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Barefoot Gen More at IMDbPro »Hadashi no Gen (original title)
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| Index | 20 reviews in total |
38 out of 39 people found the following review useful:
Here's a little shock and awe for you, 12 October 2005
Author:
juubei-2 from Canada
If you haven't seen this film, make it a top priority to track it down.
Barefoot Gen, the animated version of the autobiographical manga by
Keiji Nakazawa, is an unflinching first-hand look at the result of
dropping an atomic bomb on a civilian target. Comparisons to Grave of
the Fireflies will abound, but for me personally Barefoot Gen was the
more moving of the two. Though it centers on the effects of the atom
bomb, the fact is this could be about any war, and any people. It is a
story for all of humanity.
Barefoot Gen is filled with its fair share of caricatured mannerisms,
but calling it a dramedy is pushing it. There isn't much to laugh at
and even when the characters act a little over-the-top, the overall
effect hits its mark (strongly). What makes the story even more
powerful is knowing it comes from a survivor of the attack, and the
honesty with which the film doles out darker and darker shades of life
in the aftermath of the bombing (including subtle things one might not
think about).
I think this along with Grave of the Fireflies belongs in every
collection, even if you will only watch it once or twice, if only to
show it to future generations. Its one thing to see a big explosion
relating to the a-bomb in almost every other anime, but its another
thing entirely to see the reality of it, and its aftermath.
At the risk of sounding incredibly pretentious, it made me want to burn
flags. Not just from one country, but from all countries... to put it
another way, I wish we could be united by our common humanity.
28 out of 31 people found the following review useful:
something that all American History teachers should show their students., 31 July 2001
Author:
mahldcat from Portland Oregon
This is the sort of movie that I would rate up there with Schindler's list. Its haunting and powerful. This is also the sort of movie that I feel that every history teacher who teaches American History should show their students at some point in time. While some of the scenes do get a bit annoying, it still brings home the horrors of what occurred at the end of World War II. The other thing is the point of view, which was not "anti American" and doesn't try and place blame, which makes this all the more powerful.
22 out of 24 people found the following review useful:
"Where there is no imagination, there is no horror."- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 1 June 2002
Author:
James J. Kim-2 from Home is where the heart is...
I first saw "Barefoot Gen" on an anime station 7 1/2 years ago, and I got
around to seeing it again tonight. I have to tell you that the actual
bombing of Hiroshima appeared so horrific in this film, that mere words
cannot describe the unsettling images I viewed on screen.
Unlike, a lot of conventional films out there, I choose not to grade
"Barefoot Gen" based on the usual standards of cinema, because in real life,
there are no 3-act structures, appropriate dialogue, character motivations,
plot logic, etc. You have to see this film on a purely visceral level, in
order to truly understand the full magnitude of the blast that killed over
100,000 men, women, children, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, and
babies living in Hiroshima during the summer of 1945.
In terms of showing the brutality and devastation of a nuclear holocaust,
this is as close to reality as you can get...
24 out of 29 people found the following review useful:
The horror of Hiroshima...Never so realistic, 22 July 2005
Author:
Fabio Pizzuto (fabio-46) from New York, USA
I have to admit it. I cried, I cried a lot while watching this masterpiece of animation. The horror of the war and the apocalypse of the atomic bomb, engulfed my eyes and my soul so deep inside. It always should be remembered: the first casualty of war is innocence. Hadashi no Gen is a masterpiece, a legacy for the whole humanity. I have read many stories and talked to some survivors from the atomic bombs and I have to say that this movie is the first one that get so poignantly close to what happened on that August, 1945. The only thing I wanted to say at the end of the movie was:"I am sorry, I am sorry that I am human and that I can be so limited...I am sorry..."
21 out of 25 people found the following review useful:
Excellent but too realistic for many viewers, 28 April 1999
Author:
cpto from New Jersey
The story is excellent, the animation effective, but the lack of in-between
frames is intrusive in spots. For the full story, read the graphic novels.
They provide an even more effective tale.
As with Nosaka's "Grave of the Fireflies," Gen deals with a Japanese youth
in the waning days of WW II. The first 30 minutes shows him to be typical
for his stage of life, swinging between a self-centered boy and an adult. He
is suddenly thrust into the position of head of the family after the
Hiroshima bomb kills his father, brother, and sister, and destroys the city.
The remainder of the movie deals with his transformation into an adult, with
adult sensibilities and adult responsibilities.
Gen is clearly a Japanese story - the author, Nakazawa, lived through the
event as a child. But the story could have taken place in Dresden or London
just as easily. Although the atomic bomb is the event the movie revolves
around, the story is really about the people - the children - and the effect
the event has on their lives.
It's too bad that so much of the books had to be sacrificed to the time
limits of a film. The novels delve much more deeply into the cruel society
that Japan was in the 1940s. For example, much more was made of the
neighbor's Korean background in the book; in the movie, you wouldn't realize
the ethnicity if you didn't think about the name.
As a conventional film, Gen would probably be too honest to find real appeal
in the U.S. Worse, the animation format will probably dissuade those who
would otherwise see and appreciate it. Like most Japanese anime, this is not
a "cartoon." It is a serious film in an unconventional - for the U.S. -
medium.
The DVD transfer is excellent and belongs in your collection. This is a
movie that continues to educate and enlighten with each
viewing.
17 out of 18 people found the following review useful:
Grave of the Fireflies, with a Different Flavour, 22 September 2000
Author:
(pinhead1@home.com) from Canada
Many compare Grave of the Fireflies with Hadashi no Gen/Barefoot Gen.
While
there are certainly similarities, such as the timeline taking place near
the
end of the war with Japan, the main difference is that Grave deals mostly
with the inhumanity of the Japanese people toward their own kind, while
Gen
revolves less on this than it does the overall horrors of the
after-effects
of the nuclear blast at Hiroshima. The hooks used in the respective animes
are thus, quite different. While Grave makes one shake their head and
wonder
about how humanity is sacrificed on the altar of survival and
self-centeredness, Gen rests heavily on the outright horror that the
dropping of Fat Man unleashed on an entire population.
Animation styles are vastly different also. Grave was made in conjunction
with Miyazaki of studio Ghibli (Totoro), and thus was very polished in
appearance. Gen, on the other hand, has a mostly "old-fashioned" anime
feeling, reminiscent of the "Golden Age of Anime" in the 80's, using
devices
that are very manga; overblown representations of runny noses and buckets
of
tears from characters, for example.
In the end, Hadashi no Gen should be on the shelf of every anime
collector.
When someone says to them that anime is "just for kids", pop this in the
VCR
and show them just how in-depth, heart wrenching and thought provoking
simple pen and ink cells can become. You will have to watch it twice; it's
hard to get all the nuances while wiping tears from your
eyes.
17 out of 20 people found the following review useful:
Excellent animation from my childhood memories, 4 May 2006
Author:
Andrei Pavlov from Archangel, Russia
I saw this animation when I was about 7 years old and that was
something to remember. The picture, the sound, the message, the
dialogues, the actions - all fitted very well. The atomic bombing
looked so frightening on a big screen: the people were burning and only
bones remained. Till this day I could not find any information about
this animation treasure. Now I am in haste to post the review because
"The Incredibles" is 1 out of 10, if compared to this animation.
Some Russian people still recall memories of this cartoon, though, as
far as I know, it still has not been released here. It must mean
something. The animation film was shown decades ago in our theatres and
since then has been erased from any means of media - but we still
remember it and respect it. "Finding Nemo" is good. "Spirited Away" is
better. But this one is a masterpiece that has real history as a
background.
I am glad that finally I can read some data about this animation on
IMDb. Judging by the number of votes, not so many IMDb visitors are
aware of this gem. Alas, before making atomic quarrels one should watch
this film.
10 out of 10. Thank you for attention.
9 out of 9 people found the following review useful:
Cinema's rarely this honest., 22 September 2005
Author:
damntheirlies from Hertfordshire, England
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
If, for one reason or another you only saw the first half of this film
(before the bomb), you'd be highly confused as to why people are being
so complimentary of it. It's humour is almost embarrassing to watch,
the events seem to come in blocks, one after another, and as much as I
hate to use the word: corny is the predominant feeling.
However, when the bomb falls, you'll see why the filmmakers opted for
this approach. The contrast between the two parts of the film is
extreme. The sickeningly happy garden-gnome like sense of the first
half is instantly and shockingly shattered by the truly horrific and
sobering atmosphere of the second. Tears are to be fully expected as
the results of the attack reveal themselves, again, accurately, in the
blocky way they had in the first half, and truly excellently directed
to its purpose.
The focus of the movie is always on the suffering of the people, the
sadness of the results of the 'Pika bomb', the consequence of war. It
doesn't blame anyone and doesn't attempt to inspire patriotism, instead
it only displays the cost of the decisions taken by the various
political big shots on both sides, so ignorant to the true results of
their choices. Certainly an important lesson today.
Why people feel they need to state their personal opinions on the war
and the bomb in the other reviews is not clear and not appropriate,
however it is testament to the effect this film has on the viewer. Even
the most right wing of audiences would struggle to resist the peace
sentiment after seeing Barefoot Gen.
Just as a note though, to those here who have said they don't feel
sorry for the Japanese regarding the atomic bomb, bear in mind that it
was the political and military leaders that led the war effort, that
made the decisions, and that ordered the atrocities. The people that
suffered from the atomic bomb, as is the nature of war, were the
civilians, those who had no influence whatsoever over the action of
their country - and indeed, as does Gen's father in the film, many of
them believed Japan was making a mistake. Regardless of political
position, age, sex and physical fitness, the terrible suffering was
inflicted on many thousand people. The blame must always be placed
carefully and correctly, misdirected blame only leads to
discrimination.
7 out of 7 people found the following review useful:
What really went down in Hiroshima, 10 September 2008
Author:
Hamish Kearvell from Australia
Barefoot Gen is the autobiographical story of manga artist, Keiji
Nakazawa and his experience during the times of the Hiroshima bombings
in 1942. What ensues is something so unbelievable, so gritty, so real,
it will change your life forever.
The film is adapted as an anime from Keiji's short manga series
depicting all that he experienced just at the age of six when the
bombings hit. His story truly is one of the most amazing things you
will ever hear. Nothing else in film has ever captured the effects of
the bombings in such a real and emotional way. It shows the viewers
what really did happen and what we were never told. It shows us how
real the bombings really were as we follow Gen through his struggle for
survival during Japan's darkest hours.
If you haven't seen this film, you are missing out. While the film does
not hold back on the gritty details, and what happens to the people of
Japan throughout the whole of the film is very horrifying, you cannot
miss this film due to these aspects. It's these things that make it so
real and it would be a tragedy to ignore this film. It opened my eyes
to what really went down in Hiroshima and I almost felt personally
affected. During my whole time watching this film, I kept finding
myself in disbelief that something like this actually occurred in our
history, and recently at that. I mean, a whole society was rebuilt on
the effects of the bombings and once again shows us how very, very
wrong war is. One of the best films I have ever seen.
9.5/10 Hamish Kearvell A.K.A Screaming Japan Productions -
www.myspace.com/screamingjapanproductions
7 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
Strong stuff, 11 April 2000
Author:
sharptongue from Sydney, Australia
For a "cartoon" mainly about kids, this film presents some stunning reality
and horror.
For instance, a sequence shows some of the effects on people and animals
of
the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. A woman's face is shown to melt, a dog
catches fire...... And later, the hero sees much of his family die before
his eyes.
In this film and the sequel, I found the boundless enthusiasm of the two
main boy characters both irritating and inspiring, by turns.
Not a kids movie in the Western sense. Hard to watch in places, but warmly
recommended.
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