own husband and marry out of love—at least they will not have to go through the process of securing a suitable husband for her. Thus, Hirayama aptly represents the crossroads that Japanese families faced during this transitional period. He's a strongly traditional man who can understand the advantages of the modern world, as long as he's not intimately involved.

Friends and acquaintances turn to Hirayama for advice about their own family relationship challenges. Middle-aged widower Mikami (veteran actor Chisyu Ruy so memorable in Late Spring and Tokyo Story) pleads with Hirayama to act as go-between with his estranged daughter Fumiko (Yoshiko Kuga), who has left him to join her cabaret musician boyfriend. Another fiercely independent and talkative young woman confides that she's irritated with her mother's continual meddling and manipulation to find a successful candidate for marriage.

With these friends, Hirayama offers thoughtful and compassionate advice and service; however, he behaves entirely differently when shocked by an afternoon visit from Tangiguchi (Keiji Sada), seeking consent to marry his daughter. Though subdued, the gruff tone of his voice telling the suitor "You'd better leave" does not bode well. Hirayama's wife is more tolerant, and instantly recognizes good qualities in Tangiguchi when he escorts Setsuko home. But the crux of the story rests firmly in Hirayama's hands—to show his disdain for his daughter's disobedience he swears that he will not even attend the wedding. Although the narrative outline could easily become melodrama, Ozu extends the story and again allows us intimately into the family scene to show how these characters adjust to their changing situation.

Ozu consistently allows inside the Japanese family to see life play out. The ensemble acting comes across so naturally that it feels like Ozu is working with non-actors in neo-realistic fashion; they are professional, however—just never flashy like traditional "award winning" Hollywood stars. With Equinox Flower, Ozu demonstrates that he can adjust readily with a Technicolor palate to present a warm family drama that moves as steadily as one of his signature trains moves from Kyoto to Hiroshima at the end.

Note: Now available on DVD as part of the Eclipse Series from The Criterion Collection. Other movies included in the box set:

Early Spring
Tokyo Twilight
Late Autumn
End of Summer, The