本片是山中貞雄的遺作也是他的“時代劇的庶民電影”的代表作之一他在片中吸取了美國電影和法國電影的影響並受到摯友兼老師小津安二郎的“小庶民電影 ”美學影響將歷史上江戶時代的小人物形像注入現代庶民的語言、性格、行止、靈魂成就了一部難得的社會現實主義的佳作故事發生於十八世紀德川幕府時代以悲涼調子訴說德川幕府時期低下層的生活開頭與結尾都是自殺場景映照出舊時日本社會草根階層的悲哀另外山中的剪輯流暢自如視覺風格鋒如日本繪畫演員表演也很自然此片公認為山中最好的作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.