Emotionally and thematically, it is deeply complex and satisfying as it takes on the larger family structure that would become one of his favorite themes to explore. The speech toward the end by Shojiro ranks as one of the most powerful and moving scenes in Ozu's work.
From a formal standpoint, the poetry and lyricism of Ozu are fully beginning to flourish. The film is full of his trademark ellipses to show the passage of time and the number of shots of people-less frames are prevalent throughout. I could be wrong but I credit the latter as coming from the influence of Lang's M.
The other formal aspect that jumped out at me was Ozu's periodic use of non-diegetic music. It is the first time I can remember him punctuating certain moments with non-diegetic classical music. And the way that he uses it feels very similar to the way that Bresson would later treat music in films such as Pickpocket.
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