(🌠)　本片是山中(🐽)貞雄(📼)的遺作，也是他的“時代劇(🛍)的庶(shù )民(mín )電影”的代表(🎹)作之一(🐉)。他(tā )(🌰)在片中吸取了(le )美(💤)國(guó )電影和法國(⏬)電影(yǐng )(🎏)的(de )(❣)影響，並受到摯(zhì )友兼老師小津安(🤷)二郎(🛍)的“小庶(👁)民電(diàn )影(yǐng ) ”美學(🚉)影響(🚥)，將(jiāng )歷史上江戶時代的小人物形像注入現(🥀)代庶(🤯)民的(de )語言、性(xìng )格、行止、靈魂(hún )，成就了一部(😞)難得的社(💱)會(🦗)現(🌑)實主義的佳(jiā )作。故事(shì )發生於(yú )十八世紀(jì )德川(🙄)幕府時代，以悲(bēi )涼(liáng )調(diào )子(🍄)訴說德川幕(🧤)府時期(qī )低(🕙)下(xià )層的生活，開頭(🎋)與結尾都是自(zì )殺場景(jǐng )，映照(🗳)出舊時日本社會草(🥊)根(gēn )階層的悲哀(āi )。另外，山中(zhōng )(🐛)的剪輯流暢自(zì )如，視覺(jiào )風(🚶)格鋒如日本(😝)繪畫(huà )(🏒)，演員表演也很自然。此片公(gōng )認為(💏)山中最好的(de )作(zuò )品，也是他僅(🏴)存的三部電影之一。
　　(📞)Humanity and Paper Balloons,unlike most other Japanese films of this period,is a historical film with a critical edge.Refusing to glorify samurai,the film insteaddeflates the myth around them with a gentle humanity. The film opens directly after a penurious ronin samurai has taken his own life.At his funeral his neighbors from his slum mourn his death. Here the film introduces another ronin samurai who lives in equal poverty. Having pawned his sword for food,the samurai searches for work but to no avail. The family's only income comes from the little balloon children's toys made by the wife.Out of desperation,the samurai abets in an attempted kidnapping. After finding out,the wife kills him in his sleep and then takes her own life, closing the film's narrative circle.
　　Brian Whitener, All Movie Guide.