Flunky, Work Hard! (1931) User Reviews

Not What You'd Expect from Naruse

[boblipton · 7/10 · 31 March 2011]

This, the earliest surviving Naruse picture, is not the sort of woman's picture he is best remembered for directing in the 1950s and 1960s, but a comedy about a timid insurance agent, henpecked at home, who can't seem to get ahead, even with his children watching. Thematically it is a great deal like Ozu's early comedies, but while Ozu's attitudes and rhythms are modern and American in this period, like a Japanese Leo McCarey, Naruse's choices seem much more foreign to this modern American viewer: a talent of Japanese, rather than world cinema. Still, the worries are universal in a modern age, of the wage slave who makes himself ridiculous in order to keep his head above water, and the particularly Japanese take on the themes is refreshing. Ozu is outraged at injustice. Naruse's hero endures.

There is a melancholy air to the cinematography as images and the detritus of a still-industrializing Japan are seen about. The children play around and are shot through unassembled sewer pipes, trains rattle by in the background and a toy plane is a plot point. The hard-working, loyal flunky is in danger of being lost, and only the occasional, graceful tracking shot of him walking with his boy offers any real consolation.

Less a comedy, more a slice of Japanese life circa 1931.

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 27 July 2020]

"Koshiben Ganbare" by Mikio Naruse is a Japanese short film also known as "Little Man, Do Your Best" or "Flunky, Work Hard!" in English. Although in some ways it's a comedy, it's really more a slice of life film showing how some folks were living in the countryside back in 1931.

This is the story of a very timid insurance salesman. He isn't doing particularly well at his job and he has two additional problems which make all this worse. First, his wife nags him to work harder. Second, his son has gotten into a lot of fights with the neighbor kids and he's afraid his son will cost him sales. After all, who wants to buy insurance from the father of the neighborhood bully. But neither problem really is as it seems. The wife, though nagging at times, does seem to be a good wife and mother. And, the boy is fighting...but he is provoked into it and is only standing up for himself. So how does all this work out? See the film.

I look at this short as more a glimpse into Japan and the people of the country back in the 30s. While much of history focuses on Japanese militarism during this time, it's also interesting just to see normal folks going about their lives like they do in this cute film.

By the way, the story was filmed very well with some very nice camerawork. Too bad the final couple minutes of the story are seriously degraded and you focus on this instead of how great the picture originally looked.

Small Jewell.

[net_orders · 7/10 · 22 December 2018]

FLUNKY, WORK HARD! / UNDER EMPLOYED DO YOUR BEST (Lit.) (KOSHIBEN GANBARE). Viewed on Streaming. Director and story author Mikio Naruse packs a surprising amount of creativity and entertainment into this enjoyable 30-minute home drama (Shomin-geki) focused on the interactions between an impoverished rural insurance peddler and his precocious/bratty young (grade-school age?) son. Physical comedy is often on display and usually flat-out hilarious especially scenes of kids (and adults!) leapfrogging over the backs of rival insurance salespersons. Naruse also includes pathos/tragedy with a touch of melodrama (using the ever-popular Japanese-film-chestnut of a kid hit by a train), symbolism (such as a drowning insect and different denominations of pocket change), and crude unconventional editing tricks that are nonetheless startling (multiple exposures, screen fragmentations consisting of rapid simultaneous montages, and bizarre whips and dissolves). Direction of actors/actresses is quite good. Inter-titles are mercifully scant. Music (two instruments?) is fine. Print is horrible, but we are flat-out fortunate that something has survived after some 90 years! Cinematography looks fine (as far as can be determined) with a number of forward tracking shots. A half hour very well spent! WILLIAM FLANIGAN, PhD. Details: Editing = 8/9 stars; Streaming (FilmStruck) = 8/9 stars; Direction = 7/8 stars; Performances = 7/8 stars; Cinematography (narrow screen, black and white) = 6 stars; Inter-titles = 6 stars; Music = 5/6 stars; Print = 1/2 stars.