The Girl in the Picture

One of Obayashi's earliest films. It's obvious he was still experimenting and searching for his identity here, but that has a charm of its own. This early short feature is an ode to silent cinema, which I guess was pretty convenient for a young director with limited means at his disposal.

A young man wanders around and walks into the forest to finish his drawing. There an old flame of his appears before him. The girl denies being the same woman, but this encounter triggers a trip down memory lane, as he recalls the events that kept him from getting together with the love of his life.

It's cute to see a young Obayashi, the grainy, fuzzy film stock has a fitting charm and while the setup is pretty simple, the short runtime keeps the film from losing steam. It's far from Obayashi's most memorable film, but it's a cute little experiment that foreshadows an impressive career. Good fun.