Depending on how you count, "Omokage" (Vestige, 1948) is the second or the third post-war film by Gosho Heinosuke. His first, "Izu no musumetachi" (1945) had premiered only two weeks after Japan surrendered, so that may not even count, having been produced during the war-time. "Ima hitotabi no" (Once More, 1947) was a thematic post-war romance, and a big hit with the audiences. "Omokage" continues Gosho's line of showing his audience a more idyllic version of reality, though this film does have shadows lurking underneath.
The film is set on an upper-class beach resort, where a former professor lives in a luxurious seaside villa. If you think "immediate post-war, Japan", this is not the first image that would come to mind. The professor lives with his younger wife, and now a former student comes to visit them. This man has lost his wife during war, and gradually starts eyeing the lady of the house. The drama stems from both the moral code, as well as the stranger being haunted by his past, which takes the form of a recurring piano melody.
Gosho is often very good with slow-burner narratives like this, but I did not find "Omokage" to be among his better efforts. He is still struggling to relate what exactly he wants to say with this film, and as a result, it feels poorly thought-out. The contrast between idyllic location and emotional turmoil also could have been framed better. If you want to see him succeed with a similar narrative and a class depiction, I would highly recommend "Ryôjû" (Hunting Rifle, 1961), one of my favorites by him. "Omokage" is an interesting post-war product, but in the end, not one of the director's masterworks.
