Otona no miru ehon - Umarete wa mita keredo (1932)

Director:

Yasujiro Ozu

Writers:

Akira Fushimi (scenario)
Geibei Ibushiya (adaptation)
(more)

Release Date:

3 June 1932 (Japan)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

Two young brothers become the leaders of a gang of kids in their neighborhood. Their father is an office...

Plot Keywords:

Family | Train | Brothers | Innocence | School

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Tatsuo Saito	...	Chichi (Father, Yoshi)
Tomio Aoki	...	Keiji (as Tokkan-Kozou)
Mitsuko Yoshikawa	...	Haha (Yoshi's Wife)
Hideo Sugawara	...	Chounan (Older Son)
Takeshi Sakamoto	...	Juuyaku (Iwasaki, Executive)
Teruyo Hayami	...	Fujin (Iwasaki's wife)
Seiichi Kato	...	Kodomo (Taro)
Shoichi Kofujita	...	Kozou (Delivery boy)
Seiji Nishimura	...	Sensei (Teacher)
Zentaro Iijima	...	Asobi nakama (Friend)
Shôtarô Fujimatsu	...	Asobi nakama (Friend)
Masao Hayama	...	Asobi nakama (Friend)
Michio Sato	...	Asobi nakama (Friend)
Kuniyasu Hayashi	...	Asobi nakama (Friend)
Akio Nomura	...	Asobi nakama (Friend)
Teruaki Ishiwatari	...	Asobi nakama (Friend)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Chishu Ryu	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Yasujiro Ozu

Writing credits
Akira Fushimi		(scenario)
Geibei Ibushiya		(adaptation)
Yasujiro Ozu		(idea) (as James Maki)

Original Music by
Donald Sosin

Cinematography by
Hideo Shigehara

Film Editing by
Hideo Shigehara

Art Direction by
Yoshiro Kimura
Takejiro Tsunoda

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Kenkichi Hara	....	assistant director
Akira Kiyosuke	....	assistant director

Camera and Electrical Department
Yuuharu Atsuta	....	assistant camera
Masao Irie	....	assistant cinematographer
Toshimitsu Nakajima	....	lighting engineer

Production Companies

• Shochiku Kinema Kenkyû-jo

Distributors

• Criterion Collection, The (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• New Yorker Films (1972) (USA)
• trigon-film (2007) (Austria) (theatrical)
• trigon-film (2007) (Germany) (theatrical)
• trigon-film (2007) (Switzerland) (theatrical) (re-release)
• trigon-film (2008) (Switzerland) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Children of Tokyo (USA)
I Was Born, But... (International: English title)
Umarete wa mita keredo (Japan) (short title)

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

Japan

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Company:

Shochiku Kinema Kenkyû-jo

Movie Connections:

Featured in 100 Years of Japanese Cinema (1994) (TV)

A Whole New Ozu: The Old Ozu!

I like Yasujiro Ozu's work, but, even after seeing some of those works that are generally considered best, I was still skeptical of his minimalist style. But then I saw the New Yorker VHS of the silent I Was Born, But...

Let me just say that it is absolutely amazing. It's a nearly perfect film, with great direction, great writing, great jokes, and great acting. This is easily one of the best film about children ever made. The story revolves around two young boys whose dad has just moved to the suburbs near his boss. The kids have some trouble fitting in, and a gang of bullies accost them at first. But soon they conquer the leader of the gang and supplant him.

Later in the film, the kids are challenged with their perception of their father. They think he's everything, of course, but they soon find out that he is only a salaryman. They watch his boss' movies, which include shots of the father fooling around for the entertainment of his employer. The children are flabberghasted, and rebel against their father. I have said it is a great film about childhood; it is also a great film about parenting, as the father and mother have to deal with their sons' disappointment.

Please, please watch this film, especially if you have been disappointed with other works such as Tokyo Story. In my opinion, I Was Born, But... is a much better film. 10/10.