Magokoro (1939)
Michael Kerpan
This focuses on two young school girls Nobuko and Tomiko. The first
belongs to an upper-class family -- father is waiting his commission as
an officer and mother is mostly busy with various civic duties. The
second girls lives with her kimono-maker mother (Takako Irie) and her
grandmother (and never has known who her father was). When the interim
report cards come out, Nobuko has dropped from first to tenth place in
her class, while Tomiko has risen to first place. Nobuko's mother is
irate. After her father notes that she just needs to work harder, her
mother (aggravation unassuaged) complains to the teacher (insinuating
that Nobuko's lackluster performance is _his_ fault).
Nobuko overhears a night-time argument between her parents, and learns
that her father was once in love with Tomiko's mother (back before his
marriage). Nobuko tells Tomiko this -- and upsets her -- triggering a
demand that her mother tell her about _her_ father. When her mother is
not too forthcoming, her grandmother tells her father was a
ne'er-do-well. Nobuko's father pays a courtesy call to Tomiko's family
(giving her a doll). Nobuko's mother gets aggravated -- and the doll
gets returned. Nobuko's father finally gets his commission -- and
Nobuko is pleased for his sake (since he has been anxious to get this).
Her mother is less pleased -- and the father dresses the mother down
(albeit in a generally calm manner).. Meanwhile Nobuko has gone off to
take the doll back to her friend. At the end, everyone is joyfully
seeing the father off as he (finally in uniform) leaves on a troop
train.
Insofar as this looks at the trials and tribulations of childhood, the
film has some pleasure to offer. Nobuko is a curly-haired moppet
(named "Etchan" --clearly modeled on Shirley Temple -- she made a
series of films in the mid-30s). Tomiko (Teruko Kato) has a sadder,
more earnest demeanor. But the adult side of the story is
disconcerting for its militaristic and paternalistic overtones. The
adult segments also seem to be a bit overly-talky (and are visually
less interesting than the ones involving the children).
Dan Sallitt
> film has some pleasure to offer. Nobuko is a curly-haired moppet
> (named "Etchan" --clearly modeled on Shirley Temple -- she made a
> series of films in the mid-30s). Tomiko (Teruko Kato) has a sadder,
> more earnest demeanor. But the adult side of the story is
> disconcerting for its militaristic and paternalistic overtones.
Militarism doesn't seem to be integral to the plot that you describe.
The subject matter sounds pretty much up Naruse's alley, actually.
No English subtitles, I presume? - Dan
Michael Kerpan
It's not so much part of the plot as it is part of the whole
atmosphere. Lots of reflections of patriotic and military activity --
parades, school rallies, the father at the hall of arms (having
finished sword fight practice)...
I haven't seen Naruse's "Shanghai Moon" (and may never get to see it)
-- but this seems the closest to propaganda of any Naruse film I've
seen -- though it has a the elements of a more normal Naruse films at
its core. ("Natsukashi no kao" involves a family member at war in China
-- who shows up briefly in a news reel -- but feels remarkably unlike
propaganda overall).
> No English subtitles, I presume?
Nope. Narboni's new Cahiers-published book on Naruse has a quite
detailed French synopsis, however.