Barefoot Gen

Publisher
Optimum Asia
Director
Mamoru Shinzaki
Production
Gen Pro, Madhouse
Country of origin
Japan
Format
Film
Year
1982

Barefoot Gen

By John Huxley
14th Aug 05

What do you think of when someone mentions the atomic bomb? Most likely your first thoughts will be of the gigantic ‘mushroom cloud’ so synonymous with mass destruction. While there’s no doubt this is a haunting image that has the power to terrify as much as it does astound, it’s only really telling half the story. And that’s where Barefoot Gen steps in.

Like many people fortunate enough not to find themselves subject to warfare first-hand, I find it difficult to comprehend the sheer devastation that such a weapon would bring about. Barefoot Gen tackles this issue head-on, following the titular Gen and his family before, during and after the US drops the first atomic bomb on his hometown of Hiroshima during the summer of 1945. Leaving the political impact of the Hiroshima attack to historians, Barefoot Gen ably illustrates the human consequences of such an event by telling the story from Gen’s perspective as he struggles to come to terms with the reality of such destruction. Purposeful or not, this is an extremely effective narrative technique for such a potentially sensitive topic because it allows us to view these unbelievable events more-or-less objectively, through the eyes of a child without agenda. Of course Barefoot Gen’s original author Keiji Nakazawa can have no pretense to be entirely without bias - as this is a semi-autobiographical story he’s unsurprisingly staunchly anti-war - yet in telling his story from Gen’s viewpoint he’s effectively disassociating himself, and us, from the years of anguish that must have followed. What we’re left with is a direct, often poignant account that remains effecting through cold, harsh reality and nothing but.

Much of this effect is bought about by the unforgivingly explicit visuals. Though the animation is clearly ageing, the sheer power and impact of the horrific sights that comprise much of Barefoot Gen’s latter sections is undeniably timeless, invoking the kind of reaction that most live action films would struggle to duplicate. Occasionally this can make for some expectedly difficult viewing, yet it’s often so bizarrely compelling you’ll find yourself unable to turn away. If Barefoot Gen were meant as a warning to the horror of war such as this, there’s no doubt that it’s entirely successful in this respect.

Of course, without endearing characters and an involving story to back it up, Barefoot Gen would be little more than an anti-bomb short, albeit a rather effective one. While many characters clearly exist to serve a purpose, it’s Gen and his close relationship with his rapscallion brother and his adoring mother that really drives the story. Now, it’s easy to accuse Barefoot Gen of creating a romantic view of pre-fallout Hiroshima in order to heighten the impact of the aftermath, yet there’s no denying the effectiveness of this seemingly underhand technique. Gen and his brother in particular represent an innocence that makes Barefoot Gen all the more harrowing in parts, as naturally no concerning adult would ever wish to subject a child to such atrocities.

Despite all this, Barefoot Gen is not quite the torturous experience it might first appear. A few well placed lighthearted moments help to break up the dour atmosphere nicely, while the strong spirited Gen and his family find solace in the kindness of others, something that gives us genuine hope for the future. Barefoot Gen, in its original comic form, is a long-running series that comprises of many volumes of which this DVD represents just a few. So if you’d like to know the fate of Gen and co., it should be available in an English language edition from Last Gasp. I wouldn’t approach any version fo Barefoot Gen expecting a laugh a minute, but it’s certainly not an entirely unpleasant experience devoid of any spirit.

Also included on this disc is Barefoot Gen 2, 1983’s intriguingly titled sequel. Now, the first film may have taken up the majority of this review, but don’t let that fool you into thinking that Barefoot Gen 2 is the lesser film. By all accounts it’s a worthy successor that should probably warrant its own review, if only Optimum Asia weren’t so thoughtful in releasing both films on the same disc.

Barefoot Gen 2 picks up Gen’s story three years after the events of the first film, as Hiroshima struggles to rebuild itself. A makeshift shantytown has sprung up in amongst the ruins, as people try to regain a semblance of normality and simply earn enough money to stay alive. Here Gen befriends a group of young orphans forced into a life of crime. The presence of the US army creates new tensions, though Gen is more concerned with the ailing health of his mother.

While it could never hope to recreate the impact of the first film, Barefoot Gen 2 is equally intriguing because this is a period of Hiroshima’s history much less documented than the immediate aftermath of the atomic bomb. It also give us a chance to spend more time with Gen and his newfound friends, characters that will undoubtedly grow as the series continues. Gen himself is now slightly older and more worldly-wise, yet surprisingly no less endearing. That said, his more assertive sense of self pervades Barefoot Gen 2 with a arguably more bias standpoint than its prequel, although this is minimal enough to be almost inconsequential.

More concerning is the uneven balance that gives Barefoot Gen 2 a real sickly-sweet atmosphere for large parts of the movie, making many sequences unbearably sentimental. Whilst I can appreciate this helps to soften the blow of Barefoot Gen’s more harrowing moments, this is heinously overplayed in comparison to the original movie. Yet despite these few shortcomings, as a companion piece to the first film Barefoot Gen 2 proves its worth.

Some have, quite understandably, compared the original Barefoot Gen to Isao Takahata’s 1988 classic Grave of the Fireflies. While the two share a similar theme, Barefoot Gen differs from its younger sibling in that deals with the impact of the atomic bomb directly, while Grave of the Fireflies takes a more low-key, human approach to the conflict. Grave of the Fireflies certainly has its finer points that arguably make it the better film, yet I feel that both remain essential viewing on their own merits alone. You can watch countless documentaries and read as many books as you like, but I doubt there are many accounts of the atomic bomb that will give you such a clear understanding as Barefoot Gen and its sequel.

R2 DVD Notes

Features: Japanese 2.0 audio, booklet containing interview with Nakazawa

Release information: UK: Optimum Asia, out now

Notes: Boot up the disc and you’ll be presented with a nice little animated menu from which you can access all the usual setup options. A simple click on the Barefoot Gen 2 link will whisk you away to a second menu which allows you to view the sequel. There are no real extras to speak of, though there is a booklet inside the box which includes an interview and an essay on Barefoot Gen.

-- John Huxley 14th Aug 05

Barefoot Gen Images