本片(piàn )是山(✒)中貞雄(xióng )的遺作，也是他(🃏)的“時代(dài )劇(jù )的(de )庶民電影(🍥)”的(🔧)代(dài )表作之(🥈)一。他在(zài )片中(zhōng )吸取了(le )美國電影(📿)和法(fǎ )國(guó )電影的(de )(❣)影響，並受到(🚤)摯(zhì )友兼老師小津安(ān )二(èr )郎的“小庶民電(diàn )影 ”美(🛹)學(xué )影響，將歷史(📞)上江戶時代的小人物形像(xiàng )(🖍)注入現(🥀)代庶民的語言、性格、行止、靈魂(hún )(🥁)，成(chéng )(📯)就(🚨)了一部(😞)難得的(❔)社會現(xiàn )實主(zhǔ )義(㊗)的佳(🥔)作(💻)。故事發生(shēng )於(yú )(🐑)十八世(shì )紀德川幕(mù )府時代，以悲涼調子訴說德川幕(mù )府時期(qī )低下(⛳)層的生活，開(kāi )頭與結(🕐)尾(wěi )都是自殺場景(🕯)，映照出舊時(❕)日本社會草根階(jiē )(👊)層的悲哀(🐾)。另(😊)外，山中的剪(⛏)輯(jí )流(liú )暢(chàng )自如(🃏)，視覺(🌼)風格(gé )鋒(📟)如日本(běn )繪畫(huà )，演員(yuán )表演也很自然。此片公認為山中最(🔷)好的作品，也是(shì )他僅存的三部(bù )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.