Boyhood (1951 film)

Boyhood a.k.a. A Record of Youth (少年期, Shōnenki) is a 1951 Japanese drama film directed by Keisuke Kinoshita. It is based on a collection of letters by writer Isoko Hatano.[2][4]

Boyhood
Japanese少年期
Directed byKeisuke Kinoshita
Produced byTakeshi Ogura
Written by
Starring
Music byChuji Kinoshita
CinematographyHiroshi Kusuda
Edited byYoshi Sugihara
Production
company
Distributed byShochiku
Release date
  • May 12, 1951 (1951-05-12)
[1][2]
Running time
110[1][3]
CountryJapan
LanguageJapanese

Plot

When a family of Tokyo war evacuees arrives at the outskirts of Suwa, they are met with hostility by most villagers. The father, an English professor who had to quit lecturing due to his liberal views, opposes his son Ichirō's wish to enlist at a military school. Ichirō, who previously had to suffer mockery at school for alleged cowardness, is now confronted with his new schoolmates' reluctance and bullied by the son of the local military commander. He is also at odds with his father because of his father's staying at home and reading, while the mother works for the family's income. After Japan's defeat, the commander's son tries to kill Ichirō before committing suicide himself for the inflicted "shame", but Ichirō can fend him off. The ending hints at more peaceful times lying ahead for the family.

Cast

Literary source

The screenplay for Boyhood is based on a compilation of letters exchanged between child psychologist and writer Isoko Hatano and her son in 1944–1946. The book was published in 1950 and became a nationwide bestseller. An English translation was published in 1962.[5][6]

Awards

References
  1. "少年期 (Boyhood)". Japanese Movie Database (in Japanese). Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  2. "少年期 (Boyhood)". Shochiku Cinema Classics. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  3. "Boyhood". Shochiku Films. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  4. McVeigh, Brian J. (2017). "Epilogue: In Retrospect: Trajectories, Alternative Routes, and the Contributions of Japanese Women Psychologists". The History of Japanese Psychology: Global Perspectives, 1875-1950. London: Bloomsbury Academic. p. 191. ISBN 978-1-4742-8308-3.
  5. "波多野 勤子 (Isoko Hatano)". コトバンク (Kotobank) (in Japanese). Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  6. Mother and Son: The Wartime Correspondence by Isoko & Ichiro Hatano. Kirkus Reviews. 1 September 1962. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  7. "6th Mainichi Film Awards". Mainichi.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2 February 2021.
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